Adult Choir – Syracuse Community Choir

Every Wednesday Nights @ 7 PM at Grace Episcopal Church, 819 Madison St, Syracuse

Please enter the church through the doors in the center of the building on the Madison Street side.
Early arrival is much appreciated. When you arrive, please don a name tag, fill out a registration form, sign in on the attendance sheets, and collect your music.
Newcomers will be welcomed and advised where to find these things.

We’re hoping to find people who are willing to help with some early volunteer needs. Can you lend a hand?

Choir Besties
We’ve started a program to welcome new singers into the choir and get them off to a good start. Each new singer will have a “choir bestie,” a buddy to introduce them to people, show them the ropes, answer their questions, and make sure they have what they need to be a happy and successful member.

If that’s something you’re willing to help with, please contact Tracy at tracyjoholmes@gmail.com or (315) 708-7077.

Setup / Cleanup Crews
At each rehearsal there are setup and cleanup tasks that need to be done, and many hands make light work.

If you’re willing to arrive by 6:30 to help with set up, please contact Shanah at ‭‭(315) 880-1796‬.
If you’re willing to help with cleanup and can stay until 9:15, please contact Tracy at tracyjoholmes@gmail.com or
(315) 708-7077.

SINGER EXPECTATIONS

MAKE YOUR SINGER PLEDGE

2/25 Annual Meeting

Come find out what we have planned for this season, learn about choir policies, and sing.

6pm at May Memorial, 3800 E. Genesee Street

2/25 Songs of Hope and Resistance: Benefit Concert for SIRDN

Benefit Concert For the Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Defense Network (SIRDN) @ 7:15pm at May Memorial, 3800 E. Genesee Street (following our Annual Meeting, same location).

Featuring Colleen Kattau, Donna Colton, and Sam P.

Sliding scale $10-$50, no one turned away.

SIRDN is doing critical work to support those harassed and detained by ICE in our community.

This concert aims to:

Build spirits and energy to continue resisting
Share good protest songs
Raise money and energy to support SIRDN’s work

Co-sponsored by the Workers Center of CNY/SIRDN, Syracuse Community Choir, and Syracuse Cultural Workers.

3/4 Singing Resistance Syracuse: Community Sing

This will be the first community sing for our newly formed Singing Resistance Syracuse Choir.

7pm @ Grace Church, 819 Madison Street, Syracuse

3/11 Gospel and civil rights songs workshop

This workshop focuses on gospel singing and learning civil rights songs led by Marcia Hagan and Gregory Sheppard.

7pm @ Grace Church, 819 Madison Street, Syracuse

3/18 Adult Choir Rehearsals Begin

Grace Episcopal Church
819 Madison Street
7 pm – 9 pm

We’ll have the first rehearsal of the Adult Choir! We have an early volunteer ask…we’re looking for a few people to join our rehearsal cleanup crew. Can you spare 15 minutes after each rehearsal to help put the room back in order? Jobs include moving tables and chairs, gathering our supplies and materials, packing up equipment, and, for the able-bodied, carrying things down to our storage space in the basement. If you’re willing to pitch in, please get in touch with Tracy at tracyjoholmes@gmail.com or (315) 708-7077. Thank you!

6/6 Saturday Dress Rehearsal

This is a full concert rehearsal.

Time TBD

Location: Tucker Missionary Baptist Churcha, 515 Oakwood Avenue, Syracuse

6/7 Summer Solstice Concert

Our annual summer solstice concert

Sunday, June 7 @ 4pm

Location: Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, 515 Oakwood Avenue, Syracuse

Meet the Adult Choir Creative Team

Colleen Kattau Colleen is a bilingual vocalist and songwriter. Her music expresses a loving, spirited presence, with a voice that soothes and haunts with its range and clarity. Music and activism infuse her music and she has performed at many social justice events, from celebrating the working folk of this country to “singing clear” for renewable energy. She recently won a songwriting award for her anthem I Will Rise at the Great Labor Arts Exchange, Silver Spring MD, and also recorded Woody Guthrie’s classic, Deportee. She has recorded seven albums and three successful benefit CDs for environmental & peace actions. Colleen believes in the transformative power of song to make a more just and peaceful world.

Laura Enslin, adult choir, syracuse community choir, creative team

Laura Enslin Soprano Laura Enslin is excited to work with the Syracuse Community Choir! She left a full-time academic career in 2016 to start a private studio called CNY Singing Garden (singinggarden.org). Laura attributes her success to many people she's taught and worked with over the years at Syracuse University (Department of Drama and Setnor School of Music); Nazareth College; and the Eastman School of Music, where she also earned a Master of Music in Voice. A lifelong learner, Laura expands her personal and professional horizons by studying yoga, sound healing, voice, vocal pedagogy and music of all genres. Currently, she is a student of the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP). She earned a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Kevin Amamann, teen choir director, creative team

Kevin Ammann Kevin is a music educator with a passion for choral singing and composing. Kevin joined the Syracuse Community Choir for the winter concert season directing in the adult choir and leading the teen and young adult choir. Music and helping others are at the core of who Kevin is. He has taught in Utica, Syracuse, and Star Lake, both in public and private capacities. Kevin loves to compose and arrange music for choral ensembles. When not singing, other instruments Kevin enjoys playing include French horn, clarinet, and piano. Outside of music and teaching, Kevin enjoys reading, learning new skills, travel, and spending quality time with loved ones.

Barry Torries, 2026 summer creative team

Barry Torres Schola’s founding and present Music Director Barry Torres, for whom early music been a longstanding professional passion, served 25 years as Director of Music Ensembles at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, until his retirement in 2023. At St. Lawrence he taught singing and 16th Century performance practice in addition to directing the Laurentian Singers (St. Lawrence's 28-member select choir), the University Chorus, and the Gospel Choir and Band. As a singer and as a player of early wind instruments, Mr. Torres has appeared with the Orchestra of Northern New York, with NYS Baroque, and as a member of Sonare. His dedication to early music began at the Syracuse University School of Music, where he studied composition and music theory.

Malichi Simmons Malachi Simmons is a rising soulful vocalist, singer, and dancer based in Syracuse, New York. A prominent fixture on local stages, Malachi has captivated Central New York audiences with his smooth R&B vocals, intense energy, and compelling stage presence.He first gained widespread local recognition as a sophomore at PSLA at Fowler High School, delivering a powerful, televised performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on CNYCentral. Beyond his vocal talents, Malachi is a highly versatile artist recognized for his choreography and dance skills, which have led to international collaborations. Whether performing live or working behind the scenes, Malachi remains deeply committed to enriching the CNY arts and music community. He co-leads our teen and young adult choir.