New Day Vocal Spring Concert to Benefit Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley

COBLESKILL – New Day – Voices of Schoharie County announces its Spring Vocal Concert to be held at the Cobleskill United Methodist Church located at 109 Chapel Street, in Cobleskill. The performance will take place Sunday May 18th, 2025 @ 3:00pm. 

New Day will perform a wide variety of music for this program covering six centuries. The concert opens with William Byrd’s 16th century “Haec Dies” followed by the Rachmaninoff “Bogoroditse Devo” written during World War 1 to raise money for war relief. Many of today’s top vocal composers are represented with Ola Gjeilo’s “Serenity” featuring cello played by “New Day” member Brittany Tissiere. Representing international folk music are “Jumalo” by Latvian composer Laura Jekabsone, Kirby Shaw’s “Celtic Dance”, and “Caledonia” by Blake Morgan. This concert also features jazz and popular musical styles by Greg Jasperse, John Rutter, Kate Rusby, and finishing with Anders Edenroth’s “Chili Con Carne” written for the Swedish a cappella group, The Real Group. The women of the group will be featured in Michael Trotta’s “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” and the men will be featured in Leon Dubinsky’s “We Rise Again”. 

Members of New Day come from a wide variety of backgrounds with a common love of vocal music and musical excellence. The members of New Day are: Sopranos – Elizabeth Borkowski, Adrianne Canterbury, Brittany Tissiere, & Sarah Wright; Altos – Lissa VanDeValk, Laurie Pracher, Kathy Burgin, & Teresa Munson; Tenors – Jerry Law & Johnny Wilson; Basses – Paul Schultz, Paul Munson, Jim Cole & Robert Gosselink & Artistic Director Mark Pracher. 

In addition to its dedication to quality vocal performances, the group also focuses on giving to the community. Each year the spring concert is presented as a benefit concert for an area cause or charity. New Day is pleased to announce that this year’s spring concert will be held as a benefit for the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley.

The Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley is a not-for-profit organization and is the only animal shelter in Schoharie County. The mission of the ASSV is to help the most vulnerable animals and strive to provide care and compassion to as many animals as the capacity at the shelter allows. 

“We couldn’t do it without the support we get from our community” said Executive Director Maggie Jackman Pryor. “This support is what allows us to help the hundreds of animals that pass through our doors each year. In 2023 ASSV was able to care for and adopt out 421 cats and dogs and in 2024 that number jumped to 494, a nearly 20% increase! ASSV also strives to educate the public to spay or neuter their pets to eliminate the problem of animal overpopulation.” 

You can learn more and follow ASSV on Facebook at the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley or go to their website at www.schoharieanimalshelter.org  to see all the amazing animals that are available for adoption, or call (518)296-8390 for more information. 

There will no charge for admission and all who attend are encouraged to make donations at the concert directly to the “Animal Shelter of Schoharie County”.