Four years ago, Annie Deck-Miller contacted local attorney/musician Theresa Quinn about starting a lawyers' caroling group. "I knew she was great, just the person for it--she was my music teacher in high school. I also knew that there were many talented lawyer-musicians here," Deck-Miller says.
"We didn't know what kind of interest we'd get, but the concept took off right away. We had (among others) Ginger Schröder, a well-known labor lawyer; Willie Schoellkopf, who's a seasoned session musician and performer; and even a judge, Hon. Erin Peradotto. We've added a few members over the years--we're now up to 11 or so--and we all have two things in common: we work in some aspect of the legal field and we love to sing, Deck-Miller, one of the two non-lawyers in the group explains.
She says the caroling schedule is pretty full this year, "but we would absolutely consider additional requests. I'm always amazed at how open everyone is to adding performances--I know how busy everyone is, but they all fit these appearances into their schedules because it's so fun for us."
So far, the group hasn't expanded outside of holiday music, but Quinn (who is one of the busiest musicians in town, through gigging, theater productions and directing the choir of Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church) did come up with an a cappella arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner. "Maybe we'll start doing the national anthem at hockey games and stuff like that," Deck-Miller says. "That could be really fun!"
The Caroling Counselors invite you to join them for the following public performances:
Monday, Dec.
14, 2009
One HSBC
Center lobby, Washington St. at Seneca St. -- noon to 12:30 pm
Lafayette
Court lobby, 465 Main St. -- 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm
Thursday,
Dec. 17
M&T
Bank, One M&T Plaza, 345 Main St. -- noon to 12:45 pm
Friday, Dec.
18
Lafayette
Presbyterian Church (Living Nativity), 875 Elmwood Ave. -- 7 pm to 7:30 pm
Monday, Dec.
21, (tentative)
Erie County
Hall, 92 Franklin St. -- 11:45 am to 12:15 pm
Directed by
Theresa Quinn, the singers are as follows:
Annie Deck-Miller, Buffalo Law Journal
Beth-Anne Diodato, Harvest Precision
Components
Cheryl Smith
Fisher, Magavern Magavern Grimm
Kelley Omel,
Erie County District Attorney's Office
Hon Erin
Peradotto, Supreme Court, Appellate Div.
Theresa
Quinn, Magavern Magavern Grimm
Jeffrey
Santoro, Jeffrey Santoro PC
Ginger
Schröder, Schröder Joseph & Associates
Willie
Schoellkopf, U.S. District Court, WDNY
Christina
Tello, Neighborhood Legal Services
Cynthia Thompson, Phillips Lytle
Photo credit Mark Webster, courtesy of Business First: Willie Schoellkopf, Theresa Quinn, Annie Deck-Miller, Cynthia Thompson, Ginger Schröder, Kelley Omel, Cheryl Smith Fisher.
Call Annie
deck-Miller at 716.541.1651 with questions or a booking request.
Great civic contribution. Good for them