Continuing a tradition started many decades ago, the Community Club of Garden City and Hempstead presented its annual “Christmas Hour of Music” concert at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on December 4. Each year the club designates the first Tuesday of December as “Presidents’ Day” and honors the presidents of Long Island Women’s organizations, along with the presidents of Garden City organizations. The concert is a wonderful way to start off the Christmas season and is open to the general public as well as local residents. We were happy to see that the cold and wind did not keep club members and guests from attending.
This year’s concert featured the return of flautist Sally Shorrock and harpist Margery Fitts, who entertained with selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” Bach’s “Hamburg Sonata in C Major,” three Debussy songs, “Entr’acte” by Ibert, “Greensleeves” variations, Japanese traditional songs and a medley of holiday tunes. At the conclusion of this festive program, the audience joined Sally and Margery in singing “Silent Night”. Then all present were cordially invited to the Garden City Casino to enjoy some holiday refreshments.
Sally Shorrock is founder and director of the “Canta Libre Chamber Ensemble” on the faculty of St. Joseph’s College. In addition to those duties, she created and plays in the Northport Windward Quarter, and directs the “Do-ing Music” chamber music series in Northport. Ms. Shorrock has appeared as soloist at several local college music festivals as well as repeatedly at Bard College’s “Now and Present Flute Festival for New Music.” After completing a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Gettysburg College, Sally received a music degree from Stony Brook University. Her master’s degree in performance was granted by the Purchase College Conservatory of Music.
Harpist Margery Fitts studied at the preparatory department of the Eastern School of Music. She received her bachelors in Music at the University of Oregon and earned a masters of music at the Aaron Copeland School of Music, Queens College. An active musician in the New York Metropolitan area, she played with the Long Island Metropolitan area, she has played with the Long Island Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Northeastern Philharmonic and the Orquestra Nacional de Puerto Rico, and with various ensembles has appeared at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Arts Center, the White House and in Vatican City.
The club thanked Paula Howe, music chairman, and her committee for securing the services of Sally and Margery. Thanks also went to the hospitality committee under the guidance of Ruth Lo Bosco and Phyllis Dima for their homemade refreshments, to decorations chairman Marilyn Kerr and her committee for their festive decorations, to ushers at the Cathedral and to the past presidents who served hot mulled cider.
The Community Club sponsors many interesting and educational programs and trips throughout the club year as well as offering fine arts classes to its members. If you are interested in finding out more about the club and how you can become a member, call their office at (516) 746-0488 on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
st vice-president and past president Bea Mercadante.
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