Tiffany Hanssen: This is all All Of It on WNYC. I'm Tiffany Hanssen. If you believe the movie Elf, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Tomorrow you'll have a chance to do just that. The West Village Chorale is hosting its annual Greenwich Village Caroling Walk, an over 50-year tradition. You're invited to join, sing, and walk around the village sharing the holiday spirit. It's a free event. It starts at two o'clock.

Ahead of that, and to get us in the holiday spirit, are members of the West Village Chorale, their third year in a row, joining us for a special live performance. They're fresh off their sold-out holiday concert last Sunday and last night's Messiah Sing. Welcome, everyone.

Male Speaker: Thank you.

[cheering]

Tiffany Hanssen: Hey, all right. I feel like we've been talking about carols. We might as well just hear here one, so let's go for it.

[MUSIC - West Village Chorale: Deck the Halls]

Tiffany Hanssen: Applause, applause, applause, applause, applause.

[laughter]

Tiffany Hanssen: That is the West Village Chorale. I'm going to pull out a couple of members here to ask a question to. Diane. Diane, can you just introduce yourself and tell us what part you sing, and I'll have a follow-up question for you.

Diane Patterson: All right. My name is Diane Patterson, and I sing alto.

Tiffany Hanssen: Love starting with the altos.

Diane Patterson: That's right.

Tiffany Hanssen: Sopranos can just sit. Take it back. No, we're not going to start that. All right, so I mentioned this two o'clock sing happening tomorrow.

Diane Patterson: The caroling walk, yes.

Tiffany Hanssen: Just tell us a little bit about that. Do you guys meet somewhere? Can anybody show up? Oh, I see someone else coming in. All right. Who has maybe potentially more information.

Katie FitzGerald: Do you want to go?

Diane Patterson: You can go.

Katie FitzGerald: Okay. Hi, my name is Katie FitzGerald. We are assembling tomorrow at two o'clock at our home, Judson Memorial Church, which is at 243 Thompson Street. It's right off the bottom end of Washington Square Park.

Diane Patterson: Yes, anybody can join us.

Tiffany Hanssen: Okay. Anybody can just show up at two o'clock.

Diane Patterson: That's absolutely correct.

Katie FitzGerald: No registration, no tickets.

Diane Patterson: No tickets, just show up.

Katie FitzGerald: Just show up.

Tiffany Hanssen: Sheet music. Talk to me about sheet music. Do people need--

Diane Patterson: Well, we have caroling books available for everyone.

Tiffany Hanssen: Oh, you do?

Diane Patterson: Yes, we do. Then, if someone has a carol that they want to just shout out, we can accommodate that, too.

Katie FitzGerald: Yes, if it's not in the book, we can still give it a try.

Diane Patterson: We can still give it a shot.

Tiffany Hanssen: Is there a specific route you walk, and how long is it? How long should people be prepared to walk? Another choir member is approaching.

John Onderdonk: Yes, I am John Onderdonk, and you can go ahead and get a route from one of the route leaders that we have. We have about six or seven routes that go out to the entire West Village. We try to always get into Washington Square Park and [crosstalk] in the park to get as many people up for the festivities as possible.

Tiffany Hanssen: All right, sounds good. Okay, Diane, since we started with the altos, maybe we'll have the other altos introduce themselves. Yes. Oh, I like the Santa hat. What's your name?

Jung-Min Lee: Hi, my name is Jung-Min Lee. I live in Tribeca. I've lived in New York City for 30 years, since 1995.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice. Okay, other altos lurking?

Sarah: I'm Sarah. I live in Astoria.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice. Okay. Is that it for the alto ranks?

John Onderdonk: Yes. [crosstalk]

Tiffany Hanssen: That's it for the alto ranks. Okay. Do you take requests? I'm going to throw this to the group. Do you guys take requests? Diane? Anyone want to answer that question? Do we take requests? Like, I know you said you can shout out a carol.

Diane Patterson: For the caroling walk?

Tiffany Hanssen: Yes, for the caroling walk. Sorry. Oh, I'm going to just throw it out. No, no, I'm kidding.

[laughter]

Diane Patterson: Absolutely. For the caroling walk.

Tiffany Hanssen: You do.

Diane Patterson: If you have a favorite carol, pretty much we probably will figure it out.

Tiffany Hanssen: Right?

Diane Patterson: Yes.

Tiffany Hanssen: Yes. Right. You have most of them, I would assume, in these caroling books, so you don't have to--

Diane Patterson: Yes, I think we've run the gamut there with the caroling book. We have most of them in there. If someone could come up with something that we don't have, I would be surprised.

Tiffany Hanssen: A lot of people mumbling the Good King Wenceslas, the third--

Diane Patterson: That is in the book.

Katie FitzGerald: We actually redid the book last year.

Diane Patterson: Yes, we redid the book.

Katie FitzGerald: Shout out to our colleague Catherine Morrison-Garcia and her husband, who put together the new version of the book. I think we've even got Mariah Carey in there.

Diane Patterson: Yes, I think so.

Tiffany Hanssen: Oh, hello.

Katie FitzGerald: Although when we get to the bridge there, it's a little dicey.

Tiffany Hanssen: Okay. All right, we'll take it. Well, here's one that I think a lot of folks may have heard of. It's Angels We Have Heard on High.

[MUSIC - West Village Chorale: Angels We Have Heard on High]

Tiffany Hanssen: Those are the voices of the West Village Chorale. They are hosting an annual event tomorrow. It's a sing and walk around the village for you to share in the holiday spirit, sing. It's free. It's a free event. It starts at two o'clock, but they have joined us in-studio today. We're going to get some more music from them coming up here in just a moment. You are listening to All Of It. I'm Tiffany Hanssen, in for Alison Stewart. Stay with us.

[music]

Tiffany Hanssen: This is All Of It on WNYC. I'm Tiffany Hanssen, in for Alison Stewart. We're talking with the West Village Chorale. This is their third year in a row, joining us here for a special live performance. Coming up tomorrow, they have a Sing & Walk around the village, sharing in the holiday spirit with a free event that starts at two o'clock. Katie, I'm going to bring you back. You are one of our sopranos.

Katie FitzGerald: Yes.

Tiffany Hanssen: I feel like we should introduce the other sopranos in your ranks here. If you guys would like to just come up, introduce yourself, tell us how long you've been with the group.

Katie FitzGerald: Sure. My name is Katie FitzGerald. I've been with the group. I think this is my 14th year, and I'm part of the Westchester contingent of the West Village Chorale.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice. All right.

Sandra Ward: Hello, I'm Sandra Ward. I live in Greenwich Village. I've been with the group since 2018, so this is my eighth season.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice.

Wei-Ting Duo: Hello, my name is Wei-Ting Duo. I'm a soprano. I've been with the choir for 12 years, and I love singing.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice.

Ellen Gottlieb: Hello, my name is Ellen Gottlieb, and yes, I'm a soprano. I live in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. I've been in this [unintelligible 00:09:57] course for 23 years and love it.

Tiffany Hanssen: Oh, that's so nice. Can I ask you a question before you leave the microphone?

Ellen Gottlieb: Sure.

Tiffany Hanssen: You all are great singers. I am a horrible singer. You have this event coming up tomorrow. I assume that people like me are still welcome to come. Aren't they?

Ellen Gottlieb: Absolutely. Come sing in my group tomorrow.

Tiffany Hanssen: Okay. See, and I'll just sing quietly, and then everybody else will sort of like--

Ellen Gottlieb: You could sing loudly.

Tiffany Hanssen: Okay. All right, good. Katie, this walk has a long history as well. Some of you have been with the group for 20 years, but this has a long history, right?

Katie FitzGerald: Yes, this is our 51st Annual Caroling Walk, I think. It got a little weird during COVID, we had one year where it was virtual.

Tiffany Hanssen: A lot of things got weird during COVID.

Katie FitzGerald: I'm pointing at my colleague John, who is our kind of most senior member and knowledgeable of all the history.

Tiffany Hanssen: All right, let's hear it, John.

John Herzfeld: The West Village Chorale was founded in 1971. It was an outgrowth of the music program of the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, just a short walk from the studio up on Hudson Street in the village. I just recently had the pleasure of seeing our founder, Gwen Gould. She told me that the caroling walk was one of the first programs they launched after founding the Chorus, to reach out to the community, along with our Messiah Sing and our Summer Sings series.

In 2010, we moved to our current location, where we rehearse and perform at Judson Memorial Church right on Washington Square, so we have the great advantage. We start out by going under the arch, where the acoustics are just phenomenal.

Tiffany Hanssen: Sure. It's like singing in the shower.

[laughter]

Katie FitzGerald: Yes.

John Herzfeld: We've had incredible various kinds of weather over the years. We've even sent out a few teams in pouring rain. I didn't go, but they went. It's just heedless of the wind and weather.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice. Well, while you're at the mic, why don't we have you introduce yourself and then--

John Herzfeld: The basses, yes.

Tiffany Hanssen: Yes, we'll go with the basses.

John Herzfeld: In case you can't tell, I sing bass. My name is John Herzfeld, as I think Katie introduced me. I live in Chelsea. To quote our late, great bass, Dan McCrary, I've been with West Village Chorale longer than I care to admit.

Tiffany Hanssen: All right.

[laughter]

John Herzfeld: I did join in the 20th century.

Tiffany Hanssen: Okay, good. There are other basses here as well.

Robert Charles: Yes. My name is Robert Charles. I live in Brooklyn in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. This is my fourth year at the Chorale. I love harmonizing in voice and in spirit.

Tiffany Hanssen: Oh, great. All right. Our third base?

Jack: I'm Jack. This is going to be my ninth year in the Chorale. I am a resident of Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Tiffany Hanssen: Nice. All right, well, I think that's a good point to-- Let's hear another song here from you, folks. How about Carol of the Bells?

[MUSIC - West Village Chorale: Carol of the Bells]

Tiffany Hanssen: That was a good little spotlight there for the basses at the end. I'm glad we introduced you all. Lest we forget the tenors, maybe we should start there, and then Colin, who is the artistic director, I'll have a question for you, but let's start with our tenors. We heard from one already who is.

John Underdog: Hi again. I'm John Underdog. I reside in the West Village for the last 34 years, and 23 have been singing with the West Village Chorale.

Tiffany Hanssen: All right.

Jo Haydn: My name is Jo Haydn. I'm a tenor also, and I'm from the Westchester contingent along with Katie, except I'm from Yonkers. I've been singing with the West Village Chorale since 2018.

Tiffany Hanssen: All right. Our other tenor here, looking quite festive. I like the tie.

Tom Terry: Thanks. I only get to wear it once a year. I'm Tom Terry. I live in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, so almost the Westchester contingent. I've been singing with this choir for 10 years, and I love it.

Tiffany Hanssen: Great. Okay, Colin, you're the artistic director. Talk to us a little bit about your song choice. You have these concerts. You had, what is it? A Northern Lights concert that was just sold out. You had this Messiah Sing, obviously enormously popular. Do you tend to focus more on traditional songs? I know you said potentially Mariah Carey in the songbook for tomorrow, but is there a general focus for the more traditional music or--?

Colin: Actually, there's not. And I think that's one of the things we're really proud about with the West Village Chorale. We try to have a wide variety each season, so we'll do some of the major works. Last year, we did the Faure Requiem, but we paired it with a contemporary piece by Joel Thompson, The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed. We just did our holiday concert, which focused a lot on themes of the stars, celestial phenomena, northern lights, et cetera. We have an upcoming concert in March that's a potpourri, a mix of favorites.

I should mention, this is my 10th season with the West Village Chorale, so we're calling that concert All Aboard Conductor's Choice. Then in May, we're doing a collaboration with Jersey City-based dance company Nimbus Dance. That concert is going to acknowledge the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The concert's called This Land is Your Land, and it features a couple of commissions and some really exciting music. We try to have a wide array of music and repertoire. Something to speak to everybody, but also try to say something with each concert we offer.

Tiffany Hanssen: You've been with the group how long?

Colin: This is my tenth season.

Tiffany Hanssen: Yes. Reflections?

Colin: It's been an amazing ride. When I first started, I was living in Jersey City. I actually now live in Massachusetts. I teach at Mount Holyoke College, and I live there with my family, so I take the train down every Tuesday and get to work with these wonderful singers.

Tiffany Hanssen: Well, let's hear a song before we run out of time here. Let's see. Can I pick? Can I pick? Can I pick Joy to the World?

Colin: You can.

[MUSIC - West Village Chorale: Joy to the World]

Tiffany Hanssen: That is the West Village Chorale. We've been talking most recently here with Colin, who is the artistic director. Colin, one other question for you. What makes a good holiday song?

Colin: It's obviously a subjective question, but I think a song that people can learn and sing by ear or by reading music is always a good thing. I love a song that's got harmonies, but there's some classic songs from the American Songbook that I think just tug at your heartstrings with the nostalgia. For me, it's not Christmas until you hear Nat King Cole singing The Christmas Song.

Tiffany Hanssen: Let's talk about the choir, then, a little bit, because some folks have been here for 20 years. One of your bass singers here has been for what, four years?

John Herzfeld: 28.

Tiffany Hanssen: Some for 28 years. Oh, wait, we weren't going to say that, though, I thought.

[laughter]

Tiffany Hanssen: If folks are interested in joining the choir, just say how we get that info.

Colin: Sure, you can look us up. You can google us: West Village Chorale. You can email westvillagechorale@gmail.com. We'd have rolling auditions throughout the season. We're actually a 70-voice choir; this is only about 12 or 13 of us.

Tiffany Hanssen: I don't think we could fit everybody in here.

Colin: We'd love to try, but I don't think fire code would work. We do have rotational auditions. We rehearse on Tuesday evenings at Judson Memorial Church.

Tiffany Hanssen: Last again, we've been talking about this event that's happening tomorrow. Katie, do you want to just fill us in one more time? Where do I meet you tomorrow?

Katie FitzGerald: At a little bit before two o'clock, at two o'clock, a little after two o'clock, we are welcoming people at 243 Thompson Street, which is Judson Memorial Church's side door right off the park. We're going to divide people up into groups of about 15 or 20 with a couple of our members as group leaders. We will go off in various routes around the village. People are welcome to call whatever songs they feel like singing, feel like hearing. I think most groups stay out for, I guess, about an hour or so, depending on the weather. Certain group leaders tend to keep people out a little bit longer. We get people from all around the city, all around the area. We even get interest from people who are coming in from overseas. We got a couple of emails from people.

Tiffany Hanssen: Any level, again. Any level.

Katie FitzGerald: Any level, yes. We have people who I would call classic chorale overachievers. They're putting all sorts of harmonies on things,-

Tiffany Hanssen: Right, I got you. That's not me.

Katie FitzGerald: -and people who can't carry a tune in a basket.

Male Speaker: And all ages.

Tiffany Hanssen: And all ages.

Male Speaker: We've serenaded kids and toddlers.

Tiffany Hanssen: I love it. This is the West Village Chorale. We're talking about this event that happens at two o'clock tomorrow. This is their third year joining us here in performance, and we're going to go out on-- Everybody, I think, sending us into Christmas week with this is pretty great.

[MUSIC - West Village Chorale: We Wish You a Merry Christmas]