WAITLIST AVAILABLE! Prepare to be enchanted by a harmonious blend of voices, strings, and percussion that will transport you to the courts of old England. Join the Somerset Hills Chorus for an evening of beloved carols and lesser-known gems, all situated in a building that is a treasure of gothic architecture and old-world magic!
WAITLIST AVAILABLE! Prepare to be enchanted by a harmonious blend of voices, strings, and percussion that will transport you to the courts of old England. Join the Somerset Hills Chorus for an evening of beloved carols and lesser-known gems, all situated in a building that is a treasure of gothic architecture and old-world magic!
Fight the post-holiday blues with the Michael Lee Jazz Quintet in a once secret Prohibition era speakeasy, turned restaurant and venue.
Experience Bach's incredible vocal music performed with historical authenticity and breathtaking precision alongside works by the British master Orlando Gibbons, whose innovative harmonies have captivated audiences for four centuries since his birth.
Organist Eric Plutz joins the Somerset Hills Chorus for a presentation of Duruflé’s masterful Requiem.
Yale University’s premiere a cappella vocal ensemble brings a delightful concert of popular vocal works to the Somerset Hills.
A groundbreaking concert of Dominican classical music presented by the Pan Global Music Initiative and Dr. Patricio Molina.
The Somerset Hills Chorus celebrates the sounds of storytelling, with a choral concert featuring the songs and sounds of television and cinema.
After the smashing success of our 2023 Great Gatsby at Blairsden event, we’re more excited than ever to host our next gala on October 5, 2024! This time, prepare to be transported back in time to The Gilded Age! The evening’s festivities will feature word class music of the era, and fashions inspired by the theme are encouraged. If you were with us last year, you know just how much fun it was, and if you weren’t, well, trust us when we say you won’t want to miss this next one!
Prelude Pricing:
The first 100 tickets to be sold will be $250 each. SOLD OUT!
Postlude Pricing:
Once we reach a capacity of 100, the remaining tickets can be purchased for $300 each.
Purchasing Options:
- Tickets can be purchased through our Humanitix page with the addition of a booking fee. A portion of the booking fee is donated to charities that help disadvantaged children all over the world get access to education, healthcare and life's basic necessities. Click here to learn more about how Humanitix is turning booking fees into a force for good!
- To avoid paying additional fees, you may pay via check for your tickets. To pay via check, please first fill out this google form to reserve your tickets. Your payment is due within 5 days of submitting the form. If payment is not received within 5 days, your tickets on hold may be released.
- You may also pay for tickets through Venmo. To pay via Venmo, please first fill out this google form to reserve your tickets and then proceed to make your payment. Your payment is due within 5 days of submitting the form. If payment is not received within 5 days, your tickets on hold may be released. To help us cover Venmo's fees, we ask that you add $6 to each ticket - $306 each for postlude pricing
If you have questions or require assistance, feel free to give us call 973-339-7719.
Embrace the extravagant spirit of the era and dress to impress! While dressing to the theme is encouraged, it is not mandatory. Both literal and modern interpretations are all welcome. Click here for some fashion inspiration. The bottom line is, anything goes, so have fun with it!
There will be free valet parking available. Tips are welcome. For more information on how to access the event, click here.
This event is a fundraising evening for Music in the Somerset Hills, and we are offering Sponsorship Packages and Underwriting Opportunities to assist with our mission of Education, Artistry and Community through music. Will you please consider helping us?
Blairsden Mansion, photographed by North Jersey Drone Shots.
The Daniel Schlosberg Viennese Orchestra - Brooklyn-based composer, pianist, and conductor Daniel Schlosberg will lead his Viennese-style string orchestra for the full ballroom experience. Guests will enjoy waltzing the night away! Daniel is the Music Director of Heartbeat Opera, for which his re-orchestrations of classic operas have garnered national acclaim; a core member of Cantata Profana; and rotating principal pianist of NOVUS NY.
Pictured: Daniel Schlosberg and the Dover Quartet* (from David Lynch's Festival of Disruption) in LA, 2018. *Not reflective of the ensemble for Great Gatsby at Blairsden.
Named a “gifted artist” by the New York Times, Dr. Patricio Molina has gained a reputation as a composer, pianist, and educator. He regularly appears on stages such as Carnegie Hall and OPERA America. Dr. Molina is a Yamaha Artist. The New Jersey Youth Symphony, White Snake Projects, and Ulysses Quartet are among many who have recognized his talents with commissioned works. Inspiration for his compositions include his Chilean Syrian heritage, and his experience as an immigrant. His accomplishments in the field of arts education were recognized by the New Jersey Education Association with their prestigious Award for Excellence. He earned the first double doctorate in the history of Rutgers University. He is Founder and President of the Pan-Global Music Initiative (501c3). Patricio is engaged in a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Universidad Católica Nordestana (DR) and is writing a book for student pianists based on Caribbean melodies (2026).
The Eddie Allen Ensemble is a 6-piece group performing Scott Joplin's Rags, Dixieland, and Swing era dance selections. Eddie Allen, a versatile trumpeter, composer, arranger, and educator, excels in jazz, R&B, Latin, symphonic, and Broadway music. He's collaborated with legends like Art Blakey, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, and Kool & the Gang. Allen has recorded and performed with artists such as Louis Hayes, Natalie Merchant, and Mongo Santamaria. His Broadway credits include Ain't Misbehavin', Black & Blue, and The Color Purple.
With a voice described as “golden” (Seen and Heard International) soprano Sonya Headlam performs music that spans centuries, from the Baroque era to the present. Sonya has garnered acclaim as a soloist on prestigious stages across the United States and beyond. Recent highlights include debuts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and the New York Philharmonic. She has collaborated with other esteemed ensembles, such as Apollo’s Fire, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and TENET Vocal Artists. In summer 2024, Sonya made her solo debut with the Summer for the City Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center singing Mozart and Bologne. Upcoming highlights of the 2024–25 season include her debut with the New Jersey Symphony, singing Handel’s Messiah (December 2024), as well as a meaningful return to her home state of Ohio to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Akron Symphony Orchestra (March 2025).
Known for her exquisite use of color and musicality in her playing, Merynda Adams is a seasoned solo and chamber musician who has played throughout the United States, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands and as soloist for events honoring Andrea Bocelli and the late Beverly Sills. Her musicality was praised by The Star-Ledger as “having color and great facility”. She has performed Off Broadway in “The Fantasticks,” with the Celtic Woman tour, and frequently collaborates with violinist Christopher Collins Lee. In addition, she has accompanied renowned soprano Aprile Millo her New York, Delaware, Toronto, and London recitals. Of their concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, a New York Times review stated: “Those four Irish tunes, delicately accompanied...by harpist Merynda Adams, were the highlight of the night.” She is founder of Chamber Music for Charity and an Adjunct Instructor of Music at Drew University.
Buy at door: $40
Buy at door: $60
Buy at door: $0 (aka FREE!)
- Please note that tickets for this event are non-refundable.
Join us on Saturday, May 4 at the enchanting St. Mary's Abbey in Morristown, NJ. Under the direction of Stephen Sands, the chorus and soloists, accompanied by the Sebastians orchestra, promises an unforgettable performance filled with soul-stirring harmonies and the captivating drama of this timeless masterpiece. Secure your tickets now for an evening of musical brilliance!
This performance will feature original artwork by printmaker and multimedia artist Chee Bravo, whose work is also featured in the imagery you see here!
Type “St. Mary’s Abbey” into your navigation system. You'll want to enter the East Gate, pass the pond and the football field (on your right), and proceed to the center (St. Mary's Abbey) section of campus.
There is a parking lot just down the hill from the Abbey Church. The lot entrance will be a left turn and there will be signs. There is a sidewalk leading from the parking lot up to the Abbey.
Should this lot fill, there will be parking available in the field at the top of the hill (just past the Abbey). Additionally, you may park along the road through campus, provided enough room is left for traffic to pass.
There is an accessibility ramp leading up to the front doors of the Abbey Church. Individuals may be dropped off in front of this entrance for easy access. If further accommodations are required for any members of your party, please call 973-339-7719 to arrange.
General Admission: $45
Student (up to college senior): $0
Pergolesi’s seminal Stabat Mater has become a treasured staple among Italian works for the lenten season. TENET offers an intimate, one to a part performance for singers, string quartet and continuo. TENET explores florid sonatas by Isabella Leonarda, who lived and composed one generation before Pergolesi from the convent, and whose works show the depth and versatility of her creative genius.
Isabella Leonarda:
Venite laetantes, Ave suavis dilectio, Sonatas Seconda, Quarta, & Nona from Op. 16
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi:
Stabat Mater Dolorosa
Photography by Gary Sapolin, and courtesy of The Community of St. John Baptist Convent and Retreat House.
The Community of St. John Baptist, originally founded in England in 1852, has been in Mendham, New Jersey since the early 1900’s. Most of the Sisters of the Community of St. John Baptist are trained spiritual directors, engaging in a variety of charitable works and facilitating spiritual guidance for all faiths. The main convent in Mendham, New Jersey includes several different structures. The Convent building was built as the Mother House in 1913, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The architects designed a stunning Tudor Revival building to perfectly complement the Retreat House, which had been built in the same style a few years prior. Read more
One of his generation’s extraordinary talents, Dan Tepfer has earned an international reputation as a pianist-composer of wide-ranging innovation, individuality, and drive—one “who refuses to set himself limits” (France’s Télérama). The New York City-based Tepfer, born in 1982 in Paris to American parents, has recorded and performed around the world with some of the leading lights in jazz and classical music, from Lee Konitz to Renée Fleming, and released eleven albums of his own in solo, duo and trio formats.
This concert is a co-presentation with our partners at the Morris Museum.
*Ticket purchases include full access to the Morris Museum’s exhibits!
There will also be a special Curator-lead Guinness Gallery demonstration at 2 PM in the Guinness entry gallery, highlighted by performances of Morris Museum’s 1925 Knabe Baby Grand Reproducing Piano, by the hands of 20’s jazz icons like: Jelly Roll Morton, Henry Lange, Zez Confrey & more.
The Morris Museum has adopted a dynamic mask policy for upcoming events in the Bickford Theatre. Face masks are currently optional in the CENTER and HOUSE RIGHT sections (indicated in blue) and are required in the HOUSE LEFT section (indicated in red). Face masks are currently optional for Children’s Theatre performances. This policy is subject to change at any time. Please check back on their website or call the box office for our current policy before your scheduled performance date. For assistance, call the box office at 973-971-3706.
“Natural Machines is a project where I explore the intersection, in music, between natural and mechanical processes. I improvise at the piano, and programs I’ve written on my computer interact with me in real-time as I’m playing, both musically and visually.
I'm playing on the Yamaha Disklavier. It's an acoustic piano with extra abilities: when I play, it sends data to my computer, and when my computer sends it data, it plays by moving the keys on its own. The sound the computer makes, through the piano, is exactly the same sound that I make myself.
In Natural Machines, instead of composing a piece, I decide the way a piece works. I program simple rules for the computer to follow when responding to what I play. Since I’m improvising, I’m always listening to what the computer is playing and responding to it as well. So the rules end up affecting me, too.
The visualizations I’ve made are intended to reveal the underlying musical structure of each piece. They’re generated in real-time as I play. Everything on the screen is a direct representation of some aspect of the music: pitch, dynamics, rhythm, harmony.
I’ve programmed the musical algorithms in SuperCollider, and the visuals in Processing. “
—Dan Tepfer
Tepfer earned global acclaim for his 2011 release Goldberg Variations / Variations, a disc that sees him performing J.S. Bach’s masterpiece as well as improvising upon it—to “elegant, thoughtful and thrilling” effect (New York magazine). Tepfer’s 2019 video album Natural Machines stands as one of his most ingeniously forward-minded yet, finding him exploring in real time the intersection between science and art, coding and improvisation, digital algorithms and the rhythms of the heart. The New York Times has called him “a deeply rational improviser drawn to the unknown.” His 2023 return to Bach, Inventions / Reinventions, an exploration of the narrative processes behind Bach’s beloved Inventions, became a best-seller, spending two weeks in the #1 spot on the Billboard Classical Charts.
He has received commissions from the Prague Castle Guard Orchestra for two works: the suite Algorithmic Transform (2015) and a concerto for symphonic wind band and improvising piano, The View from Orohena (2010). In summer 2019, Tepfer unveiled his jazz-trio arrangement of Stravinsky’s Baroque-channeling Pulcinella. In 2024-2025, he’ll premiere three new major commissions: a suite for choir and piano in memory of his mother, a chorister at the Paris Opera; a song cycle for jazz great Cécile McLorin Salvant and string orchestra; and a symphonic work featuring algorithms and visuals.
Tepfer’s honors include first prizes at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, the 2006 East Coast Jazz Festival Competition, and the 2007 American Pianists Association Jazz Piano Competition, as well as fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2014), the MacDowell Colony (2016), and the Fondation BNP-Paribas (2018, 2021 & 2024).
The weather forecast indicates conditions should improve as the afternoon moves into evening. We are excited to hold the event as planned!
Buy online: $75 | Buy at door: $90
*Online sales close at 4:00 PM on Saturday, January 6, after which time tickets can be purchased at the door for $90 via cash, card, check, or Venmo.
MORE ABOUT THE SEBASTIANS:
The Sebastians (sebastians.org) are a dynamic and vital musical ensemble specializing in music of the baroque and classical eras. Lauded as “everywhere sharp-edged and engaging” (The New York Times), the Sebastians have also been praised for their “well-thought-out articulation and phrasing” (Early Music Review) and “elegant string playing… immaculate in tuning and balance” (Early Music Today). Their 2018 unconducted St. Matthew Passion with TENET Vocal Arts was called “shattering” and “a performance of uncommon naturalness and transparency.” The Sebastians’ recent seasons have included dozens of originally conceived programs, including collaborations with poets, choreographers, dancers, and actors; a musical installation in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; programs dealing with musical “immigration” and nationalism; and major works of J.S. Bach led from the keyboard. The Sebastians are currently in residence at the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments.
ABOUT THE MANSION AT NATIRAR:
Turning into the drive at Natirar, it’s more than a minute – just over a mile – to get to the top of the hill, with enticing glimpses of the Mansion drawing you in. By the time you reach the Mansion, you’re in a different mindset entirely. The environment is magical and inspiring, as peaceful as it is naturally beautiful. Learn More.
Suggested Pre- & Post-Concert Dinner Reservations: Ninety Acres
Reservations up to 8 guests can be made via phone or OpenTable.
For parties of 9 to 12, please contact (908) 901-4710 for availability.
Immerse yourself in the Holiday spirit through the power of words and music! The Somerset Hills Chorus, along with the Chancel Choir of the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, will preform an epic service of Readings & Carols with brass, organ, and percussion. With a special spotlight on Ralph Vaughan Williams' ethereal Fantasia on Christmas Carols, this event will herald in the start of the holiday season with an array of joyous music and heartwarming poetry!
Whether you're seeking a moment of quiet reflection or boisterous celebration, this enchanting December evening promises to deliver an unforgettable experience. Our carefully curated program will feature captivating readings of renowned authors, poets, and storytellers, all accompanied by beautiful carols and anthems. Don't miss this opportunity to sing loudly along to timeless favorites and be blown away by the sound of our combined choirs!
Please note that tickets for this event are non-refundable.
Online ticket sales close at 3:00pm on the day of the event, after which time tickets can be purchased at the door via cash, card, check or Venmo.
Preferred Seating
Buy online: $50 | Buy at door: $60
General Admission Seating
Buy online: $30 | Buy at door: $35
Limited Visibility Seating
Buy online: $20 | Buy at door: $25
Student (up to college senior) *
Buy online: $0 | Buy at door: $0 *
* As part of Music in the Somerset Hills' nonprofit mission, we offer free tickets for students up to college seniors. If reserving online with students in your party, please purchase your regularly priced tickets first and then create a separate order for any students using the code STUDENT at checkout. To reserve at the door, please request a free student ticket when you check in.
Sing-Along Carol: O Come All Ye Faithful
Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Gustav Holst: Shepherd's Farewell by Gustav Holst
Sing-Along Carol: Angels We Have Heard on High
Gloria, mvmt. 1 by John Rutter
Sure on This Shining Night by Morten Lauridsen
The Dream Isaiah Saw by Glenn L. Rudolph
Silent Night
Personent Hodie
Sing-Along Carol: Hark the Herald Angels Sing
John 1:1-14
“Shepherd's Song at Christmas” by Langston Hughes
“The Shepherds Had an Angel” by Christina Rossetti
“Description of Elysium” by James Agee
Isaiah 11:1-9
“Silent Night” by Bonnie Thurston
“Amazing Peace” by Maya Angelou
While we may have already reached capacity for this particular event, you don't need to be a ticketholder to get in on our amazing silent auction opportunity! In the lead-up to our Gatsby Gala, we're auctioning off a three-hour sporting clay course for four at Hudson Farm with a Griffin & Howe instructor, including lunch, ammunition, targets, and rentals. All participants must be 18 years of age or older. The proceeds from this silent auction will directly benefit Music in the Somerset Hills.
Starting bid: $250
Value: $1,750
Bidding ends: Midnight on Friday, October 6
Provided by Borregaard Fine Art & Design of Gladstone, 20% of the proceeds from all art sales will be donated by Else Cramer to support Music in the Somerset Hills' mission of Education, Artistry, & Community through Music. Purchased art can be picked up either at the event or on Sunday between 10am and 2pm, to be determined.
Please note that NJ state sales tax will be added to each listed item price.
Blairsden is a 62,000 square foot, châteauesque, architectural gem overlooking the Somerset Hills. The evening's entertainment will feature three world-class musical groups performing 1920s vocal music, ballroom, and jazz in various rooms of the mansion. Guests are encouraged to dress in roaring 20s attire, and the evening will include dancing, cocktails, and heavy hors d’oeuvre stations.
Petrucci Family Foundation and Cree Wine Company
Anonymous in Memory of Jennifer Pierson
William Paladini & Pamela Nardone
Ralph & Lynn Jones
Michael & Sandy Keegan
Gerry-Jo Cranmer - Turpin Realtors
Kara Bossert
Sammarro & Zalarick, P.A.
Steve Omlor & Kerry Small
Cathy Pane
Michele Hill - Turpin Realtors
Minuteman Press of Somerville, NJ
Dawn Wilde of Dawn Wilde Photography
Brett Wyatt Electric
Hionis Greenhouses & Garden Center
MaryBeth & Paul Savas
Becky Geisel is a self-taught, passionate chef who has developed her heightened palate and honed her cooking techniques and skills over the past 30 years. Over the last fifteen years, Becky has evolved her brand BEX into a lifestyle food company specializing in fresh, simple, whole food with attention to customer service. www.bexkitchen.com
The Oscar Perez Jazz Ensemble - Pianist Oscar Perez, a New York City native, has shared the stage with jazz legends Bunky Green, George Russell, Curtis Fuller, and George Garzone. He received his formal education at New England Conservatory and Aaron Copland School of Music under the guidance of Danilo Perez and Sir Roland Hanna, respectively. At Blairsden, Perez and his band of virtuosic players will demonstrate their improvisational prowess and conservatory-honed facility for interpreting extended compositions.
The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble - Since 1969, the internationally acclaimed vocal sextet The Western Wind has devoted itself to the special beauty and variety of a cappella music. The Ensemble’s repertoire reveals its diverse background – from Renaissance motets to Fifties rock ’n’ roll, from medieval carols to Duke Ellington, from complex works by avant-garde composers to the simplest folk melodies. You’ll be delighted to hear them fill the halls of Blairsden mansion as they serenade you with tight barbershop harmonies!
Pictured: Daniel Schlosberg and the Dover Quartet* (from David Lynch's Festival of Disruption) in LA, 2018. *Not reflective of the ensemble for Great Gatsby at Blairsden.
The Daniel Schlosberg Viennese Orchestra - Brooklyn-based composer, pianist, and conductor Daniel Schlosberg will lead his Viennese-style string orchestra for the full ballroom experience. Guests will enjoy waltzing the night away! Daniel is the Music Director of Heartbeat Opera, for which his re-orchestrations of classic operas have garnered national acclaim; a core member of Cantata Profana; and rotating principal pianist of NOVUS NY.
Please note: tickets for this event are non-refundable.
Gates open at 2:00 PM with the first musical act starting at 3:00 PM. On-site parking provided. Food vendors available. See below for more important info and reminders!
We have been closely monitoring the weather forecast for Saturday, which currently suggests some scattered showers. Rest assured that we won't let a little rain get in the way of a good time: If Taylor Swift & her Swifties can make it through THIS and still have a blast, then our situation should be a piece of cake by comparison!
We are doing everything we can to assure that our musicians stay dry throughout the day, whatever the weather might bring, and we will have wristbands available to allow patrons to come and go and come back throughout the day as they please!
We hope you will join us for this wonderful, weird, and possibly somewhat wet festival! Don't worry - it won't be anything like the recent debacle at Burning Man. Bring a friend, or two, or three and prepare to have your collective minds blown by the outrageous lineup of musical talent we have planned for you!
Fire & Grace - an eclectic collaboration between guitarist William Coulter and violinist Edwin Huizinga. This unique duo explores the connective musical elements of classical, folk, and contemporary traditions from around the world.
Billy Webster - In the past 18 years Billy and his musical partner, Carl Basler, have released eleven albums of original music, including the rock opera, "Bold Enough To Say" (based on the Lord's Prayer) and "Marching Through Georgia" - an album of Civil War ballads reimagined as rock-n-roll songs.
Stacia Thiel - Americana, alt. country, singer-songwriter Stacia Thiel is a classically trained opera singer, born and raised in rural Wisconsin on an eclectic mix of Dixieland Jazz, 70's rock, and Barbershop harmonies. An insatiable analyzer of human quirks, twists of fate, and idiosyncrasies, Stacia explores through captivating lyrics and searing vocal lines, the raw emotions that connect us all.
The Joe Cirotti Quartet - A well-oiled string band from the shadows of Northwest Jersey’s Appalachian ridge with a collective passion for the roots of American folk, country, and bluegrass music.
Octopus Music School - Since 2009, Octopus Music School has been teaching students not just to play music, but to understand it. Their teaching staff is comprised of exceptional instructors, who, using our proprietary flexible curriculum and assessment program, OPUS, help students establish a firm foundation upon which to build a lasting relationship with music.
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IMPORTANT INFO:
Parking: Upon arrival, guests will be directed to the parking area in the back of the field.
Checking in/Ticketing: There will be a check-in table/tent down the main driveway toward the stage. Online sales via Eventbrite will close at 12:00 PM on Saturday, September 9, after which time $35 General Admission & FREE Student tickets will be available at the door only via cash, credit card, venmo, or check. Upon checking in, you will get a wristband which will allow you to come and go as you please throughout the day. We will also be conducting ticket sales on site for the full duration of the event.
REMINDERS:
- Dress for the weather! It will be 83 degrees and cloudy with a chance of rain. Wear your best dancin' boots that aren't afraid to withstand a little moisture, and don't forget to pack an umbrella or a poncho for those potential intermittent showers!
- The parking area is a large field, so whether you decide on dancin' boots or not, be sure to wear appropriate shoes. The ground may be uneven in places, so please watch your step!
- Bring your own lawn chairs & blankets for maximum relaxation & enjoyment.
- Carpooling is always recommended - it's greener, friendlier, and will ensure plenty of room for our guests!
Ticketing Options:
General Admission - $50
VIP* - $65 (*Includes premier seating and a reception starting at 6:30 PM where you will get a chance to meet with Chanticleer's Music Director, Tim Keeler, for a brief talk and Q&A session. In order to take full advantage of the VIP offering, you should plan to arrive at 6:15 PM.)
Student Ticket - $0 (up to college senior)
Chanticleer Music Director Tim Keeler explains:
"Labyrinths is about the twists and turns we take in our lives – some expected, some unexpected. Everybody's labyrinth is different, and this program offers us a chance to explore those unique trajectories across cultures and time. Chanticleer's repertoire is vast, and one of the things I cherish most about the ensemble is its ability to explore similar themes across the centuries and across genres.”
This program explores the journey through life's labyrinth and the storms that arise on the way. The repertoire touches on the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, Icarus's ill-fated flight to the sun, the unforeseeable twists and turns of ordinary life, and the final return home. Past Chanticleer commissions by Stephen Paulus and Zhou Tian are featured along with an eclectic selection of music from Josquin des Prez, Joni Mitchell, Caroline Shaw, George Walker, Trevor Weston, and more.
Chanticleer has been hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker and is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling over one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts around the world.
Chanticleer’s repertoire is rooted in the renaissance and has continued to expand to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, popular music, and a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements.
The libretto of this modern oratorio was compiled and translated by Melanie Challenger from The Diary of Anne Frank. It is divided into fourteen movements:
The libretto of this modern oratorio was compiled and translated by Melanie Challenger from The Diary of Anne Frank. It is divided into fourteen movements:
Mirror Visions Ensemble’s Midnight Magic reflects upon the witching hour as musical favorites by Wolf, Poulenc, and Fauré intermingle with Bonds, Sondheim, and more. Three stunning voices (mezzo Abi Levis, tenor Daniel McGrew, and baritone Mischa Bouvier) are alongside pianist Max Hammond. Performances of commissioned works feature Carlos Simon’s “Dreams” and Andrew Gerle’s arrangement of “That Old Black Magic.”
Venue Address:
3 Hunters Glen
Far Hills, NJ, 07931
*Depending on which navigation system you use, you may see the address listed as Mendham Township, which is also correct.
SAMUEL BARBER (1910–1981)
Canzonetta for oboe & piano
Randall Wolfang, oboe
Randall Svane, piano
RANDALL SVANE
Oboe Sonata (PREMIERE)
Randall Wolfgang, oboe
Randall Svane, piano
ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK
Fantasy on Brother James’ Air
Brian Harlow, organ
J.S. BACH
Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532
Brian Harlow, organ
RANDALL SVANE
Eight Little Preludes and Fugues (PREMIERE)
Brian Harlow, organ
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, Op. 99
Brian Harlow, organ
Join us for Holiday Caroling at a private event in Basking Ridge. All singers ages 10 and up are welcome to join us!
Join us for Holiday Caroling as part of Bernardsville’s Holiday Lights Parade, hosted by Downtown Bernardsville. All singers ages 10 and up are welcome to join us!
The Somerset Hills Chorus in collaboration with the The Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey, The Westminster Community Chorus, and The LOTUS Project presents the ever-relevant, transformative power of Beethoven’s final symphony - affectionately known as the “Ode to Joy.”
The sustained appeal of this musical journey of struggle and brotherhood is the timeless call to fraternal bonds that transcend culture, conflict, and societal barriers.
General admission: $30 at the door
Children & students of all ages: FREE
DOORS OPEN AT 4:30 PM
For inquiries, please contact erin@musicsh.org
Our Mozart on the Meadow event with the Center for Musical Excellence will take place on September 24, 2022! This year's program centers on classical music for the whole family to enjoy, such as “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint-Saëns, “The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant” by Poulenc, selections by Mozart, and much more.
Kick off your Independence Day celebrations a day early with a car show and masterful pianistic stylings against the backdrop of an idyllic Far Hills estate!
Steinway Artist and Center for Musical Excellence Director Min Kwon will perform highlights from her America/Beautiful project, a compendium of over 70 variations on America the Beautiful by living composers.
July 3, 2022
3:30 PM Car Show
5:00 PM Concert
35 Branch Rd., Far Hills, NJ
General Admission: $50
Children & Students of all ages: FREE
The concert will take place outdoors, so bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics to enjoy and relax while you listen!
Music in the Somerset Hills & The Ross Farm present: Summer Solstice Music Festival
June 18, 2022 at The Ross Farm, Basking Ridge, NJ
This Summer Solstice Music Festival features a variety of musical offerings spanning multiple genres and traditions. The mainstage event will be a riveting performance of Carl Orff’s thrilling cantata, Carmina Burana, in a popular arrangement for two pianos, percussion, three virtuosic vocal soloists, and a large chorus.
The day kicks off with Americana and 60's rock from Just Married and ends with dancing to heartland rock, Memphis soul, and modern pop with Nick Ryan and the Mess. Throughout the day there will be family activities, food trucks and vendors, and featured art by local artists.
General admission is $25 and reserved seating is $50. Students of any age are welcome to attend free of charge! Gates open at 5pm. Parking is onsite. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs, blankets, and refreshments.
*Rain date is June 19
*If applicable, state and local COVID-19 protocols will be observed
Music in the Somerset Hills is proud to present our very first Scholarship Alumni Concert, where we will showcase the talents and progress of recipients from past years. Ticketing for this virtual event is "pay-what-you-can" (minimum donation: $1; suggested donation $25).
Due in large part to the kindness of our patrons, we are pleased to announce that we have two $1500 scholarships to offer graduating high school seniors in 2022: one to a student who resides in the Somerset Hills, and one to a student who resides in another area of New Jersey. Your donation today will help us raise money towards our 2023 cycle, and your receipt will include a link to enjoy the virtual concert at your leisure!
To learn more about our 2022 Scholarships and to apply, visit MusicSH.org/scholarships
A Fundraising Gala presented by Center for Musical Excellence (CME) and Music in the Somerset Hills (MISH).
The brilliant young musicians of Min Kwon's CME join with opera stars and our own Somerset Hills Chorus in our annual autumn festival - hosted at one of the Somerset Hills’ most beautiful private estates. There will be food, excellent wines, and refreshing drinks for purchase.
Grounds open at 1:30pm with food, drink, and pre-concert Bluegrass music with Taylor James.
Concert begins at 3pm and ends before dusk.
SATURDAY 09/25/21
Rain date 09/26/21
Ticket information:
General Admission tickets are $100.
Currently enrolled Students may purchase a $25 ticket.
Raffle Tickets will be available online starting on 8/30, at the event, or by contacting cathy@musicsh.org. Guests who purchase a Book Of Raffle Tickets will receive a complimentary copy of a Min Kwon CD!
*Please bring your own chairs and blankets. Outside food and beverages are not permitted.
For event inquiries, please contact billy@musicsh.org
Stephen Sands conducts an all-star orchestra led by Hamilton concertmaster Jonathan Dinklage, with players from Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King, Moulin Rouge, and beyond! Our emcee and narrator for the event will be the American actor and singer Okieriete Onaodowan, who originated the dual roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton. There will also be special performances by horn quartet, Genghis Barbie, as well as one of our 2021 Young Musicians Scholarship Winners, Elizabeth Leclerc.
Tickets and more details available at Essexconcert.com.
CONCERT PROGRAM:
Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Gershwin By George! - arr. Jerry Brubaker
The Light in the Piazza from The Light in the Piazza
My White Knight from The Music Man
- Elizabeth LeClerc, soloist
God Only Knows - Beach Boys
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
- Genghis Barbie
Lincoln Portrait - Aaron Copland
- Okieriete Onaodowan, Narrator
Destiny - Robert Miller, with words by Okieriete Onaodowan
John Williams Tribute - arr. Paul Lavender
1812 Overture - Piotr Tchaikovsky, arr. Jerry Brubaker
Piano virtuoso Alexei Tartakovsky, is returning to MISH by popular demand, and will play Beethoven's final two piano sonatas, Opus 110 and 111. Click here for Program Notes.
Viewers at home will be able to see pre-recorded interviews with the featured musicians by local musicologist Michael Rosin. In addition, they will have the option to purchase a specially created wine and cheese board from Gary’s to complement the music of the evening.
Our own Stephen and Kristin Sands will present The Art of Song with accompanist Dan Foster, a veteran of MISH concerts.
Viewers at home will be able to see pre-recorded interviews with the featured musicians by local musicologist Michael Rosin. In addition, they will have the option to purchase a specially created wine and cheese board from Gary’s to complement the music of the evening.
Brian Harlow and Christopher Jennings will play a unique concert “for four hands and four feet” on the pipe organs and pianos that already reside at St. John on the Mountain.
Viewers at home will be able to see pre-recorded interviews with the featured musicians by local musicologist Michael Rosin. In addition, they will have the option to purchase a specially created wine and cheese board from Gary’s to complement the music of the evening.
We are proud to present the Cleveland-based ensemble Les Délices (The Delights) in a program of baroque music, performed on original instruments of the period.
This concert brings to our repertoire an enchanting form of music we have not previously featured – music that was composed for the Royal Court of France in the century before the Revolution, during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. It was a time when French music went its own way, led by its two greatest composers, Lully and Rameau, and inspired by the glory (“la Gloire”) of the Sun King, who was himself an accomplished dancer – which is why much of the music was written for dance.
Local viewers at home will have the option to purchase a specially created wine and cheese board from Gary’s to complement the music of the evening.
Presenting an intimate fireside Schubertiade: Where Only Stars Can Hear Us
Viewers at home will be able to see pre-recorded interviews with the featured musicians by local musicologist Michael Rosin. In addition, they will have the option to purchase a specially created wine and cheese board from Gary’s to complement the music of the evening.
Two of New Jersey’s best known and best loved musicians – Merynda Adams on harp and John Romeri on flute – will combine in an evening of inspiring music “to uplift the soul.” Featuring pieces by Piazzolla, Bach, and Charles Rochester Young.
Viewers at home will be able to see pre-recorded interviews with the featured musicians by local musicologist Michael Rosin. In addition, they will have the option to purchase a specially created wine and cheese board from Gary’s to complement the music of the evening.
Presented by Music in the Somerset Hills (MISH) and The Center for Musical Excellence (CME)
Hosted at one of the Somerset Hills’ most beautiful private estates — Featuring piano, violin and clarinet concertos, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Symphony No. 40 by Mozart, performed by world-class musicians, under the direction of CME’s Founder Min Kwon.
Country Music Band and other eclectic music to follow.
There will be food, excellent wines, and refreshing sodas for purchase. No outside food or beverages will be allowed. Art vendors will be on display, with partial proceeds benefitting MISH and CME.
Please bring your own chairs and blankets.
First-ever global online vocal festival announced: singing returns “Live from London” is a new, paid-for online festival from the VOCES8 Foundation, featuring some of the world’s finest vocal ensembles including VOCES8, I Fagiolini, Stile Antico, The Swingles, The Sixteen, Chanticleer and more.
The festival will be broadcast every Saturday for ten weeks from the 1 st August 2020
It has been designed to raise money for artists, venues and promoters to cover their COVID-19 losses, and to reunite the world’s many singers, and audiences with much needed live concerts
Broadcast in HD from the beautiful VOCES8 Centre (St Anne and St Agnes Church), in the heart of the City of London
