Last Updated on November 21, 2024 by Editor
Pasquale Santa Croce and his wife, Alberta, formed Coro Italiano about 40 years ago. After his death and the COVID pandemic, the group disappeared for a while until Alfredo Valentini, above, helped resurrect the group, which this year has performed at more than 30 events.
Over the last two years, the parishioners of St. Mary of Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament Parish have been reacquainting themselves with an organization that was born on its campus some 40 years ago.
In those days, the former convent next to the church housed the newly founded Italian-American museum. Inspired by Alex Haley’s success with his historical novel “Roots,” not only the Black community but ethnic groups of every origin experienced a renewed interest in their stories. The museum, and a small group of singers who began rehearsing there — known as Coro Italiano — were an outgrowth of the interest in Italian-American history and culture.
The founder of Coro Italiano was a familiar face on the entertainment scene in the Utica area. Pasquale SantaCroce, an educator in the Utica schools, had moonlighted for years as the in-house singer at the former Trinkaus Manor and as lead singer for the Banda Rossa. He and his wife, Alberta, organized Coro Italiano with a handful of singers and a few local musicians. With these modest beginnings the group continued to grow to include up to 30 singers.
The repertoire included well-known traditional Italian songs and Italian-American standards made popular by such artists as Dean Martin, Al Martino, Jerry Vale, Tony Bennett, Julius LaRosa and Louis Prima. Soon, the group was performing in nursing homes, festivals and school functions throughout the area.
After a good long run, Pasquale passed away on Feb. 24, 2020. For that and the cessation of most social functions during the COVID pandemic, Coro Italiano ceased to exist. But the love of the music and the joy of sharing it with their audiences was alive in several of the Coro members. They had a successor to Pasquale’s leadership in mind.
Alfredo (Fred) Valentini (the author of this article) was a familiar face in Utica’s Italian-American community. A veteran of 33 years teaching Italian in Utica schools and more than 20 years at local colleges (there was overlap — he’s not that old), he had collaborated with the Coro on several events in the schools, at the Sons of Italy Lodge and at the former Riverside Mall.
Valentini had a long history in the performing arts, having participated in community theater, danced with the Mohawk Valley Performing Arts, taught dance locally and at the University of Albany, and sung with multiple vocal groups in Utica and in the Capital District. He also was associated with, or director of, Proctor High School’s after-school theater arts program for 30 years. Valentini had shown his dedication to Italian culture through his professional career as a teacher and author of a textbook series and rising to the presidency of the former Utica Lodge of the Sons of Italy.
The “Professore” jokes that the Coro members snagged him during a lull in his schedule. Trying to teach remotely through COVID convinced him to cease teaching at Utica University. Passing the time creating mediocre art wasn’t cutting it either. So, after repeated approaches by former Coro members, Valentini said he would try directing the choir on a “trial” basis.
Taking a different approach to presenting their music, Valentini researched songs and found prerecorded tracks to accompany the singers. This instilled more life into performances and helped create a more polished product. He still included some of the old familiar “chestnuts” in the repertoire but also introduced some more contemporary songs to bring a fresh representation of Italian culture.
Prof. V can explain to audiences what the songs they are about to hear mean. Also, as a former dancer, he likes to get audiences involved by having them clap in rhythm and dancing in their seats. A nurse at one of the facilities in which the Coro performs said this is “great therapy for the residents,”
The formula must work. From the first year under his direction, when the group performed at a handful of events, the demand has increased for new performances. From January through September this year, the Coro has performed 33 “gigs.” The geographical breath of venues has grown as well. Coro Italiano has performed from Little Falls to Rome (NY) and will perform in Syracuse this month.
With its resurrection and new life, the group now bills itself as the “Coro Italiano of the Mohawk Valley.” It represents one of the best things about Italian culture in our area and is proud to be a part of the entertainment scene of Central New York.
How to join
Coro Italiano always welcomes new singers. Rehearsals are at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at the North Utica Community Center on Riverside Drive. Interested? Call 315-542-2144.