Dyker Heights is a destination this time of year, with houses decked out in lights drawing visitors from all around the world. And inside Dyker Library, a strong community gathers to sing, play mahjong, do yoga, and so much more.
Want to learn more about topics brought up in this episode? Check out the links below!
- Attend one of the many programs at Dyker Library. And, the Dyker Singers are always looking for new members.
- Looking for books to read over the holidays? We released our favorite books of 2022!
- Visit one of our branches this holiday break, and make a resolution to get more involved, though book clubs, classes, volunteering, donations, and more.
Episode Transcript
Adwoa Adusei Hi, Borrowed listeners! Adwoa here. It’s the holiday season, and we hope you’re feeling festive and reading great books. We have a holiday special for you, from Dyker Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood famous for its spectacular decorations each holiday season. Our producer Virginia has the story…
Voices on Zoom All right do we see it?
Yup, everyone mute themselves
Wait a minute, I don’t see the file now… this is the thing…
Virginia Marshall This is the familiar sound of a group of people fighting with Zoom settings.
Voices on Zoom Yes, I see.
Yes, I see.
Okay, I have to lower this so I can scroll down.
Here we go, one two three!
[Piano playing, singing]
Virginia Marshall This particular group of people struggling with technology happens to be a choir in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. They were all trying to see the sheet music on one of the members’ shared screens.
[Choir singing "Down South in Birmingham"]
The Dyker Singers, as they are called, are mostly retired seniors who logged on to practice singing on Zoom in March, 2021 — back when it wasn’t safe to gather in person. Because of connection delays, only one person could be un-muted while they sang. Kevin Clark is singing here, accompanied by his wife, Carolyn Clark, on piano. So, you’ll have to imagine nine or ten other faces singing along silently with Carolyn and Kevin.
[Singing continues]
It’s odd to think back to this time, when many of us we were truly isolated and trying to figure out meaningful and safe ways to connect with one another. But it bears remembering as we enter into this holiday season, when many of us might be preparing to travel, making plans to spend time with family and friends in person. We’ve come a long way. So, as a holiday special this year, we’re going back to Dyker Heights, where the Dyker Singers are finally able to gather in person, at the library.
This is Borrowed: Stories that start at the library. I’m Virginia Marshall, writer and producer … and for today, your host.
[Singing fades out, replaced by chatter of people in a room]
About a week ago, in the community program room at Dyker Library, about a dozen older adults sat in rows facing their choir director Carolyn, at the keyboard.
[Carolyn teaches the group how to sing a phrase]
The group was founded ten years ago … by accident.
Carolyn I got a call from Eileen Kasab, who is the librarian here at the time, who said, Well, my library really wants to have a class in jewelry making, but Lifetime Arts recommended you, so we're going to try you. It was supposed to be a 12-week class. And that was ten years ago.
[Choir practicing]
Terry We rehearsed during the pandemic in the park, in the good weather, in the spring and summer.
Virginia Marshall This is Theresa Miranda, or Terry. She’s one of the co-leaders of the group.
Terry We kept rehearsing. We did it with Zoom in the winter. The linking in with the Zoom and in the park was a lifesaver for many of us because, you know, depression and sickness and loss, many of us lost people near and dear to us. So it was tough. And being in a group like this was very supportive. Very helpful. … every week, you know, through thick and thin.
[Choir begins to sing "Do You Hear What I Hear?"]
Virginia Marshall That day in mid-December, the group was rehearsing for a free holiday show in Staten Island, as you can probably tell from the songs. But holiday shows aren’t the only gigs the Dyker Singers have been invited to over the past ten years …
Terry We performed at Central, we performed an Off-Broadway show.
Choir Member And we have sang at the Cyclones, we've sang the national anthem at the Cyclones stadium several times.
Virginia Marshall One singer, Monserrate, came in late, and hurried to her seat. Everyone greeted her warmly as she opened her choral binder. She’s been a member of Dyker Singers for ten years, and keeps coming despite the long commute from Bensonhurst.
Monserrate It's a couple of busses, and I also have medical issues. I try my best to get here because it really helps. I mean, even during ... you know, the pandemics, the ten years, I experienced losses and depression and then the pandemic. So coming here is important for me because it makes me happy and the singing really helps with the emotions.
Terry It makes us happy to see you.
Monserrate Oh, thank you.
Virginia Marshall And, singing has helped her learn a whole new language. Monserrate mentioned that a couple of years ago, the Dyker Singers got to learn Chinese from Chinese-speakers in the Dyker Heights community, so they could sing at a New Year’s celebration.
[Choir begins to sing "The Christmas Song"]
Dyker Heights is a quiet neighborhood. It stands out in Brooklyn for the number of large single-family homes. Walking around the streets outside the library, you might think you’d wandered into the suburbs. But, the neighborhood is changing. Though most of the Dyker Singers are white, Dyker Heights’s younger residents are not. Here’s Yong-Le Yau, the head librarian at Dyker Library
Yong-Le Yau Most of the children who are here are Chinese. We had mahjong group of the very intelligent ladies.
Virginia Marshall The mahjong group meets for three hours every week at Dyker Library. They’re passionate players, but they’re not Chinese. Like the Dyker Singers who wanted to learn a new language to be able to sing with their neighbors, this is a community that embraces difference, and wants to keep growing.
Maria Gavrilina It's a feeling of a family. It's been always like that.
Virginia Marshall This is Maria Gavrilina, who’s been working at BPL for 29 years, and at Dyker Library since 2004.
Maria Gavrilina It's a great community. And we see families coming in generation after generation with their kids. Kids grow up, move on, get married, sometimes come back with their kids. It's definitely a family feeling.
Yong-Le Yau They come out of their houses, get out of social isolation, especially during pandemic time. They come to meet their friends through the library programs. So many of them were literally, just like Maria said, like family member.
Virginia Marshall The programs at Dyker are robust: There’s toddler storytime, and a popular monthly book club for Russian speakers, led by librarian Svetlana Galperina. There’s also a very chatty and consistent group of Thursday knitters, and an immensely popular chair yoga class, when 20 or more older adults pack into the main room of the library every week. And, of course, there’s the dedicated Dyker Singers.
Yong-Le Yau We're very proud for this tradition of people coming here ten years in a row, even though the number of the participant is smaller now compared to before. But they saying through the pandemic time … and we continue to pay with the little bit of funding we have.
Virginia Marshall Yong-Le and her staff work hard to make sure they’re able to keep offering programs for their community. When I visited, they were preparing for a holiday craft fair to fundraise for the library. Yong-Le had hand-painted hundreds of book-marks to give away at the fair.
[Choir begins to sing "Let It Snow"]
Despite its sleepy, small-town vibe, Dyker Heights is a destination this time of year.
Yong-Le Yau The holiday lights are amazing. We see visitors from all over the world. But other than that, come and visit. We have the wonderful shops along 13th Avenue. We have a beautiful church right across the street that plays amazing music. And we have this Italian supermarket, La Bella. Oh, it's a beautiful place...
[Yong-Le's voice fades, sound of "Sleigh Ride" song grows louder ...]
Virginia Marshall Over in the community programming room, the Dyker Singers were wrapping up their practice. I got them to sing one more song. Not a holiday song. Or, I guess it depends on what you consider festive. This song is one about Brooklyn.
Carolyn We were performing at the Cyclones game and there was a children's theater group that was also performing and they sang that song. I'm like, I need that song. And so I asked their director, you know, where did you get that? She goes, I wrote it. And so for $10, she gave me permission for us to sing it.
[Sung: "We Love you Brooklyn, the glamor and the grit. Because in Brooklyn, everybody fits. The immigrant, the artist, the soldier and the startlet. The beauty and the brassy, the soulful and the sassy. We all belong in Brooklyn! Our bagels are the greatest, it's the water, so they say..."]
Adwoa Adusei Borrowed is brought to you by Brooklyn Public Library. This episode was written, hosted, and produced by Virginia Marshall with help from Fritzi Bodenheimer, Robin Lester Kenton, Ali Post, Jennifer Proffitt, and me, Adwoa Adusei. Our music composer is Billy Libby. Meryl Friedman designed our logo. You can find a transcript on our website: BKLYN Library [dot] org [slash] podcasts.
Virginia Marshall Special thanks to the Dyker Singers and the staff at Dyker Library. The song you’re hearing now was written by Amy White Graves.
Adwoa Adusei And, Borrowed is taking a break until the new year. In the meantime, visit the light displays in Dyker Heights, and stop by that library, or any one of our sixty-two branches. Happy Holidays, Brooklyn!
[Sung: "We all belong in Brooklyn!" Song finishes, participants chat, laugh]