Volume 2, Number 1   November 20, 2004

Dear friends and music lovers,

Welcome to our first 2004-2005 season edition of VOICES Notes! We have exciting news about our upcoming concerts and new CD!

VOICES presents FOUR Lessons and Carols Holiday Concerts!

The VOICES Chorale will sing in the holidays accompanied by the New Jersey Burlington Brass Ensemble with its joyous and lovely candlelight concert, the "Festival of Lessons and Carols", on the following dates and locations:

• Sunday, December 12, 3:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 877 Street Rd, Southampton, PA
• Friday, December 17, 8:00 p.m. at the Church of Saint Andrew, 81 Swamp Rd, Newtown, PA
• Saturday, December 18, 8:00 p.m. at Princeton United Methodist Church 7 Vandeventer Street (at Nassau), Princeton, NJ
• Sunday, December 19, 3:00 p.m. at the Pennington Presbyterian Church, 13 South Main Street, Pennington, NJ

The festive “Lessons and Carols” are always wonderful family concerts that offer something for everyone.

Under the direction of Dr. Lynne Ransom, the 65-member choir will perform beautiful classical pieces including Dmitry Bortniansky’s “Cherubic Hymn No. 7” and movements from Bach’s “Magnificat”. The chorus will also perform Charles Feldman’s “A Carol for Chanukah” and holiday favorites such as “Sleigh Ride.” Audiences can sing along on beloved carols such as “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.”

Rochelle Ellis

Sotto Voce, a small group of some of the chorale’s most accomplished singers, will perform the first movement of Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb.”

The New Jersey Burlington Brass ensemble adds a note of bright festivity to the candlelight concerts this year, performing carols and fanfares. The choir is accompanied by Timothy Brown at the organ. Audiences will have the pleasure of hearing Soprano Rochelle Ellis, a frequent soloist on the international concert and opera stage, perform in several solos and Ellis will give her rendition of the very moving “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” by Robert MacGimsey. This performance is not to be missed. As Guy Valachovic, the tuba player from the New Jersey Burlington Brass put it,

“Of all the concerts I play all year long, this is my favorite. It brings tears to my eyes seeing people enjoy the holiday spirit.”

Tickets are $18 general admission, $15 for seniors/students, $8 for children 12 and under. Family passes are available for $42. NJ Arts Pass holders receive a discount. Call 609-637-9383 or visit www.voiceschorale.org for tickets and directions.

Christmas VOICES CD on sale now!

Another great reason to come to our upcoming concerts is to purchase your own copy (and of course gifts for all of your friends and loved ones) of our new Christmas VOICES CD recorded live at our 2003 Lessons and Carols concerts. See voiceschorale.org for a track list and purchasing information.

Looking Ahead...

Our concert season is so full of new and exciting music, for chorale members and for our audiences, too. We hope you will find something that will especially spark your heart's delight and anticipation. Circle these dates on your calendar:

• March 5 and 6, 2005: Handel's oratorio, "Saul" in Langhorne, PA and Pennington, NJ
• April 25, 2005: Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9" with the Hunterdon Symphony and Hunterdon Choral Union in Clinton, NJ
• May 21, 22 and 31, 2005: "Lyrics by Walt Whitman" in Princeton, NJ, Newtown, PA, and Camden, NJ.

Keep visiting our Web site and watching for future VOICES Notes for more details and exact locations for these concerts. You can see why we are so excited about our season ahead and we hope you share this good news, and attendance at our concerts, with your friends and loved ones.

In Memory of Sara

And lastly, on a sadder note, VOICES mourned the passing of soprano Sarah Strohmeier in September. A packed congregation participated in a moving memorial service held for her at Trinity Cathedral. We will remember Sara's love of music, her warmth, dedication, "can do" attitude and generosity of spirit.

About VOICES

Dr. Lynne Ransom, D.M.A. is the founder, music director, and conductor of VOICES, which was begun in 1987 as a non-profit, professional music organization. VOICES performs the choral masterworks of the past along with the music of our time, even the premieres of modern composers, and ranges from renaissance to contemporary -- from spirituals and show music to the sacred and classic.

VOICES is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the Mercer County Executive and the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

VOICES always welcomes new members who love to sing, or who wish to support the organization through their donations of time and resources. Call 609-637-9383, send e-mail or visit our Web site at www.voiceschorale.org to find out how you can get involved.

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This VOICES Notes was edited by Bob Kull with contributions from Liz Forbes and Laurie Tema-Lyn, all singers in VOICES.