gift enriches library offerings June Clase remembers the first time she heard world-class soprano Renée Fleming sing over the radio. "I was just so completely struck by that voice," said Clase, who says she became an instant fan that day. "She has just had such an impact on my life. She just has the most beautiful voice … she moved me." Becoming an aficionado of the singer has enriched her life, and now Clase said she hopes a gift she is making, to the Newman Riga Library in the village of Churchville, will do the same for others in the community. She is creating a collection of more than 30 compact discs, nine or ten operas, three soundtracks, and an assortment of DVDs and videos featuring Fleming, who was raised in Churchville, and donating it to the library for anyone to borrow. "We’re aiming to have a complete historical collection," Clase said. Clase is also setting up an endowment that will allow the library to purchase new materials as they are released, even after her death, making it a perpetual collection. "But, I am planning on living as long as Renée is performing," she laughs. Clase has heard Fleming live many times, traveling to places such as New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Chicago. She met Fleming for the first time right here in Rochester, attending a class at the Eastman School of Music led by Fleming following a performance. "I was so impressed by the kind of person she seems to be," Clase said. "She seems almost as special as her voice." Since then, Clase has managed to meet her idol several times, once even "crashing" backstage following a concert in Newark, New Jersey. "When I got to talk to her I told her, ‘I crashed in,’ and she said, ‘I’m glad you did!’" Clase said. "She is just so gracious." Clase said she has been impressed by not only the singer’s career - Fleming has been honored worldwide - but by her character and warm personality. The fact that she was raised locally, attending Churchville-Chili High School and the Eastman School of Music as part of her education, was just icing on the cake. "I don’t think anybody disputes she has the most beautiful voice on the opera scene," Clase said. "And none of this seems to have gone to her head. She seems so down to earth and real … I have met so many nice people through this love of her voice, I just want to say ‘Thank you.’" "And we are the lucky beneficiaries!" adds Newman Riga Director Donna Haire. "What’s so nice for us, a little library with a small budget, is that we can’t afford to develop a collection that we can advertise and say ‘Look what we have,’ said Haire. "This gift from June has allowed us to develop a collection, to get a leg up and be unique. This is just wonderful for us." Haire said the entire collection will be available at the Newman Riga Library, and, through the Monroe County Library’s sharing system, the community at large will have access to it. Clase said she met Haire at the library, where she often searches online for new additions to her personal music collection, while formulating the plan for the collection. "I’ve just enjoyed coming over here. I couldn’t resist telling her about my plans to form a collection, and Donna was so enthusiastic!" Clase said she abandoned her original plan of letting Fleming choose where the collection should be housed and decided the Newman Riga Library was the right choice. Originally from Batavia, Clase has lived in Bergen since 1970. She graduated from Buffalo State College and the University of Buffalo, where she received her doctorate in speech pathology. She is retired, having taught at the state universities at Brockport, Buffalo and Geneseo, and Alfred University. Her love of music has been lifelong, and she says her love of Fleming’s music has altered her life. "Meeting Donna (and working with her to create the collection) has been another great spin-off for me, I have met so many people," Clase said. Haire said the benefit has been mutual. "I got to know her the way you get to know your patrons," Haire said, adding that Clase was always "that nice, quiet lady who always came in and never asked for help, just went over to the computer. She knew what she wanted." Haire said she began asking Clase for help broadening her own musical horizons. "’Opera-light’ had been my interest," she says. "June began giving me tips on what kind of music I might like and what I needed to hear." Now Haire will be available at the library to help anyone interested in "checking out" some of Fleming’s work. She and Clase make a couple suggestions for beginner listeners: "Two Worlds," a collection of Shenendoah river songs; "The Beautiful Voice," a mix of opera and other vocal styles; and "Renée Fleming," a CD of all opera Clase calls "just beautiful." Clase suspects making the collection available to the public and encouraging people to take out one or two CDs to give it a try will generate more local fans. However, though she wants nothing more, she doubts any will rival her. She makes only one concession: "Next to her mother, I have to be her biggest local fan." |
