Why doesn't SOMA have a Community Chorus? We should start one!

dave said:

Maplewood Glee Club
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Maplewood-Glee-Club/235730386482842

lisat said:

I want to sing! mememememe!

dave said:

Maplewood Glee Club
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Maplewood-Glee-Club/235730386482842

Scully said:

dave said:

Maplewood Glee Club
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Maplewood-Glee-Club/235730386482842

That's a MEN's chorus, in other words a chorus for HALF of the community...

Wasn't the OP a woman???

musicmz said:

I just got a Monday gig so I won't be attending but maybe this can tide you over. Below is a letter from Voices in Harmony - which started out in SoMap, sponsored by the Community Coalition on Race for a special Two Towns in Harmony July 4th commissioned performance piece:

Dear Friends...
Just a reminder that rehearsals for Voices in Harmony/Livingston begin anew this coming Monday night, October 20 at 7:30 pm. If you have not attended our first rehearsals in September, no problem. We welcome you, and, to help facilitate learning the music, we will be providing mp3s for all vocal parts, on a web page for all our repertoire (information to follow). Please note also that while many of the rehearsals are in Livingston, by necessity, two of the upcoming rehearsals will be at Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange.

As you know, we are an interfaith choir, performing pieces of different traditions as the occasion warrants. For the concert on December 6 at Temple Beth Shalom, the emphasis will be on Jewish repertoire (with a little gospel and Leonard Cohen thrown in!). At other services and programs during the year, the repertoire will vary as needed. We invite you all to be part the totality of what we do, because we need you and want you to be a part of what we do! And if you can only be with us from time to time, we welcome that as well. In that spirit, please note that the first hour of rehearsal on November 10 and 18 at Beth Shalom will be devoted to music for the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service to be held on November 23. Childrens’ choir rehearsal on those evenings will begin at 7 pm, the adults at 7:30. We hope to see you next Monday, October 20 at Beth Shalom. All rehearsals begin at 7:30 pm unless otherwise noted:

Fall rehearsal and performance schedule:
Monday, Oct. 20 (Temple Beth Shalom, 193 E, Mt. Pleasant Ave, Livingston))
Tuesday, Oct. 28 (Oheb Shalom Congregation, 170 Scotland Rd., South Orange)
Wednesday, November 5 (Oheb Shalom)
*Monday, Nov. 10 (Beth Shalom) (7 pm youth choir; 7:30- 8:30, Thanksgiving prep)
*Tuesday, Nov. 18 (Beth Shalom) (7 pm youth choir; 7:30- 8:30 Thanksgiving prep)
Sunday, Nov. 23 3:45 pm warm up/rehearsal for 5 pm Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
(St. Philomena Church, 386 S. Livingston Ave, Livingston)
Tuesday, Nov. 25 (Beth Shalom)
Monday, Dec. 1 (Beth Shalom, TBD)
Thursday, Dec. 4 7:30 pm (Beth Shalom) TBD
Saturday, Dec. 6 (6:30 warm up/rehearsal for 8 pm Concert- Temple Beth Shalom)

Our performance/service schedule contains both South Orange/Maplewood and Livingston events:
1) SUNDAY, Nov. 23rd, 5 pm --Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, St. Philomena's Church, Livingston
2) SATURDAY EVENING, Dec. 6, 7:30 pm: Cantor Perry Fine and Friends with Choirs in Concert at Temple
Beth Shalom, Livingston.
3) MONDAY, Jan. 19: MLK afternoon TBD- SO/Maplewood
4) SUNDAY, April 19, Interfaith Holocaust Service -- St. Joseph's Church - Maplewood
Note: November 8, 8 pm A special performance of a cantata based on the diary of Anne Frank in memory of Jonah Solkoff Eskin, at Oheb Shalom Congregation...all are invited to sing Mark Miller's 'I Believe' at the
conclusion of the concert. Tickets need to be reserved in advance.
Please spread the word. We are always looking for new voices to join our ranks. Looking forward to seeing you all October 20!
In Peace...
Cantor Perry Fine espritpsf@aol.com
Cantor Sharon Brown Levy cantorsharon@cbibr.org
Cantor Erica Lippitz Cantor@ohebshalom.org



http://www.twotowns.org/programs/integration-through-the-arts/two-towns-in-harmony/two-towns-in-harmony-pictures-volunteers/
I just spent a few minutes going over the stuff on the above website page: too bad we can't do something like that every so often. It was a great experience and tons of people were involved.
I only fit in some time for the Holocaust Remembrance Service if it doesn't interfere with my paying church jobs.

There was some talk of starting a female chorus with a few of us, but the timing never seems right.

Does anyone have the info for getting in touch with Voices in Harmony? I might be interested in joining! Thanks

Check out http://van.org/

From the bottom of the Interfaith Holocaust Memorial email:

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There's a wonderful women's choirs in Summit- The Concord Singers. They have a web site and a FB page if you want more info. Rehearsals begin in Sept. for the December concert and in Jan. for the May concert.

A number of local people sing with this group. I've heard them - they are fabulous

http://harmonium.org/audition.shtml

There are a number of community choruses in the area and most have a few SOMA residents participating. I sing in the Summit Chorale (Summit) and Crescent Choral Society (Plainfield) and Harmonium was mentioned above, as well as others.

I have sung with Voices in Harmony at times but in recent years the rehearsals (sporadic) have often conflicted with those others and it wasn't really a substitute, but more of an add-on, given their focus on adding voice to local events as opposed to pursuing a concert repertoire of their own. (But I haven't been able to participate in the last year or two, so perhaps that is no longer accurate?)

The men have the Maplewood Glee Club, but there is really nothing like that for women or mixed voices that I know of closer than Summit.

sarahzm said:
A number of local people sing with this group. I've heard them - they are fabulous
http://harmonium.org/audition.shtml

I was a member for ten years. Most rehearsals are in Mendham, far from Maplewood. Some are in Madison. Performances are in Morristown and Madison. It's all about the M-towns.

It is the highest caliber amateur chorus I know of in NJ. I had a fantastic time. I would have preferred to belong to a smaller group, but the quality made that part OK, and I got to sing in Harmonium's small group, too, so it was fine.