the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey State Children’s Chorus (NJSCC) presents “Songs of the Earth” at 4 pm on Sunday, March 24 at Ridgewood United Methodist Church, 100 Dayton Ave., Ridgewood. Admission is $10/under 18 admitted free. Tickets are on sale at www.njstatechildrenschorus.org or may be purchased at the door. There is a snow date of March 31: notices will be posted online.
The concert opens with a round by Lowell Mason, dean of American choirs, aptly titled “O Music.” Pieces celebrating the winter weather in all its glory include “I’m Walking in the Air” from the feature cartoon, “The Snowman,” and Edward Elgar’s “The Snow.” The “Lion and the Unicorn” is a 200 year old setting of a children’s poem in which the animals represent winter and spring. The children explore far-off places with “Dodi li,” a lively Hebrew setting of words from the Song of Songs and “Sakura,” a Japanese folk song about cherry blossoms. Eric Whitacre’s enchanting “The Seal Lullaby” and “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” from “Oklahoma!” round out the afternoon.
Founded by Ridgewood-based Ars Musica Chorale as an educational outreach initiative, the NJSCC provides choral singing opportunities for children kindergarten through seventh grade. Enrollment is ongoing and interested children are welcome to participate in up to two rehearsals before joining to ensure a positive experience. Email info@njstatechildrenschorus for more information.
Artistic Director James Kennerley, also the Music Director/Conductor of Ars Musica, featured the vibrant voices of the NJSCC in the Chorale’s annual Holiday Concert. The NJSCC will also appear in Ars Musica’s May 18 concert, “A Total Embrace – Leonard Bernstein Centenary Celebration.”
The New Jersey State Children’s Chorus, LLC is a subsidiary of Ars Musica Chorale, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.