Madrigalia Personnel

Lee Wright, Music Director

Soprano

Jeannie Guerrero - Rochester
Karen Hospers - Penfield
Rena Monti - Penfield
Kristina Phillips - Waterport
Heather Watras - Fairport
Dawn Yehl - Canandaigua

Alto

Kelly Lackey - Rochester
Darlene Simmons - Brighton
Jeanne Soderberg - Rochester
Allyn Van Dusen - Rochester

Tenor

Daniel McInerney - Irondequoit
Donald Reaves - Pittsford
Jeff Tabor - Gates

Bass

Joe Borrelli - Rochester
Joe Finetti - Rochester
Jason Holmes - Rochester
Brian Story - Canandaigua
Jordan Wilson - Rochester

members

Allyn Van Dusen

What was your first choral experience? 

I sang in the chorus of my small high school. Rehearsals were held in a pretty stone chapel on campus, and our director was a very impassioned man whose joy it was to expose us to some of the great choral literature. One of the first pieces we sang was "For unto us a Son is born" from the Messiah. Even with our relatively small forces, I remember the gorgeous resonance in the chapel when we sang "Wonderful! Counselor!" and was blown away. I was hooked for life.

What do you enjoy most about singing with Madrigalia?

I love that we explore a wide range of music that is tied together by thematic reference. For example, because we choose a new concert theme each Christmas, each program sheds a new beam on my own experience of the Christmas season, making it more rich and inspired.  It makes me happy to think that our audiences are receiving this too.

Do you have a favorite Madrigalia story?

One Christmas, a fine young tenor from Eastman was part of our group, and he was featured in a large and rather difficult work on that program for tenor soloist and chorus. The evening before the concert, he got appendicitis! The director called me in a panic and asked if I could possibly learn the solo part for the next evening. I set to work, and we did the piece - and it was an exhilarating experience. (Happily, the tenor was just fine after treatment.)

What's your favorite piece of choral music?

No one piece, but stylistically I am a particular fan of music with gorgeous poetry, close harmonies and "beautiful dissonances" that sear into your soul and change you.