We are a radical performance community based in New York City, we come to the Choir from many different creative and activist backgrounds. We have evolved a very particular sound and performance experience from the synthesis of our lived experience. We are grounded in the work of Justice and in service to the Earth. We love to Sing together.

Savitri D
Director

Colista Turner
Singer of the Month

Sunder Ganglani
Composer

Ali Dineen
Musician In Residence
THE STOP SHOPPING CHOIR


Nehemiah Luckett
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Nehemiah Luckett has been performing, composing and conducting for over 30 years. From an early age he connected his deep love of music to the transformative power of building community through breathing and singing with family and friends. He has been a featured soloist at the National Cathedral, Carnegie Hall and has performed all over the US and Europe. He has composed solo, choral and instrumental pieces. He has had productions of two full length musicals: Hamlet: Prince of Funk (1999) with collaborators Owen Beverly (Evans) and Matthew Smith and Brick by Brick (2006), based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe with collaborator, Ross Wade. Currently, Nehemiah has three musicals in development - Triple Threats with Tracey Lee, A Burning Church with Zhailon Levingston and Alex Hare, and (((Jazz Singer))) with Joshua William Gelb. Nehemiah is the Music Director and Composer for Rev. Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir (http://revbilly.com) Nehemiah has deep gratitude for Power APAC (Academic and Performing Arts Complex) in Jackson, Mississippi where he studied music and theater and for his family that allowed him to dream crazy dreams. Read more here


Olivia Bernabe


Pat Hornak
A "Johnnie-come-lately" to the activist life, She was for many years a conservative wife. But then she fell from her "ivory tower" And now is proud to speak the truth to power. As she joined the Church and its radical crew Her view of the world rapidly grew. We look at her now and what have we got? In one hand a sign... in the other, a jello shot!


Savitri D.
Savitri loves to sing, especially in a choir - on the road she is usually an alto but in NYC she sings tenor. Savitri loves to perform and do actions. She is a commune child and major league tree hugger. The main thing about Savitri is that she likes to be creative, and will find a way to do that most days. Her kid Lena is the light of her life! Read more here


Shilpa Narayan
Shilpa was irrevocably drawn to the cries of "Strange-a-lujah!" and "Change-a-lujah!" that she heard shouted through the streets of New York City soon after she moved there in 2003; though, at the time, she did not know who the strange preacher man was who shouted them. After attending a performance of the Stop Shopping Choir in the halls of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery and witnessing Reverend Billy perform an exorcism on a Starbucks coffee cup, Shilpa could no longer be a stranger to this strange community. Shilpa is a civil rights attorney, representing those seeking to vindicate their rights to live authentically, to work and to enjoy public space free from discrimination. She is a dedicated defender of the First Amendment and a staunch advocate for the emancipation of imagination everywhere. She lives with her partner, her two children, three cats, and a bunch of quail in Brooklyn.


Sunder Ganglani
Sunder is a musician and dramaturg. For many years he was a lead producer at The Foundry Theatre and has worked in the perfroming arts his entire adult life. He works with a wide range of artists in NYC and elsewhere, including Charlotte Brathwaite, Tareke Ortiz, Justin Hicks and many more. He also plays viola , embroiders, and likes to read.


Sussanah Pryce
Sussana met billy in 2000 during the ny fringe festival.


Sylver Pondolfino
"Over the years I've marched and leafletted, boycotted and linked arms, shouted and wrote letters, gathered signatures, walked picket lines, broken into buildings, been arrested, interfered with arrests, and even voted, to try and bring about positive change. Singing has been the most fun."
Sylver was singer of the month in 2019. He works with many justice communities - Picture the Homeless, New Sanctuary Coalition, Justice for Eric Garner and more! He is fluent in ASL and lives on Staten Island. Currently his is working as a union organizer.
CHOIR COUNCIL
Founded in 2019 The Stop Shopping Choir Council is made up of elected choir members chosen to take care of the choir at large. The council members rotate around every six months and like stewards of the land, they anticipate and tend to the choir’s needs, and instigate the community’s collective imagination. Self-determined and evolving, the council just wants to help.
Current members : Colista Turner, Molly Chanoff & Jess Beck
DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE CHOIR?
We rehearse on Sunday evenings. Please join us for a full rehearsal and we can, together, see if it is a good fit. We have many levels of singers, from Broadway belters and classically trained to karoake and secret shower crooners. Site reading and the ability to read music are not necessary! Check out our music.
COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS
The Church of Stop Shopping is intent on creating a safe and vibrant environment, one that encourages creativity, courageous activism and community consciousness.
We consider each other’s feelings and comfort levels.
We treat each other with respect and do our best to understand each other’s differences.
We encourage interpersonal complexity, lets be involved in each other’s lives!
SINGERS OF THE MONTHS
Sunder Ganglani
Shilpa Narayan
Donald Gallagher
Pat Hornak
Gina Figueroa
David Yap
Sylver Pondofino
Dawn Stewart-Lookkin
Gaylen Hamilton
Bryce Gill
Sierra Carrere
Ben Dubin-Thaler
Barbara Robin Lee
Jessica Wiscovitch
Ruby Spiegel
CHOIR EMERGENCY FUND
We have a small emergency fund which is available for the choir, usually grants and loans of 250$ or less. This is one way we help eachother through rough patches as many of us live paycheck to paycheck. Would you like to CONTRIBUTE to the Choir Emergency Fund?