Join the VVS Alumni Chorus weekend, June 28-29, 2025.
Vernon Verona Sherrill alumni are coming together for a weekend of joyous singing and music making conducted by VVS graduate and former teachers Kim Nethaway, Sue Tyler, and Brandie Collins and accompanied by Bernadette VanValkenberg and Bryan Snyder.
WHO?
The Alumni Chorus Weekend is open to all VVS graduates, current and past faculty and staff. Each alumni chorus member may also register one guest singer.
WHEN?
Saturday, June 28, 2025 and Sunday, June 29, 2025. Plan to arrive at 5:30 PM on Saturday. Rehearsal starts promptly at 6:00. On Sunday, arrive at 10:30 am. Rehearsal from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm followed by lunch. Concert at 3 pm on Sunday.
WHERE?
Vernon Verona Sherrill High School Auditorium, 5275 State Rt 31, Verona, NY 13478.
WHY?
To bring together generations of VVS alumni, reconnect with friends, and create music, the universal language, for our community.
HOW?
Each alumnus and guest singer must register on-line at www.vvs-music-alumni.org by May 30, 2025. Updates, practice music and listening examples of the songs we are singing will be available on our website or check our Facebook page @VVSmusicalumni.
HOW MUCH?
$10 per singer. Includes lunch on Sunday. Vegetarian and gluten free options will be available. Non-singing family and friends may join us for lunch for $10 each. VVS Music Alumni T-shirts will be available for $20 each. The concert is free and open to the public.
Donations to the VVS Performing Arts Boosters are gratefully accepted.
ATTIRE
Black pants. Wear your music alumni T-shirt or a black top.
Save the date for our first combined VVS Alumni Band and Orchestra Concert! The concert will take place on June 30, 2024. More information to come.
If you are interested in joining our alumni committee, please fill out the following google form: https://forms.gle/tTBFVGxVRfzoECDo6
See you all at our first meeting: Wednesday, October 11 at 5:30pm on Google Meet:
meet.google.com/pfe-ojyr-pcr
The sign up form for the 2018 VVS Alumni Band concert scheduled for July 20-21 is now open on the concert info page. Please fill out the form so we can keep you up to date with plans and let you know when parts for this summer’s pieces are available.
Time to start getting your chops back in shape, people…
Listed below are the jobs that we are looking for volunteers with:
Friday: Set – Up @5:00
Saturday: Banquet Set- Up @ 4:00
Saturday: Banquet Clean-Up @ 6:00-6:30
Please send mail to Annie DeSalvatore by Friday, July 15th if you would like to help out and specify which tasks you would like to be assigned to. Thank you so much in advance!!
Rehearsal Schedule
Friday, July 22
6PM
Registration in the high school lobby
7-9 PM
Rehearsal starts promptly in the auditorium — we have a lot of work to do in 2 short hours.
Saturday, July 23
1:30PM
Late registration in the lobby
2-4 PM
Rehearsal
5 PM
Dinner in the Shevron Center at the High School
7 PM
Concert
There will be raffles and prizes so tell all your friends and family and neighbors to come out and enjoy the show!
Practice Suggestions
Mr. John Flaver sends along his suggestions for how to prepare for the Semper Fidelis March:
Please Listen and watch this video as this performance serves as a model for our upcoming performance.
Please follow along with your written music.
Please aim for: Rhythmic Integrity, strict tempo, clean crisp articulations, attention to all dynamics, accents, and following the three laws of natural musical expression, which are: LOW NOTES SEEK HIGH NOTES, HIGH NOTES SEEK LOW NOTES, AND SHORT NOTES SEEK LONG NOTES.
Please note that an upside down letter V is an accent mark indicating a short value. An accent marked as a decrescendo sign is a full value accent.
TRUMPETS, PLEASE MEMORIZE measures 50-65 in Semper Fidelis.
Please note that All repeats are good and there is NO STINGER at the end of this march.
Please use a light pencil markings as gentle reminders for all the above.
In the event band members have not played their instruments for quite some time, I would like to suggest short practice sessions that include:
Slow ascending and descending Major scales slurred, two octaves through the Circle of 4ths, in the written Keys of: C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Cb-E-A-D-G.
Then follow this up with scales in thirds and arpeggios, using the Circle of 4ths template as shown above.
Finally, go over all parts that are challenging for you.
There will be a meeting of the steering committee on Tuesday, July 12th at 7PM in the VVS Music Suite. Everyone interested is invited to attend.
Payment
Please send in your payment if you haven’t done so already ($12.50 for t-shirt, and $12.50 for each dinner ticket ordered). Mail your check payable to “VVS Music Boosters” by Wednesday, July 13th to: Annie DeSalvatore
c/o E.A. McAllister Elementary School
217 Kinsley Street
Sherrill, NY 13461
Volunteers
If you’ve volunteered to help set up, please arrive at school by 5PM on Friday, July 22.
You may now download parts for all eight (!!!) of the pieces that are scheduled for the concert on July 23rd:
60’s Superhits
Overture on a Shaker Tune
The Phantom of the Opera
Instant Concert
Fate of the Gods
Festa
Semper Fidelis
Stars & Stripes Forever
Go to our Parts page and download & print what you need!
Just added: Youtube videos of each of the pieces for reference.
Meeting Date Set
The next meeting of the alumni band concert steering committee will take place on Tuesday, July 12th at 7PM in the VVS Music Suite. If you’re in the area, please attend to help make final preparations for the concert.
