WESTFIELD – Choral Art Society of New Jersey invites the public to attend the second concert of its 63rd season on Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m. at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, 140 MountainAvenue, Westfield, NJ. New for this concert is a community partnership with the Westfield High School Concert Choir. Choral Art Society of NJ is excited to share the stage with this talented group of young singers!
The program centers around the theme Carry Me Home and incorporates a celebration of American folk traditions, with a special focus on works byAfrican-American composers, timehonored spirituals, works from famous poets, and classic Americana.
The first of two major works on the program is a presentation of R. Nathaniel Dett’s “The Chariot Jubilee,” widely regarded as the first instance of a composer fusing African-American folk music with the stylings of the European art music tradition. The second major work is “Fern Hill,” a choral setting by composer John Corigliano of the 1945 poem of the same name by Dylan Thomas. The words and music initially depict Thomas’s carefree, idyllic childhood spent amidst nature on a family farm in Wales, and progresses to an adult reflection, with regret and mourning, on the loss of childhood innocence.
These pieces will be complemented with arrangements of “Deep River,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Shenandoah,” and “Goin’ Home.” “The central musical theme of “Goin’ Home” is derived from Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony, a work largely inspired by the African-American folk music Dvoøák was introduced to while visiting the United States. He became a great appreciator ofAfrican-American folk music, and stated that he believed it would provide the foundation for future American composition.
In addition to performing a few pieces of their own, the Westfield High School Concert Choir, under the direction of John Brzozowski, will join the performances of “The Chariot Jubilee” and “Goin’ Home.” In his first appearance on the podium with Choral Art Society of NJ, the concert will be conducted by the group’s new music director, Seth Velez, and will feature accompanist, Carol Walker on piano. Edward Washington II will be the tenor soloist for “The Chariot Jubilee” and Choral Art Society’s own Linda Smargiassi will be the mezzo-soprano soloist for “Fern Hill.”
As an exciting accompaniment to Choral Art Society of New Jersey’s outreach to the larger Westfield community, the board of directors of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield have been invited as special guests to the concert. The educational activities of the Association have highlighted Westfield’s connections to such artists as Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. As it happens, the group’s latest museum exhibit, “Vanishing Neighborhoods of Westfield: The African American Experience,” opening May 3, is being held in the Alcove Room of our concert venue, The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, throughout the month of May.
To purchase advance tickets for the May 4th concert, visit www.casofnj.org . Adult tickets are $30 in advance / $35 at the door. Senior/Student tickets are $25 in advance / $30 at the door. Youth under 18, Families First card holders, and WIC card holders are admitted free.
Choral Art Society of New Jersey originated as The Suburban Symphony Chorus in 1962. Dedicated to the study and performance of the great choral masterpieces, the chorus performs works spanning many centuries and styles. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members, with a variety of training and experience levels, share a common joy in singing and community. Visit www.casofnj.org for more information about the group or to donate.
This concert is made possible by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural & HeritageAffairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
