May 2004 Organization of the Month

Each month LARAC highlights an Organization from the Adirondack Region
that offers arts and cultural programming.

Voices of the Adirondack Foothills, known informally as “Adirondack Voices”, was established in 1998 and has over 60 members.  Its programs serve to entertain and to educate by providing valuable background information regarding composers and selections.  Each year Adirondack Voices produces a Holiday Concert and a Spring Concert with this year’s Spring Concert, The Curtain Rises, being presented on Monday, May 10 at 7 pm at Christ Church United Methodist, 54 Bay Street, Glens Falls. The program features a variety of musical styles, from Baroque opera to Gilbert and Sullivan to music from well-known Broadway shows.

As a non-audition group, open to all who enjoy singing and are committed to the beauty of music, Adirondack Voices attracts area singers of all backgrounds and abilities.  The group rehearses on Tuesdays from September – May.  Queensbury resident Holly Wheeler, a member of the group for four years, says, ”I enjoy the opportunity of singing and being exposed to a variety of music I wouldn’t normally hear.  I’ve found that I like just about every type of music there is, even the Requiem!”

Adirondack Voices is directed by Penny Scheik, known in the area for her work with youth. “Working with the Adirondack Voices gives me a chance to refine techniques for older singers", says Sheik.  “People come to Voices with a variety of singing backgrounds so it becomes a challenge to unify the group’s sound. It’s no small task since the voice is an internal instrument that you cannot see, and the voice begins to loose flexibility after about age thirty.”

The group has a large and loyal following, says Voices Board President Jack Freeman.  The group also serves as an informal clearinghouse for singers in the area, sending its members to other choral opportunities with the likes of groups such as the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra.  Director Penny Schiek, when asked about her experience working with the community choral group, summed up, “They are wonderful people, many of whom drive a fair distance, who have a desire to learn more about music and singing. What more could a director ask for!”

For Upcoming Concerts