Sheldon Vol2 PINK

“Going to Carnegie Hall was one of the best opportunities of my life,” beams 17-year-old HERMAN PORTER , bass singer and first-year choir member. “Being on such a big stage is very intimidating but we performed great,” he adds. DANIELLE SINGLETON , a 15-year-old alto and first- year choir member: “It was very exciting to be in a building that had so much history. I’m very, very proud to have had that experience.” The All-Star Chorus, a free program for highschoolers, is unique in that it aspires to lessen the barriers required for chorus participation. For many of these students, this trip was their first time on an airplane, and for some, their first time traveling outside the St. Louis area. “New York is a very inspiring city. All these different people with all these different aspirations can come together in one big hub where all their dreams can come true,” says Danielle. I n addition to getting to perform on the same stage as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Elton John, the members of the All-Star Chorus went to a Broadway show, followed by a workshop where the students got to learn a song and dance from the cast members of the Aladdin musical. “It was beautiful because dance is not everyone’s strong suit, but every last one of them participated. They were smiling and having a great time,” says Maria. “I know a lot of the kids in our choir, including me, would like to participate in Broadway,” says Danielle, “so it was an amazing opportunity and it was really inspiring to see.” Another highlight: Getting to see iconic landmarks from the small and silver screens, like the Empire State Building and the infamous NYC subway. Abigail muses, “There’s a lot of different views about the subway, but it was just like the movies: it was gross and there was weird stuff coming out of the ceiling, but the whole B E S T N Y C M E M O R Y ? A surge of electricity crackles beneath the surface, nerves pulled taut like a violin string. An intricate dance of anxiety and excitement weaves its way through the corridors of Carnegie Hall as photos of Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Judy Garland and The Beatles stand watch. It’s June 25, 2023, and acclaimed conductor MARIA A. ELLIS is about to lead nearly 100 singers and a full orchestra in a very special performance of Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass. In a trip packed with firsts for the 22 members of The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus, Maria had one of her own. “It was the first time I’d ever conducted an orchestra. We tell our students all the time, work hard and you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. But I really had to put that into practice for myself. It happened, and it worked.” When Maria was invited by the prestigious New York City venue to curate and conduct a program of her choosing, she knew just what she wanted it to be. “With Gospel Mass, I could feature several components that are important to me: a Black composer who is from St. Louis, Black soloists who are from St. Louis, and the All-Star Chorus, together on one of the biggest stages in the world. And I could feature an authentic American genre of music as well as celebrate Black culture and St. Louis.” What to perform at Carnegie Hall may have been an easy enough decision, but how to get there was not without its challenges. “We spent a lot of time figuring out how to raise enough money for the trip, and whenever I was able to talk to organizations in my town and get people to help me, it was incredible,” says 17-year- old ABIGAIL SEITTER , who has been with the choir for two years and sings alto. But these performers have never shied away from the spotlight or from a little hard work. Because as Maria says, “From when we got the invitation to the fundraising, to learning how to conduct an orchestra, to singing, to getting 20 children on a plane and bringing the same 20 kids back home—we worked really, really hard, and it was worth every step.” The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus program is an inclusive opportunity for 9th- to 12th-grade singers to learn music literacy, gain performance experience, and build a community of students who have a strong passion for music. The Sheldon provides transportation to and from rehearsal for those students who do not have access to regular transportation. The All-Stars share a meal before every rehearsal. This practice brings the choir members together to socialize and create strong bonds of friendship. These intentional relationships help foster social-emotional learning, self-awareness, social skills and inclusion within the community that the chorus creates. For more information about Maria A. Ellis and the All-Star Chorus: thesheldon.org/all-star-chorus. B E S T N Y C M E A L ? rush of it was super fun, especially being from a smaller town where you don’t see or think about that kind of thing.” Herman adds, “I’ve never been in a building remotely as tall as Rockefeller Center.” From Times Square to Strawberry Fields, 30 Rock to Radio City, the All-Star Chorus danced, sang and soaked up the experience, creating life-long memories and friendships along the way. “As a performer, Carnegie Hall is the place everybody talks about. If you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing as a musician, and if you are practicing and trying your hardest, it’s where you should be ending up. It really is a huge milestone and accomplishment for me,” says Abigail, smiling. “The whole experience was for the students. They bet that I would cry, but when they were getting off the stage, they were crying. They really had an amazing time.” The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus is Underwritten by the Arthur and Helen Baer Foundation and sponsored by many other generous donors. Thank you to our generous Travel Fund donors: Anonymous, Sandy Blasingame and Gary Hall, Ashley René Casey, Citizens Bank, Clean Uniform, David and Barbara Gifford, Ward and Carol Klein, Scott Peterson , Roger Sams, Dick and Mary Ann Shaw, Kristin Sobolik, Mary Strauss, Jim and Mindy Watson, and many others. 15 VOLUME Art that Takes Up Space