Albany Chorale season finale ‘Time Flies’ to honor legacy of Albany musician

ALBANY — Voices rise, fall and overlap inside a softly lit sanctuary as a small group of singers works through a familiar refrain — “time after time.” At the front of the church, a conductor lifts his hands, shaping sound and silence into something that, for a moment, feels suspended.

For the Albany Chorale, that moment is the point.

The community-based chorus is preparing for its season finale concert, “Time Flies,” a performance built around the bittersweet concept of time — both as a musical theme and a lived experience. The concert is set for 7 p.m. April 30 at Covenant Presbyterian Church and will close out the group’s 2025–26 season.

“This one, of course, fits right in — ‘Time After Time,’” one member said during rehearsal, referencing an arrangement of the Cindy Lauper hit included in the program. “All of our songs for the upcoming concert have some reference to a season or a time. Some are more contemporary, which we enjoy.”

Artistic Director Cody Cone curated the program to reflect “times of day” and “times of the year,” blending recognizable pop and musical theater selections with lighter contemporary arrangements.

Rather than leaning into heavier classical works, the group opted for something more accessible — and, members say, more fun.

“The last two concerts have not been as serious,” another singer said. “It’s fun to not always do the real heavy masterworks. These are more contemporary pieces.”

The result is a program designed to resonate broadly, with songs like “Yesterday” and “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” offering familiar entry points for audiences.

But beneath the lighter tone, the concert carries a much deeper meaning.

The finale is dedicated to the memory of Steve Parker, a long-time Albany musician and Chorale member who died last year after a terminal illness. Parker, known to many as the owner of Parker Music, spent decades supporting local music, often lending instruments or performing alongside the group.

“It is appropriate that our concert focuses on time,” Chorale member Marcy McCarty said. “We thought we had more time with Steve, but it just passes so quickly. He is certainly missed.”

That sense of fleeting time is echoed even in rehearsal, where singers move quickly through a piece built almost entirely on rhythm and pacing.

“It’s very fast — maybe 20 words,” Rose Palazzolo, a long-time Chorale member, describing the spoken-word-style selection. “You have to say it really fast, but these pieces are fun, once I get a knack for it, it sticks with me. I’ll be singing it everywhere.”

Founded decades ago and evolving over time, the Albany Chorale remains independent, not affiliated with a school or church, but rooted in the community it serves.

“We’re a community group. We are independent,” one member said. “If you enjoy singing and have a heart for music, we welcome you.”

That openness is central to the group’s identity. There are no auditions, and concerts are free to attend, though donations support operations and an annual scholarship for a graduating high school senior pursuing a future in music.

“We don’t charge admission. We do accept donations,” Palazzolo said. “Most of what we make is enough to cover the cost of our director, piano and music.”

The April 30 concert also will mark the end of the Chorale’s performance season, with rehearsals pausing until late summer — a rhythm that mirrors the academic calendar and, fittingly, the passage of time itself.

“I hope our Chorale supporters will make time to join us for this program,” Melody Sheffield, the organization’s president, said. “It will be a great way to spend an April evening.”

For the singers, though, the experience goes beyond the calendar.

“There’s something about when the chorus comes together,” one member said. “Everybody together making a beautiful sound — it’s so much more than just singing.”

In that way, the performance feels less about the passage of time and more about the way music seems to resist it — carrying listeners back to the first moment a song took hold and preserving emotions with a clarity that feels almost tangible.

Much like a photograph, each piece becomes a frame — a memory held in place — allowing audiences and singers alike to revisit not just the music itself, but the feeling that came with it.

Chorale members say they hope the concert will serve as both a tribute to Parker’s lasting influence and a shared expression of music’s enduring power to connect, unify and, in its own way, pause time.