Schoharie Valley Singers Announces 48th Season and Welcomes Max Horning as New Collaborative Pianist

SCHOHARIE COUNTY – Summer may be flying by, but the Schoharie Valley Singers are already looking ahead to an exciting fall season filled with music, fellowship, and some very special news.

The Schoharie Valley Singers Board of Directors and Search Committee are pleased to announce that Max Horning, a Schoharie County native and music teacher at Sharon Springs Central School, will join the organization this season as Collaborative Pianist and Assistant Artistic Director.

During the upcoming season, Betsy Meredith will continue to serve as Interim Artistic Director. Horning, whose major instrument is piano, will serve as collaborative pianist for the December concerts and will also rehearse and conduct two selections on the program.

The 2026 season will serve as a transition period, giving Horning and the singers an opportunity to become acquainted and work together, with the goal of Horning assuming the role of Artistic Director in 2027.

“We are very excited about this next chapter for the Schoharie Valley Singers,” said Bob Holt, SVS President. “This season gives Max an opportunity to get to know our singers and our organization while working alongside Betsy, and we look forward to the energy and musicianship he will bring to the group.”

The theme for this year’s holiday concert is “Comfort and Joy.” The program will feature a mix of familiar favorites and new selections, ranging from traditional sacred music to contemporary and multicultural works.

Selections planned for the season include “Grown-Up Christmas List,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “Away in a Manger (Forever Amen),” “Light One Candle,” “Al Shlosha D’Varim,” “Silver Bells,” “Bonse Aba,” “My Darling Boy,” “Cantique de Jean Racine,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow,” and “Once Upon a December.”

The first rehearsal of the fall season will be held Tuesday, August 25, at 7:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Central Bridge. A potluck welcome-back dinner will be held before rehearsal beginning at 5:45 p.m.

Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m. that evening. Singers may also register ahead online at schoharievalleysingers.org.

Registration is $25 per person. High-school-age students may participate free of charge, and registration is also complimentary for first-time singers, thanks to the generosity of a friend of the Schoharie Valley Singers.

The organization welcomes returning singers as well as new members and encourages current participants to invite friends, family members, former singers, and anyone who enjoys choral music.

“We want to fill the risers this December and bring comfort and joy to our friends, families, and community,” said Betsy Meredith.

The season will culminate in two holiday performances:

• Friday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Central Bridge.
• Saturday, December 12, at 4:00 p.m. at the Duanesburg Reformed Presbyterian Church.

The Schoharie Valley Singers invite singers throughout the region to join them for what promises to be an especially meaningful season—one that celebrates both the joy of making music together and an exciting new chapter in the organization’s future.

The Schoharie Valley Singers is a Grant Recipient from CREATE Council on the Arts: “This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CREATE Council on the Arts.”

About: The Schoharie Valley Singers were founded in 1979 as the Depot Lane Singers by the late Frances B. Tripp, a former Schoharie High School music teacher. In 2005, direction of the group was passed to Mitch Haverly, a retired music teacher from Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School. Mr. Haverly was named Director Emeritus in 2018, when Benjamin April became Artistic Director.

In 2018, the Depot Lane Singers were renamed the Schoharie Valley Singers and incorporated as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. In the fall of 2023, the Singers welcomed Rae Jean Teeter as the group’s fourth Artistic Director. Following the fall 2025 season, Ms. Teeter stepped down from the position, and Betsy Meredith agreed to serve as Interim Director for the spring and fall 2026 concert seasons while the organization conducted its search for a new Artistic Director.  

The Singers are pleased to welcome Max Horning to the organization beginning in the fall of 2026 as Collaborative Pianist and Assistant Director. Mr. Horning is the Music Director at Sharon Springs Central School District. Following this transition year, he will become the 5th Artistic Director of the Schoharie Valley Singers in 2027.

We invite you to join us: We are always happy to welcome new voices of all ages and abilities. We also have a “Fifth Section” made up of non-singing volunteers who assist with concert preparation, set-up, ushering, ticket sales, and more. 

If you are interested in being part of who we are and what we do, please visit our website schoharievalleysingers.org, email us schoharievalleysingers@gmail.com, or follow us on Facebook.