Choirs for Children & Youth 2016-17

Dear congregation, and especially the families of our children and youth choristers,

I would like to share with you the plans for our choral programming for children and youth in the coming program year.  Ingrid Ladendorf, Early Childhood Advisor at the Diller-Quaile School of Music and adjunct faculty at TCNJ, will continue as the director of the Joyful Noise Choir,   masterfully introducing the joy of singing to our youngest voices and continuing to bless our church with her cheerful and caring spirit.  Our own Patty Thel will serve as the interim director of the Carol Choir, Choir 3-4-5, the Middle School Choir, and Cantorei for the 2016-2017 season.  Patty brings many gifts to our choral programming, including a wealth of experience as a music educator, church choir director, and Sunday school teacher. Past director of the Trenton Children’s Choir, Patty is also the founder and director of the Westminster Conservatory Choir, and she is the director of the Middle School Vocal Institute at Westminster.  Our children and youth will be in good hands with Patty and Ingrid.

We will maintain the same structure for choir rehearsals that we had this past year, and we intend on upholding traditions such as the Christmas Pageant and the Christmas Alumni Choir.  At the same time, there will be reflection on our choral programming in conversation with the congregation, and a search will be launched in late fall to find permanent leadership for our children and youth choirs.   While the position will no longer be full-time, I am confident that we can attract the right person to be a part of our next chapter in our church’s vibrant and integral choral program for children and youth.

Thank you all for your support of the ministry of music at Nassau, and thank you for upholding our church in prayer as we grow in faith through song.

 

Sincerely,

Noel Werner