Written by: John R. Panosh.

In concert at the First United Methodist Church of Westfield - One East Broad Street · Westfield, NJ 07090 · (908) 233-4211 

Our Spring, 2002, concert with chorus, soloists, and orchestra will take place at 3 PM on Sunday, March 10, 2002, at the First United Methodist Church in Westfield, NJ. The works on this program are the Requiems of Gabriel Fauré and Wolfgang Mozart. Rehearsals will take place MONDAY evenings, starting on January 7, 2002, and through the concert date, from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. in the choir room of the Methodist Church, 1 East Broad St., Westfield, NJ. Enter from the parking lot on Ferris Place and go to the second floor of Wesley Hall. If you like to sing AND have fun, COME SING WITH US! Men singers and voices in the bass and tenor ranges are needed! 

Four important 2001-2002 workshops, each lasting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will take place on Saturday, October 13 and Saturday, November 17, 2001, and Saturday, January 26 and Saturday, February 23, 2002. The Fall SATB workshops will introduce the singers to the Spring, 2002, music. The Winter SATB workshops will serve to suppliment regular rehearsals and further "fine-tune" the works final performance. Sectional part rehearsals will be scheduled and posted so that singers can make room in their busy routines to spend the required time to attend, learn the music, and perfect their performance skills by the March concert date. Choristers are encouraged to bring pencils as we do make notes and mark our scores with the conductor's directions. 

Now in its 22nd year, the Oratorio Singers is a chorus of 70-100 singers which performs major choral works by various composers. Under the direction of Mr. Trent Johnson, Director of Music and Arts of the First United Methodist Church of Westfield, this community organization continues the high standards and tradition developed by the Rev. Philip R. Dietterich, who founded the chorus in 1980 and
who was its director until 1994. 

The reputation of the Oratorio Singers is wide-spread in the metropolitan area. Each year the goal is to select and perform one or more choral masterpieces which may be well known or those that are significant but not generally sung by most choral groups. 

Past performances include the Passions,"Christmas Oratorio," the "Mass in B Minor," motets and other works of J. S. Bach, Brahm's "Requiem," Mendelssohn's "Elijah," Dvorak's "Requiem," "Belshazzar's Feast" by William Walton, and Mozart's "Requiem." Works of Handel include "Ode for St. Cecilia's Day" and the oratorio, "Judas Maccabaeus." "The Creation" of Franz Joseph Haydn was presented in 1996. In 1997, audiences heard two superb works: the "Gloria" by Francis Poulenc, and the "Great C Minor Mass," K427, by W. A. Mozart. Both works are scored for chorus, orchestra, and soloists, including organ, in the "Great" Mass. The 1998 concert was an encore performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's " St. John Passion." The Spring, 1999, concert included the "Chichester Psalms" of Leonard Bernstein, Verdi's "Four Sacred Pieces" and Dello Joio's "To St. Cecilia." In November, 1999, our Fall presentation included four inspirational choral works: the "Te Deum Laudamus" of Franz Joseph Haydn, "Christmas Cantata" of Daniel Pinkham, "Jubilate Deo" of Giovanni Gabrieli, the" Gloria" of John Rutter, and Gabrieli Canzonas for brass and organ. This concert was a rousing success. For the Spring 2000 concert, Oratorio Singers performed a relatively unknown work of Sir Edward Elgar, "The Music Makers," and the complete "Lobgesang" (Symphony #2 - Choral) of Felix Mendelssohn. The Spring, 2001 concert consisted of four selections: two were world
premieres and two were standard, but not usually performed works. Premiering works were Debussy's newly orchestrated "Ariettes Oubliées," (four songs for soprano and orchestra),and "The Paschal Lamb," a choral cantata by Trent Johnson, for chorus, soprano, and orchestra. Noted soprano Phyllis Byn Julson was the soloist. Also featured were Mozart's " Te Deum laudamus," and Zoltán Kodály's
"Missa Brevis". 

Singers from all voice parts---soprano, alto, tenor, and bass---are invited to join the Oratorio Singers. There are no membership fees! And, you do not have to be a member of the Methodist Church or necessarily live in the Westfield area. We invite adults and youth of all faiths and backgrounds to this community chorus! High school or college students who can sing or singers who are currently studying or performing vocal or instrumental music are welcome. Scores will be available to purchase. 

Your love of music and your ability to sing, watch, sing together with a good musical ear, and take direction, plus a commitment to a well organized schedule of chorus and part rehearsals will help us make this concert the success to which our audiences are accustomed. 

Want to know more? Contact the First United Methodist Church of Westfield.  Ask for Trent Johnson