We arrived back home to England yesterday and are still pinching ourselves – did it really happen!!  Well of course it did, and what an incredible experience it was.

My wife Jacqueline Humphreys started singing (with purpose) in 2014, and became a founding member of Queen Eleanor Choir 2017.  Since then, fabulous opportunities have followed, including performing The Armed Man three times – twice at Royal Albert Hall, once in Berlin with the World Choir for Peace. Breaking away from Sir Karl Jenkins for a moment the choir also performed Handel’s Messiah with The Really Big Chorus in 2019.

Nothing, but nothing though compares to the DCINY experience, and why, because we did this together.  I’m grateful to DCINY’s vision of encouraging partners to truly experience the whole performance.

Access to rehearsals, attentive support throughout the performance, premier seats in Carnegie Hall, and ending with the most memorable after show party – I was treated like a VIP and felt a valued member of the Queen Eleanor Choir, please pass on my sincere thanks to the DCINY team on duty that night – first class.

Reflecting back – to have not experienced the VIP package would have left me regretting an opportunity missed. Our memories of Carnegie Hall, performing Requiem, shared conversations with Sir Karl, Lady Carol and Jorge Avila – will leave long in our memories.

 Thank you all

Gratefully Yours

I am one of the chaperones for the Grove City High School Chorale and Harmonia choirs that sang at the Vocal Colors concert on June 21, 2022.  I have spent the past week reliving watching my son and his fellow choir members perform on the Carnegie Hall stage.  Our experience from our first rehearsal at Carroll Studios to the performance at Carnegie, was exemplary.  The DCINY staff treated our students and chaperones with the utmost care and professionalism.  […] From the first notes I was immersed and mesmerized.  Thank you for facilitating this once in a lifetime experience for us all!

 Again I would like to express my gratitude to you and your staff for this experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

On 12 February 2015, twenty-five members from the Music Association of Auckland departed the warm summer of New Zealand for the freezing temperatures of New York City to sing at the “Two Cultures, One Dream” concert at Carnegie Hall. However, we did not let the cold climate deter us at all as we began two full days of rehearsal before the big performance on 16 February – the final stages of six months of preparation. I would like to commend DCINY [Distinguished Concert International New York] on their very professional organisation of the concert, which had a glorious and memorable theme. The “Yellow River Cantata” performance, conducted by Maestro Jie Yi and accompanied by the DCINY Orchestra and 250 choristers from around the world, was the most astonishing piece of the evening and well-deserving of the non-stop standing ovation!

Congratulations to the MAA Choir & 200 others, with special mentions to rehearsal accompanist Ming Aldrich-Gan, soprano Ana Isabel Lazo, baritone solo Chai-Lun Yueh, baritone and narrator Brian Wahlstrom, tenor Ting Li and pipa soloist Jiahu Shen. We are proud of all our singers, who have represented us with excellence and played a part in our greatest musical achievement thus far – it was an once-in-a-lifetime experience to perform at Carnegie Hall, one of the world’s best acoustic venues.

Special thanks to Conductor Fang Ni for MAA choir training, the DCINY co-ordinator Jason Mlynek, the New York Travel arrangements by Ed McCall of Artist Travel Consultants.

It was really a great honor to perform at such a famous stage in the presence of the composer (whose works we love and premiere them in Russia), under the leadership of a talented conductor and accompanied by a wonderful orchestra! The impression is overwhelming! As for the organizational component, Tatyana and I can’t emphasize enough what a high level of administration we encountered. It doesn’t happen often in the world of art that one works with a company capable of organizing the concert events so clearly, responsibly and professionally. In general, the administrative part alone, not to mention the rest of it, left us very excited!

Для нас было действительно большой честью выступать на столь прославленной сцене, в присутствии автора (произведения которого мы любим и с удовольствием исполняем первыми в России), под руководством талантливого дирижера и в сопровождении прекрасного оркестра! Впечатлений хватит до старости! А что касается организационной составляющей, то мы с Татьяной по возвращении почти каждый день вспоминаем и обсуждаем, какой же высокий уровень администрирования мы увидели. Не часто в мире искусства встретишь компанию, которая будет так четко, ответственно и профессионально организовывать концертные мероприятия. В общем, от одной только организации мы в полном восторге!

Не хватит слов, чтобы отблагодарить Вас за то, что пригласили нас выступать!

Эдуард Кротман, художественный руководитель
Хор Санкт-Петербургского Государственного Университета,
Россия

Thanks so much for everything, for the organization, for the kindness of everyone. Evelyne and I have very much appreciated the welcome.

Everybody was very happy to be able to perform in such a great place, and we had a great time, it was such an experience…

Thanks so much for all you did… what an awesome time. Still have my “after concert glow” and the concert rang in my head all the way home on the train back to Waterbury. Please extend my appreciation to Jonathan Griffith and the entire DCINY staff.

Thank you DCINY! It was so fascinating! I am still emotional when I talk about it! The kids and the parents are still in awe! Thank you for working with us—I know it wasn’t easy—but we now know how to go about things! 🙂 I am trying to get our news out to the papers now of what all we did over the weekend. I also read the concert review that you posted on Facebook—that was beautiful!

It was a lot of work—but so totally worth it! It was amazing. I will definitely be talking with you in the future for other events. But this one will still be a favorite in my heart! It was fabulous—and yes the experience, the concert, and of course the dancing afterwards (which the kids thoroughly enjoyed)….was unbelievable!

I am sure I speak for us all in the Knoxville Choral Society when I say we will never forget the joy and wonder of singing John’s piece in that incredible venue!

From where we stood it sounded wonderful—the audience response and John’s comments, along with yours, make me feel it truly was a success. Not only did we KCS singers work as individuals, but Eric worked hard with us to help us be ready—and Jonathan worked some magic in pulling all those choirs together to create a unified sound.

Our experience with DCINY, without exception, was incredible! We were amazed at the warm and personal attitude of you and your staff. Not once did I see a frown from your people — even when answering the same question over and over. Not once did I feel that my request for something was an inconvenience. Every person associated with DCINY had a smile and a solution for us….all 700 of us! That is miraculous!

Performing on that world-famous stage under four gifted conductors was a spectacular experience — an experience so spectacular that we could not describe it to our family and friends. Fortunately, you secured a photographer who captured the magic for us, and then allowed us to purchase the memories!

What I found to be even more surprising was the attitude of the orchestra members. They were engaged with us and seemed genuinely interested in our program. The finest professionals in the country – treating us with respect and regard — another miracle! And their musicianship was absolutely amazing!

The cast party was un-believable! Exceptional food – open bar – in one of the most famous restaurants in the world – WOW! Somehow, I don’t know how you pulled these spectacular things off – but you did….more miracles!

Once we returned to Houston, and reality, we realized what a wonderful gift DCINY had given each of us. A concert opportunity in Carnegie Hall, photographs, the experience of working with great conductors, [the reception], etc. However, these things would not have been as wonderful without the gift of hospitality from your gracious staff. On behalf of St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church Choir, I thank you for that. You gave us a beautifully planned and executed experience that we will never forget, and we are grateful to all of you.