Harmonium Concert "O Mystical Journey" Features Great O Antiphons

Harmonium Choral Society presents “O Mystical Journey,” a collage concert, on Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 121 South St. at Miller Road, Morristown, N.J. Artistic Director Anne Matlack leads the acclaimed, 100-voice choral society in presenting three of the Great O Antiphons of Advent by composers as different as Arvo Pärt, Healey Willan, and Bob Chilcott, as well as compositions by Anton Bruckner, Conrad Susa, David Nowakowsky and others, and global music from Chinese and Russian composers to Norwegian selections from the movie “Frozen.” Organist Joshua Stafford and flutist Kris Lamb will also be featured. The select Harmonium Chamber Singers will perform works by Gottfried August Homilius, Steven Sametz, and John Tavener’s mesmerizing “Village Wedding.”

“We try to make our December concerts something that must be experienced live, from the opening a cappella surround-sound, to the lovely strains of the magnificent organ,” says Dr. Matlack. “I think the connections we draw in this concert between different faiths, eras, and countries will make for a fascinating ‘mystical journey.’ Of course there will be some singing for the audience as well!”

General admission tickets for “O Mystical Journey” are $30 and $25 for students and seniors. Tickets purchased by December 5 are $25 and $20 for students and seniors. Advance ticket reservations are recommended as the December concert tends to sell out. Subscription tickets to all four choral programs during the 2014-2015 Harmonium concert season (December, March, April and June) are available for the general admission price of $70 and $50 for students and senior citizens (a $35 savings over single ticket prices). To order tickets, visit www.harmonium.org. For more information, call 973-538-6969 and please LIKE us on Facebook.

Large print or Braille programs will be made available if requested in advance.

ABOUT HARMONIUM CHORAL SOCIETY
Harmonium Choral Society, based in Morris County, is one of New Jersey’s leading choral arts organizations. The 100-voice choral society has been widely recognized for its musical excellence and innovative programming, and has commissioned and premiered works by Amanda Harberg, Matthew Harris, Elliot Z. Levine, Harmonium’s composers-in-residence Mark Miller and Marty Sedek, and others. One-third of Harmonium’s singing members are currently music educators. Directed by Dr. Anne J. Matlack of Madison, Harmonium’s season consists of four major subscription concerts held in December, March, April and June, as well as numerous special events and partnerships. Harmonium also sponsors musicianship workshops and an Outreach Chorus which performs in schools, nursing homes and other venues. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Eastern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association and at the opening convocation of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) Region II Convention.

Harmonium sponsors an annual High School Student Choral Composition Contest, celebrating its 18th year anniversary this season. This innovative program recently won the prestigious Chorus America Education and Outreach Award. For more information about the student composition contest, visit www.harmonium.org/contest.shtml.

Harmonium has toured internationally to England and Wales, Eastern Europe, Northern Italy, Spain and Portugal, and most recently, Greece and Turkey.

Funding has been made possible in part by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.