Dear Friends,

The Syracuse Community Choir is as vibrant as ever. We are experiencing a beautiful Fall here in Central New York and the choir is getting ready for our 39th Anniversary Winter Solstice Concert with the theme SHARING THE HARVEST.

Simultaneously, we have lived through a relentless election cycle, which brought many feelings for all of us. For many of us the results were abysmal. So we sat together at our rehearsal on November 6 and listened to one another. There were many tears and many gave voice to their thoughts for the first time.  Every voice was heard. Then we sang together. Gratitude for the Choir’s commitment to “every voice” and its commitment to growing peace in the greater community abounds.

Sharing the Harvest is about gratitude and commitment to honoring our earth. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Kimmerer talks about the indigenous principles of an “honorable harvest.” She reminds us to take only what we need and leave some for others. In this spirit, we consider others whose lives have been disrupted by extreme weather, homelessness, or violence. This also brings everyone closer to people who make good seeds and to farmworkers who work long hours to feed us. 

This gratitude and commitment returns us to you!

Your generosity has allowed us to pursue our vision of an inclusive choir which lives Peace and Social Justice through the music we sing. Every voice is heard: Children, teens, and adults, people with all kinds of abilities and disabilities, and more.

Your generosity is needed to help lift us up for our 40th anniversary in 2025. Our goal is to create greater fiscal stability for the choir, to ensure we’ll be around for another 40 years! For some time, choir members have worked to transition leadership to volunteers and staff. Sociocracy is our new model of governance, where every voice is heard and every voice is needed. Our beloved executive director and founder, Karen, is looking forward to passing the torch and to reaping the many seeds she has planted over the years.

There are Many Ways You Can Support Us

When you support our choir, you’re doing more than backing extraordinary voices—you’re strengthening a community bound by music’s power to unite, inspire, and uplift. Your contributions—whether through time, donations, or pledges—help us break barriers, stand for justice, and create harmony that echoes far beyond the stage. Together, let’s amplify hope and harmony for a brighter tomorrow.

To learn about the many ways to support us, visit our Support the Choir page.

Let’s together reap and share the Harvest of the last 39 years, and move into our 40th Anniversary Year with strength and community support. We are ever so grateful for all you have done and for everything you will do to support the Choir’s vision and make it a reality: Every Voice is Heard!

With Graditude,

Karen Mihalyi, Executive Director and Annegret Schubert, Singer and Volunteer, Development Circle