From the South Orange Symphony:
The South Orange Symphony and the Maplewood Glee Club will team up for the first time for a concert on Sunday, October 25, 3 p.m. at the South Orange Middle School, 70 N. Ridgewood Road.
Marking the Glee Club’s 80th season and America’s 250th, the program features Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” with poetry by Julia Ward Howe, Leonard Cohen’s beloved “Hallelujah,” and Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture. Susan Haig and Rider R. Foster conduct.
The Maplewood Glee Club in concert. (Photo courtesy of Susan Haig)
The free family-friendly program includes Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, a work that combines dramatic music with words from Lincoln’s 1862 “message to Congress” and the Gettysburg Address. Dr. Olivia Lewis-Chang (Soutt Orange Village Council) and Nate White (South Orange Symphony Principal Bass) will narrate.
Founded in 1946 by six World War II veterans, the Maplewood Glee Club is directed by Rider R. Foster and has 75 members from all walks of life, united by good fellowship and the joy of singing. The group’s repertoire ranges from English carols to Bon Jovi, and from Bruno Mars to Broadway’s Wicked. The Glee Club presents spring and holiday concerts at the Columbia High School auditorium and livestreams to over 1,000 households worldwide.
The concert finale – Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – was composed in 1880 to commemorate Russia’s defeat of the invading French army under Napoleon and has become a 4th of July standard. Strains of La Marseillaise, the Czar’s hymn, and percussion “artillery” bring the piece to a tremendous conclusion.
Now in its 77th season, the South Orange Symphony often features local artists and student groups. Recent collaborations include the Columbia High School Festival Choir (Nicholas Diaz, director), the South Orange Middle School Early Morning Chamber Orchestra, and Mayor Sheena Collum in Leroy Anderson’s “The Typewriter.”
The SO Symphony is non-auditioned and rehearses Tuesday evenings, 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Interested musicians should contact Janet Poland at [email protected]. The Orchestra also welcomes volunteers to help with publicity, fund-raising, and board service to support lively free concerts for both first-time and long-time listeners.
Maplewood Glee Club
The Maplewood Glee Club presents concerts at the Columbia High School auditorium, drawing audiences of more than 700. The group performs for local senior residences and community events and awards the John A. Plumer Memorial Scholarship to graduating high school seniors pursuing music. The Maplewood Glee Club is dedicated to promoting the joy of music in our community and is thrilled to join the South Orange Symphony for this concert.
South Orange Symphony
The 55-member South Orange Symphony, founded in 1949, presents free concerts with repertoire from orchestral favorites to film, Broadway, and new music. In addition to fall, winter, and spring concerts at SOMS, the Orchestra performs the “Star-Spangled South Orange” Fourth of July festival at Flood’s Hill, and a holiday Messiah Sing-Along at the First Presbyterian & Trinity Church. Its mission is to present diverse repertoire that spans classic traditions and popular forms and enhances the cultural life of our community.
