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Saratoga-Potsdam Summer Session with Brock Mcelheran

I am searching for information regarding the session in which we sang Wagner "Meistersinger Chorus", "La Vida Breve" with conductor , Raphael Fruebeck di Burgos, Rachmaninoff  "The Bells"
on October 22, 2009 5:12pm
 I sang in the Saratoga-Potsdam Choral Institute that Summer. The soprano for the deFalla was Gilda Cruz Romo I think, and Ormandy conducted the Rachmaninoff (he had just performed it earlier that season with the Philly Orchestra and Temple University choirs in Philadelphia).
 
Martin
on October 22, 2009 8:06pm
I was there that year and had the great experience of singing a role in "La Vita Breve", which put me in front of the Philly orchestra, a pretty rare privilege for a school music teacher. I participated in three seasons of the Saratoga-Potsdam sessions and will never forget those years. Brock will always be my hero. I'm sure you feel the same way. A rare experience!
 
Fred Wygal, Bass 2
on January 4, 2010 5:53pm
Dear Arthur, Martin, and Fred,
 
     I was there that session, too.  What information are you looking for?  I may still have programs and/or music in my archives... 
 
     I was so sorry to learn recently that Brock McElheran had passed away in Sept. of 2008.  He was the best conductor I ever sang under.  I still remember his "nerve drills", where he would suddenly change his tempo (or even stop conducting altogether!) and see how long it took for us to catch on.  I remember how he would tell us to sing with "heart on fire; brain on ice!   I was at three sessions of Saratoga-Potsdam Choral Institute, and I can still say after all these years and many musical experiences, that those sessions have been the musical highlight of my life (so far)! 
 
    
on April 19, 2012 6:48pm
I sang in the chorus that summer too, as well as 11 other summers!  I miss the whole experience SO much!  I actually DREAM about it!  I use the "Brock-ism's" in my everyday teaching, especially "Heart on fire, brain on ice"! My husband even uses it in his e-mail signatures, I've told him so much about it!  What kind of info are you looking for?  I am just discovering this thread.  I still have to programs from all the concerts somewhere...  
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