The New York Holiday Singers

• Why Should I Choose the New York Holiday Singers?
• Does NYHS Offer Victorian Carolers?
• Why Did You Add Another Group This Year?
• Do You Have Any Other “Looks” You Can Wear?
• Could You Do Some Classical Carols, Or Non-Contemporary Stuff?
• Do You Offer Secular Selections/Things That Aren’t “Too Christmas-y”?
• How Far Will You Travel?
• What's Your Hourly Rate?
• What Requirements/Riders Do You Have For Events?
• Can You Walk & Sing, Or Greet Guests?
• Can I Audition For the New York Holiday Singers?
• Are You Fully-Memorized?
• What's Your Cancellation Policy?
• Who Created Your Website?

Why Should I Choose The New York Holiday Singers?

We started the New York Holiday Singers to bring a premium level of entertainment to holiday events. Our carols & arrangements are musically satisfying, requiring months of practice and a high level of commitment from our singers. When you book the New York Holiday Singers, you're not going to get a group of people that are part-time members singing relatively simple three or four-part arrangements; with the New York Holiday Singers, you're booking a finely-rehearsed & blended ensemble singing professional-level music.

In addition, we are a holidays-only ensemble. We have our kickoff meeting in the summer and begin rehearsals in August, all leading up to the holiday season. That's why you don't see us advertising our services for year-round events; we want to focus exclusively on “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Beyond our singers and our scheduling, though, comes the management team behind New York Holiday Singers, Inc. Jen & Greg, the Executive & Creative directors, respectively, absolutely love the holiday season: its music, its flavors & aromas, and the best it can bring out. Greg has a decade and a half's experience providing music & entertainment for private events, and our singers run the gamut from talented choral singers to performers on- and off-Broadway. We know that our reputation as an entertainment ensemble and our ability to compete in a crowded field rests on providing the absolute best musical entertainment you can possibly book, and making sure our customers are pleased & proud to have hired us. We don't believe in “off nights”; one vendor having an “off night” can ruin an event!

When you get a group like this together, give them great music, have them rehearse and bond for months... Well, then you get magic. Back to top

Does NYHS Offer Victorian Carolers?

We decided in the nascent days of the New York Holiday Singers that we would not be providing Victorian carolers as a standard part of our offering. Instead, we choose to focus our budget and time on our high-quality music. There are several other ensembles offering Victorian and Dickens-style carolers in the New York City area to whom we can refer you. Back to top

Why Did You Add Another Group This Year?

Last year, we found ourselves at a bit of a crossroads as an ensemble. On the one hand, we wanted to continue moving the New York Holiday Singers toward being more of a performance ensemble, appearing at festivals, concerts, cabarets, on television & radio, and potentially touring, as well as doing some corporate & private events. We knew we wanted to focus on performing incredible and highly advanced music, but this was at odds with our desire to offer affordable entertainment for events. We decided to form The Holiday Choristers to carry on the 2009 and 2010 New York Holiday Singers "spirit" (and, in fact, they sing many of our former arrangements) and slowly begin transitioning The New York Holiday Singers into the contemporary & jazz ensemble we've wanted it to become. Back to top

Do You Have Any Other “Looks” You Can Wear?

We do have a slightly more casual look, yes, where the men are not in ties. The ladies, however, still wear their cocktail attire. If your event absolutely requires a more casual look, please get in touch with us. Back to top

Could You Do Some Classical Carols, Or Non-Contemporary Stuff?

Unfortunately, the New York Holiday Singers are now a full-time contemporary/jazz ensemble. For a much larger repertoire, including several classical arrangements, we humbly recommend our sibling ensemble, The Holiday Choristers. Back to top

Do You Offer Secular Selections/Things That Aren’t “Too Christmas-y”?

It's a common request from our customers to build sets that aren't overtly religious in nature and more toward the secular side of holiday music. Because our book is primarily contemporary and jazz, as well as some original compositions, we can easily prepare a set excluding overtly religious music. Back to top

How Far Will You Travel?

As we're based out of New York City, travel to any location accessible by standard public transit is included. Beyond that, such as travel to New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester, and even further, we will work with you for any travel costs. When you begin speaking about travel outside of the tri-state area, additional costs such as lodging may come into play. Why not contact us and we'll see if we can work something out? Back to top

What's Your Hourly Rate?

Unlike the flat per-singer per-hour rate we put in place for The Holiday Choristers, our hourly rate is based off of a number of factors, including event size, length of event, day & time of your event, any package deals you may wish to take advantage of with our merchandise, and etc. Once you contact us, we'll request some additional information and provide an estimate followed by a formal quote for your event. With our advanced performance and premium approach to caroling, our rates do tend to run higher than those of The Holiday Choristers as well as other caroling ensembles in the area, but we're sure you'll find that it's completely worth it. Back to top

What Requirements/Riders Do You Have For Events?

We believe that, as a vendor for your event, our ultimate goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible; you don't need yet another thing to worry about during your event! To that end, the comfort & security requirements in our contract are very straightforward. We'll need light, so that people can see us. We need a secure location to store our personal effects such as purses & coats. We'll need a restroom we can access prior to the start of our singing as well as during breaks. We have a reasonable expectation of security at the event. Finally, we bring water bottles with us and store them discreetly near our location for longer events; some customers prefer that we use glasses from the bar or equivalent, which is not a problem. Beyond that? Just tell us where to stand! Back to top

Can You Walk & Sing, Or Greet Guests?

We've done both many times, and enjoy it! Back to top

Can I Audition For the New York Holiday Singers?

Due to our very low turnover, it's rare that any positions open up in the ensemble. But, if any positions open up within the New York Holiday Singers, auditions are held in early to mid-summer. Due to the advanced level of our music, our audition process is very much unlike those for most shows & other ensembles. If you've missed our auditions, please don't hesitate to send in your resume and headshot for us to keep on file in case any we have any open slots next year. Back to top

Are You Fully-Memorized?

Yes! The New York Holiday Singers are a fully-memorized ensemble. Back to top

What's Your Cancellation Policy?

Our contract spells out our cancellation policy, both for cancellations by you as well as by New York Holiday Singers, Inc., in full detail. To summarize: the New York Holiday Singers have never had to cancel an appearance; even during the blizzard in 2009 we still made it to two scheduled events in a single day. Furthermore, the people behind New York Holiday Singers have also never canceled event entertainment appearances, and we'd like to keep our reputation in that regard solid. In addition, we offer a refund policy based on days before the event, as well as additional compensation to you for costs associated with promoting the New York Holiday Singers' appearance at your event.

As far as cancellation by you, the customer, there is a refund policy in place around your deposit if cancellation occurs 31 days or more prior to your event. Once you get within 30 days, there is a sliding scale for how much of your final quote is due after a cancellation by you. We aim to be fair and protect both parties. Back to top

Who Created Your Website?

All of our websites and marketing materials are lovingly crafted & programmed by our creative director, Greg Kefalas, in his workshop located at the North Pole. Back to top

How the New York Holiday Singers Came To Be

The New York Holiday Singers were formed as a quartet in late 2008 by the husband-and-wife team of Greg Kefalas and Jen Arvay. Having met in Ohio in 1998, Jen & Greg often got friends together to go caroling door-to-door, for fun, not asking for donations. “The kindness people would show us was astounding,” recalls Greg. “They'd insist on giving us cookies, or hot coffee, or some other hospitality. During that time more than ever I realized how magical the holiday season can be, how it can bring people together, and how, in many ways, we've gotten away from that.”

Several years after moving to New York City, Greg & Jen decided to start the New York Holiday Singers, Inc. to help bring their love of the season and a high level of holiday musicality to the area.

From a Quartet to An Octet to a Septet

Greg & Jen knew immediately that they wanted NYHS to have permanent members that got to know each other through the long weeks of rehearsals and multiple seasons. “We wanted our singers to be a kind of family, not ‘ringers’ that don't know each other, and go out on gigs sight-reading easy stuff,” explains Greg.

The original 2008 quartet consisted of Jen & Greg, as well as alum (and now Holiday Chorister) Pamela Carden, and alumnus Adolpho Blaire. After a family emergency stopped NYHS before it get started, 2009 saw the group expand to eight members, adding current member Amanda Kuchinski, and alumni Matt Leisy, Tony Ramos, and Jonathan Cable, as well as alum and current Holiday Chorister Shalyah Evans. That season, the New York Holiday Singers had a number of satisfying appearances at public events and private parties, as well as the release of NYHS's debut album, Sing We Joyous.

2010 brought the addition of our tremendously talented tenor, Doug Cordes, and alum Adam Dietz, to the New York Holiday Singers family, and our transition to a septet.

From a Septet to a Contemporary Quintet

2011 brought numerous changes to The New York Holiday Singers. We launched our sibling ensemble, The Holiday Choristers, with a total of 16 singers. New York Holiday Singers alumni Shalyah Evans and Pam Carden, as well as current Holiday Singers Amanda and Doug, decided to join The Holiday Choristers for the 2011 season. To fill out our sound, The New York Holiday Singers welcome our new mezzo, Brooke Aston, to the group. The majority of our music was sent to The Holiday Choristers, and an almost all-new book was created.

We thank you for reviewing our site, and hopefully, with your help, we can continue bringing the music & magic of the holiday season to all.