Thursday, October 1, 2026
As rain began falling on Atlantic Avenue during Lynbrook’s Cruise Night on July 30, spectators ran for cover, classic car owners scrambled to protect their vehicles and vendors packed up their displays.
The members of the Long Island Community Chorus kept singing.
What began as a light drizzle quickly turned into a downpour during the chorus’s first appearance at the Chamber of Commerce event. Sheet music got soaked, audience members scattered and the chorus’s set list had to be shortened, but under the direction of conductor Jean Stevenson, two dozen singers stood shoulder to shoulder and finished their performance.
“It became almost funny,” chorus board member Carla Delcast recounted with a laugh. “The rain kept getting harder, and during John Denver’s ‘Annie’s Song’ there’s a line about ‘a walk in the rain.’ We all threw our hands up because there we were, singing in the rain.”
The group’s performance at Cruise Night was a result of its growing partnership with the chamber. Chamber President Michela Argento-Serra said that featuring the chorus, which is known for its rich, four-part harmonies, was part of the organization’s effort to bring a variety of local entertainment to the event.
“The chamber likes to include all genres of music, from local bands and DJs to choruses,” Argento-Serra said.
“Our members were excited,” Delcast said. “We rehearsed separately to make sure all the voices blended, and there was excitement about getting out there and doing it.”
While weather threatened throughout the day, chorus members arrived ready to perform. Then, after they started singing, “We thought, ‘If this is all it is, it’s fine,’” Delcast said of the first few raindrops. “Then it just kept coming.”
The chorus trimmed its program from five songs to three, and a planned audience singalong had to be abandoned as people rushed to shelter. “Our music was getting soaked,” Delcast said. “It’s expensive and difficult to replace, so we had to protect it.”
For chorus member Alison Pratt, the rain never became the focus. “When you’re singing, your eyes are in two places — the director and your sheet music,” Pratt said. “You push out the other distractions.”
The concert represented another milestone for the group, which recently changed its name from the Rockville Centre Choral Society after more than four decades. “We had such a strong Lynbrook identity,” Pratt said. “We’ve rehearsed and performed here for many years, so Rockville Centre felt like the wrong name.”
Changing the name to the Long Island Community Chorus required legal work, board approval and a vote by members, one of whom designed a new logo, which soon found its way onto T-shirts that the singers wore for the Cruise Night performance.
The chorus rehearses at Lynbrook’s St. James United Methodist Church, and has become more involved in community events since it joined the chamber. “Nobody knew we were in Lynbrook,” Pratt said. “Joining the chamber helped us become part of this community.”
The chorus took part in Experience Lynbrook on March 7, and has connected with local businesses and organizations. For Delcast, Cruise Night was another opportunity to introduce the group to people who had never heard it perform.
The members includes professionally trained musicians as well as people whose only experience was singing in high school chorus. “We have professionals, but we also have people who simply have a talent and love to sing,” Delcast said. “That’s all you need.”
Beyond the music, both women said the chorus’s supportive atmosphere is what makes it special. “If someone has difficulty learning something, everyone helps,” Delcast said. “There’s no competition. People leave the ego at the door.”
“We have strong singers, but no divas,” Pratt added with a laugh.
Now, after literally weathering a storm together, the singers hope Cruise Night attendees remember more than just the rain. “I hope they saw a group with great camaraderie,” Delcast said. “I hope they realized we’re a strong group musically, and that we persevered together.”
The chorus is now preparing for a winter concert, and members hope more community members will attend — or even join. “We want people to come listen,” Delcast said.
“The weather did not agree with us that evening, but Long Island Community Chorus were troupers and stuck out the storm,” Argento-Serra said. “Gives new meaning to singing in the rain. They were fantastic!”
