Sea Songs recap

On Tuesday, July 29th at Saint John's in the Village

Vira + Friends and Billion Oyster Project (BOP) enjoyed its third collaboration.

I was incredibly happy looking out from my place by the piano

to see a beautiful sea of familiar and new faces,

including a number of attentive, smiling and occasionally astonished children!

In addition to Vira + Friends regulars Stefa C. at the door and Alex Gamota on the pour (serving Artwine and seltzer in the garden after the performance),

Agata Poniatowski, BOP Public Outreach Program Manager and

Asly Ventura, BOP Public Outreach Coordinator,

were on hand with an intriguing and informative display,

talking with attendees about oyster restoration.

The concert featured songs from America, Belgium, England,

France, Italy, Sweden and Ukraine.

As a special treat coloratura soprano Brooke Schooley

emerged from the audience to join me in singing

Barcarolle from Jacques Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffman

and then performed Beau soir / Beautiful Evening,

an exquisite song by Achille Claude Debussy.

Between The Oyster is Our Friend by Lloyd Vivola and

The Tale of the Oyster by Cole Porter

Agata spoke compellingly about the

history, present and future of oysters in NYC

as well as the many ways you can get involved and have an impact!

Email us or visit www.billionoysterproject.org to learn more.

I'm phenomenally grateful to all who came together

to revel in music of the sea and celebrate the tremendous work of Billion Oyster Project!

Audience feature - a word from Agata Poniatowski:

Sea Songs was an absolute joy—Vira and David

performed each number with such heart and passion.

It was a masterclass in genre-blending and storytelling,

weaving opera arias and goofy oyster songs into

one unforgettable evening.

I wasn’t expecting to be laughing one moment and

holding my breath the next.

Vira’s voice is second to none—except maybe her stage presence.