By Kim Zwisdak, Development Office, Village Lutheran Church and The Chapel School

May 17, 2017:  On Tuesday, May 2, 2017, Damyn Kelly, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services-New York (LSS-NY) awarded Village Lutheran Church and The Chapel School the Joy Dedicated Service Award.

The award is given in memory of Judge Daniel Joy, an elected member of the Supreme Court of the State of New York (1983), where he handled both civil and criminal matters. In 1998, he was appointed by Gov. George Pataki to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which handled complaints against judicial officers throughout the state. He retired from the bench at the age of 69 in August of 2000 after 42 years of government service.

The award seeks to honor his community spirit and passion for helping others. The award was presented by LSS-NY, one of the largest social service agencies in the New York metropolitan area. Lutheran Social Services of New York has been strengthening lives, families, and communities for over 125 years.

In receiving the award on behalf of the church and school, Senior Pastor Robert Hartwell commented, "The mission of the church and school is to 'know, live, and share the love of Christ,' and we consider this mission a mission of service to our community."

Hartwell was joined in receiving the award by his administrative leadership team, members of the faculty and staff, and lay leaders of the church and school. He also acknowledged that the church believes "faith works better when it works together" and welcomed Rabbi Morris and Lisa Barzilai of Sinai Free Synagogue in Mount Vernon, in addition to several other community partners the church works together with in its mission and ministry.

After receiving the award, Hartwell presented LSS-NY with a check for over $23,000, a portion of the money set aside from a recent capital campaign to assist ministries outside the church. Hartwell said, "As we recently celebrated milestones, the 100th anniversary of the church and 70th anniversary of The Chapel School, our congregation dedicated a tithe as a thank offering to help others. It is our way of saying thank you to God, who has truly been our help in ages past."

Photo courtesy Village Lutheran Church

By Susie Reisinger, Church Publicist, West Center Congregational Church

May 17, 2017:  The Chancel Choir Quartet of West Center Congregational Church on Pondfield Road West at Chatfield Road will present a special concert on Sunday, May 21, at 2:00 pm in the sanctuary.

Ain'-a That Good News will feature singers Jordan Gumucio, Alayne Faraone, Roger Ohlsen, and Russell Ashley, accompanied on the piano by Robert Wilson, and they will be performing an all-American program of works by composers ranging from George Gershwin to Leonard Bernstein to Carly Simon and the quartet's own Russell Ashley.

Singing solos, duets, and all together, they will perform "Maria" and "Simple Song" by Leonard Bernstein, "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" by George Gershwin, "Medley of Three Songs" by Russell Ashley, "Let the River Run" by Carly Simon, "Ain'-a That Good News" by William L. Dawson, "Ain't It A Pretty Night" by Carlisle Floyd, and more.

Jordan Gumucio:  California native and soprano Jordan Gumucio made her professional debut in 2000 with the Los Angeles Opera and appeared as Musetta in student matinee performances of La Bohème. Other roles include Barena in Janacek's Jenufa and Berginella in Offenbach's La Perichole with the Long Beach Opera. While in Europe, Ms. Gumucio not only sang in Milhaud's L'Enlèvement d'Europe from his Trois Opéras Minutes, she also co-choreographed and performed a featured modern dance sequence. In 2001, she placed third in the Metropolitan Opera Competition's Western Regional Finals and was a finalist in 2002. Upon moving to the East Coast, she sang for the Asheville Lyric Opera and South Carolina Opera. Currently, Ms. Gumucio teaches voice, specializing in beginning and intermediate singers, particularly children, and is a distributor for LimeLight by Alcone, a professional theatrical makeup company.

Alayne Faraone has been praised in Opera News for her "powerful soprano" and has performed extensively in opera and on the concert stage. She made her debut as Musetta in La Bohème with the El Paso opera and has also appeared with the Los Angeles Opera, the San Diego Opera Ensemble, the Pacific Repertory Opera, the Taconic Opera, and others. She has been featured as a soloist with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and Chorale at Carnegie Hall as well as with the award-winning Debussy Trio and the Halcyon Trio. She was also a member of the chorus for the Three Tenors concert in Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, with a bachelor's degree in music, Ms. Faraone also has her master of music degree from USC. Recently returning to her musical roots in jazz, she enjoys performing with pianist Michiki Fukumori, Aidan O'Donnell on bass, and Paul Francis on drums.

Roger Ohlsen joined the Edmonton Opera Chorus at the age of 15 and sang many small roles as well as in the chorus from ages 16 to 19. He moved to New York in 1973 and studied with soprano Uta Graf for 20 years. Mr. Ohlsen sang Cavaradossi and Fenton with the Houston Grand Opera in 1978 and performed in Manon and La Bohème at the Juilliard Opera Center in 1982 and 1983. Mr. Ohlsen sang with the New York City Opera Chorus from 1983 to 2012, performing 25 roles and numerous covers. He is currently teaching voice and has a Reiki healing practice.

Russell Ashley has been a familiar face to audiences in the tri-state area since moving to New York from Arizona 32 years ago. He has appeared as a guest soloist with the Gregg Smith Singers, the Robert DeCormier Singers, and Amor Artis in New York and has been a featured baritone at Eglise de la Madeleine and the Cathédrale de Chartres in France and at the Madeira Bach Festival. Mr. Ashley has performed frequently with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, the National Grand Opera, the National Chorale, the Opera Orchestra of New York, and the New Jersey State Opera.

While there is no admission charge, there is a suggested donation of $10. The church is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, and there is parking on the street.

For more information, please call the church office at 914-337-3829, send an email to the church at CLOAKING , or go to West Center's website, http://www.westcenterchurch.org.      

Pictured here:  Stained-glass windows at West Center Congregational Church.

Photo courtesy Susie Reisinger, Church Publicist, West Center Congregational Church