Letter from the President

Dear Alumnae and Friends of the Chorus,

Looking back on this past semester, I am filled with pride for the Chorus’s musical and organizational achievements. The Chorus began the fall by welcoming 14 incredible new women. I could not be more pleased with our group’s beautiful new sound and the wonderful personalities we have added to the organization. We had the great fortune of making our fall debut at the inauguration of Cornell’s first female president, Elizabeth Garrett. And shortly after, the Chorus joined the Glee Club at their annual Homecoming Concert in a performance of Josquin’s Preter Rerum, a first for the Chorus.

The Chorus performed our annual Twilight Concert on Halloween this year in Bailey Hall. The new venue was not only a great change of scenery, but a wonderfully inviting acoustic for the Chorus’s rich sound. The performance included the world premiere of Adrienne Albert’s Malala, an homage to social activist and Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai. The piece was a perfect fit for our No Whining, No Flowers commissioning project and resonated deeply with both singers and audience members.

In addition to Twilight, this past semester provided many exciting events for the Chorus. As usual, our annual Christmas Vespers filled Sage Chapel with audiences from all over Ithaca and beyond. Furthermore, the Chorus had multiple opportunities to bond both musically and socially at our weekend retreat, our history tea and at social events such as Chariot Nights and our annual gingerbread house competition.

In the midst of preparing for our fall performances, the Chorus and Glee Club were also getting ready for our upcoming Mesoamerica Tour. The choirs will be traveling to Guatemala and Mexico for almost three weeks to share our music internationally and immerse ourselves culturally. The tour will include various concerts and workshops, including a performance with the world renowned Xalapa Symphony Orchestra in Mexico City. There, the Chorus and Glee Club will reprise Roberto Sierra’s Cantares, which we premiered last spring at Carnegie Hall.

This international adventure is exceptionally exciting for the Chorus. We could not be more grateful to our loving alumnae and supporters who made this possible. It was overwhelming to see the outflowing of support from our alumnae and friends this November, when the Chorus and Glee Club raised over $30,000 in just one month through our Mesoamerica Tour crowdfunding campaign. The dedication and commitment of our alumnae continues to strengthen the Chorus both as a musical ensemble and as a community.

As our spring semester approaches, I am excited to return to Cornell and begin a new journey with the Chorus. Although I am saddened to be entering my final semester in the Chorus, I look forward to joining the ranks of caring and supportive alumnae. I hope to see you all back on the Hill for Reunions this June!

With Chorus Love,

Katherine Minnes ’16