By Lauren Feldman
The halls of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Prospect Street in Huntington were filled with the sound of music, with voices of hope and light Friday, Aug. 9. Belle Voci Intergenerational Choral Society, celebrating its 20th year, performed a Candlelight Remembrance for those whose lives have been afflicted with cancer, survivors and their loved ones.
“Belle Voci has been [in Huntington] for 20 years, so we are really pleased to welcome them for the first time to our church,” said Alex Pryrodny, music director at St. John’s since 2015. “It’s a wonderful cause, a wonderful event to be a part of.” Pryrodny participated in the concert as an accompanying pianist.
When asked why the partnership between St. John’s and Belle Voci has been so seamless, the music director said, “Singing is kind of a spiritual thing. There’s a natural connection to your feelings and emotions. Choir is a good way to express the feelings people have that they may not be able to express otherwise. It can be a really healing process.” Pryrodny said that both church and music may offer the same sense of catharsis.
And this seems to be what Belle Voci aims to achieve. As prominently stated on its website, “Concert repertoire is carefully programmed for its capacity to elicit a wide range of emotions associated with the cancer journey; we aim to provide a forum for performers and concertgoers to experience hope, contemplation, prayer, healing, peace and celebration through music and ritual.”
The society is a Long Island-based group of professional and amateur singers, collegiate singers, school-aged singers and music teachers. They have been brought together by the common mission of supporting cancer prevention, cure and catharsis through elevated and inspired choral performance and ceremony.
Songs performed at the concert included “Sing, Wearing the Sky” by Jake Runestad; “O Saltaris Hostia” by Eriks Esenvalds; “Vier Gesänge” by Johannes Brahms (poetry by Friedrich Ruperti); “The Last Rose of Summer” by Thomas Moore and Sir John Stevenson; the traditional Irish blessing “You Do Not Walk Alone”; “Flight” by Craig Carnelia; “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” arr. Kevin Philip Johnson; and “Con Te Partiro” arr. Mac Huff.
Two halves of the performance framed the Candlelight Remembrance ceremony. The Rev. Duncan Burns and Courtney Sack led the reading of the names.
Belle Voci was founded by Jennifer Scott Miceli after the loss of her mother, Bonnie Scott, to lung cancer. “Like many of you who have lost loved ones to cancer, the physical loss of my mother left a huge void in my life,” Micheli said on a dedication page to her mother.
“It’s been 19 years since Mom died, which also means that Belle Voci has reached its 20th season of sisters in song in support of cancer prevention and cure,” she continued. “Over the course of those seasons, and with your support, we are fortunate to have made charitable donations to the American Cancer Society, Optimum Health Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Northwell Hospice Care Network and Cancer Hope Network.”
