Event details
Sunday, March 2, 2025
4:00 p.m.
The Parish of St. Mary
1 Phalanx Road, Colts Neck, NJ
Join MCC on our journey through the fiery spectacle and transcendent stillness of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. The music and narrative of this towering oratorio resonate as much today as ever.
Tickets: Adult $40, Senior $35, Student $15
Please note: As of Sunday afternoon, we are experiencing sporadic (and poorly timed!) issues with our ticketing platform. If you’re unable to purchase online, you can buy tickets at the door.
Become a virtuoso
Once per season, patrons have the opportunity to directly sponsor one or more of our musicians. For Elijah, we’d love to have you join us — not just as an audience member, but also as one of the forces behind the music.
Please consider sponsoring our Artistic Director Dr. Ryan James Brandau, Baritone Holland Jancaitis as Elijah, organist Eric Plutz, a featured vocalist, an instrumentalist, an individual chorus member, or the entire chorus. You can find more details by clicking the button below. Or if you prefer to contribute by mail, you can download a form here. Thank you!
Accessibility
By clicking on the stick figure in a blue circle on the right side of your screen, you can access accessibility features for this digital program such as larger text and higher contrast.
Artistic Director’s note
Please click here to read Artistic Director Dr. Ryan James Brandau’s essay On Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
Program
Because Elijah tells a story, we’ve included brief plot synopses throughout the program. You’ll find them in italics and the musical movements numbered and bolded. If you would like to read the full libretto, please click here.
Overview
Part I
Prologue – Elijah’s Prophecy
Scene 1 – Drought and Famine
Scene 2 – Elijah and the Widow
Scene 3 – Elijah and the Priests of Baal
Scene 4 – Elijah Lifts the Drought
Part II
Prologue – Be Not Afraid
Scene 1 – Elijah and Jezebel
Scene 2 – Elijah in the Wilderness
Scene 3 – The Still Small Voice and Elijah’s Transfiguration and Ascension
Part I
Prologue; Scene 1 – Drought and Famine
The story of Elijah dates from ca. 800 BCE and is drawn mostly from the biblical Book of Kings I and II. Elijah, prophet and protector of the first commandment, appears before Ahab, the current king of the Israelites, to prophesy punishment for Ahab and his court’s apostasy: there will be “neither dew nor rain” for three years. Drought leads to famine.
An orchestral overture intones the growing suffering of the Israelites. They cry out for help, worried that the Lord has abandoned them and left them to be destroyed by drought. Above a simple prayer chanted by the chorus, the female soloists lament the Israelites’ lack of help and comfort. Elijah’s protector, a chamberlain’s of Ahab’s named Obadiah, beseeches the Israelites to look within themselves rather than to ritual for help (“rend your hearts and not your garments”). He reminds them of the words of God: “If with all your hearts you truly seek me, ye shall ever truly find me.”
But the Israelites bewail that the Lord does not hear them and even suggest that He mocks them by placing the power to reverse the drought in the hands of a recalcitrant prophet.
Introduction
Overture
1. Help, Lord
2. Lord, bow thine ear ft. Sandra Liddy Papp & Deborah Macock
3.Ye People, rend your hearts Douglas Clark
4. If with all your hearts Douglas Clark
5. Yet doth the Lord
Scene 2 – Elijah and the Widow
An angel appears to Elijah and bids him to flee to the east, to the brook at Cherith, where ravens will miraculously feed him. When that brook dries up, the angel sends him on to Zarepath, where a widow will provide for him. The widow asks Elijah if he has come to discuss her sins and slay her sick son. But instead Elijah instructs her to “give me thy son,” calls upon God in prayer three times, and brings the son back to life. The widow asks what she can offer to the Lord in return, and Elijah tells her simply to love the Lord with all her heart. The chorus, enmeshed in a whirling sense of awe after the miracle, reflects using the words of the Psalms, “Blessed are the men who fear him.”
6. Elijah, get thee hence Janet Breslin
7A. Now Cherith’s brook Janet Breslin
8. What have I to do with thee? Kristen Babcock & Holland Jancaitis
9. Blessed are the men who fear Him
Scene 3 – Elijah and the Priests of Baal
Ahab has taken as his queen the Phoenician princess Jezebel, who brought a helpful dowry and strategic protection to the north, but also her suite of animist gods, known collectively as Baal. She and the associated priests of Baal have created a temple to him alongside the temple of Jehovah.
Elijah returns to the court of Ahab to preserve of the worship of his one true God, Jehovah. The people blame him for Israel’s suffering, but Elijah blames Ahab and his people’s slip into polytheism. Elijah instructs the prophets of Baal and the people to gather on Mount Carmel and proposes that they each prepare a bull for sacrifice but, rather than light the fire themselves, call upon their god(s) to bring fire. The god[s] who achieves this feat will be proven true.
The prophets of Baal make preparations and invocations, but Baal does not send fire. Elijah, noting that they are many and he is just one person, mockingly suggests that their god is asleep, or away on vacation. The prophets’ increasingly intense and desperate invocations are met only with increasingly hollow silence.
Finally, Elijah draws the people to him and, with a simple and heartfelt prayer, calls upon Jehovah. The fire appears, so all-consumingly and intensely that it seems to descend from the heavens. The Israelites fall to their knees and profess, as one, “our God is one Lord and we will have no other gods before the Lord.”
Elijah harnesses the people’s rekindled fervor and turns it on the prophets of Baal. He commands that they all be slain. In a fiery aria, Elijah admonishes them: the Lord is watchful every day. In the aftermath of the slaughter, an alto soloist poignantly ends this dramatic arc by singing words from Hosea, “Woe unto them that forsake Him!”
10. As God the Lord of Sabaoth ft. Holland Jancaitis
11. Baal, we cry to thee
12. Call him louder ft. Holland Jancaitis
13. Call him louder ft. Holland Jancaitis
14. Draw near, all ye people Holland Jancaitis
16. O Thou, who makest thine angels spirit ft. Holland Jancaitis
17. Is not His word like a fire Holland Jancaitis
18. Woe unto them who forsake Him Janet Breslin
Scene 3 – Elijah Lifts the Drought
Obadiah draws Elijah’s attentions from the destruction of the Baal worshipers back to the suffering at hand from the drought. Elijah instructs a youth to go with him to the top of Mount Carmel to look for signs of mercy in the form of rainclouds. Three times Elijah calls upon God, leading his people in prayer. Two times the youth sees nothing in response. But the third time, he spies a small cloud, which quickly billows into a massive rainstorm, which “laveth (bathes) the thirsty land” with much needed water. Elijah has thus soothed the suffering and restored the bond between Jehovah and his chosen people, who give thanks.
19. O man of God, help thy people Douglas Clark
19A. Thou hast overthrown thine enemies ft. Chiara Abreo & Holland Jancaitis
20. Thanks be to God
Intermission
Part II
Prologue – Be Not Afraid
Where the first part of Elijah presents the prophet’s public deeds, the second half focuses on the prophet himself and his personal struggle with feeling isolated, ineffectual, and unappreciated by his people. The Elijah of Jewish legend – at once a wanderer who may arrive unannounced to verify the faithfulness and hospitality of God’s chosen people and their guardian – begins to take shape. Mendelssohn and his librettist open the second part with an aria and chorus that herald the assured faith against which Elijah’s story will unfold.
21. Hear ye, Israel Janice M. Thomas
22. Be not afraid
Scene 1 – Elijah and Jezebel
The oratorio resumes at the court of Ahab and Jezebel, where Elijah returns to indict Ahab for his return to the worship of Baal and to prophesy that the Lord will again smite Israel. Jezebel, having learned about the destruction of her priests of Baal, is furious about Elijah’s overstepping his bounds and bids revenge: “may the gods do even more to me if, by tomorrow about this time, I take not his life as the life of one of them whom he hath sacrificed.” She stokes the crowd with accusations of treason and blasphemy. Provoked by Jezebel, the crowd turns on Elijah with the same ferocity with which they slayed Baal’s priests, shouting “he shall die!” Obadiah beseeches Elijah to save his own life and flee to the wilderness. Elijah flees.
23. The Lord hath exalted thee ft. Lindsay Abbot & Holland Jancaitis
24. Woe to him
Scene 2 – Elijah in the Wilderness
Alone in the wilderness, Elijah pleads to god, “It is enough; O Lord, now take away my life.” Here Mendelssohn’s librettist selects Elijah’s words from the book of Job whose central character, like Elijah, bears suffering as a personal test of faith. In a reflection of the drought and famine of part I, Elijah hungers spiritually, to the point where he wishes no longer to live. The text (“It is enough”) and the prominent use of the cello soli evokes the moment in Bach’s St. John Passion when Jesus says “It is finished.” An angel (here a tenor) notes that the angels watch over Elijah as he sinks into sleep. A three-part chorus of angelic voices recites the comforting words of Psalm 121, “Lift thine eyes to the mountains, whence cometh help.” The chorus, angelic and omniscient, reminds us that the god of Israel will never fall asleep but remain steadfastly vigilant.
25. Man of God Douglas Clark
26. It is enough Holland Jancaitis
27. See, now he sleepeth James Scavone
28. Lift thine eyes Caitlin deBrigard, Patti Carlisle D’Andrea & Kathleen Woolston
29. He, watching over Israel
An angel (alto) rouses Elijah and instructs him to make the forty-day and night-long journey to Mount Horeb, the sacred place where God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses. Still frustrated, Elijah instead begs the Lord to make himself known to his people and again wishes that he might die. The angel entreats Elijah to wait patiently, commit himself to the Lord, and have trust. The chorus, again omniscient, speaks with the first words to appear from the New Testament, reminding all that “he that shall endure to the end might be saved.”
30. Arise, Elijah Carolyn Gratzer Cope & Holland Jancaitis
31. O rest in the Lord Carolyn Gratzer Cope
32. He that shall endure
Elijah reaffirms his desire for the Lord. An angel rouses him and again bids him go to the mountain, where the Lord will appear to him. All of nature responds to the Lord’s approach: mighty winds shear rocks; the sea tosses, upheaved; earthquakes rumble; and there is a fire. But the Lord does not appear amidst this tumult. After the fire, the Lord arrives instead in a “still, small voice.”
33. Night falleth round me Holland Jancaitis & Teri Lindstrom
34. Behold, God the Lord
Elijah learns that seven thousands followers remain in Israel. He is glad, renewed spiritually and physically. His faith in God’s covenant, more steadfast than the rocks that surround him, has been restored. The fiery imagery that has pervaded the oratorio to this point now applies to Elijah himself. His words appear “like burning torches,” and chariots and horses of fire sweep him up in a whirlwind to heaven. The tenor solo, using words from Matthew and Isaiah (which Brahms would later use in his Ein deutsches Requiem), links Elijah’s fire to the fire of the sun, whose radiance the righteous will match when everlasting joy shall be ushered in and “sorrow shall flee away forever.” The final chorus assures us that this healthful light will grace us all, and makes a final offering of thanks and praise to the Creator.
36. Go, return upon thy way ft. Holland Jancaitis
37. For the mountains shall depart Holland Jancaitis
38. Then did Elijah
39. Then shall the righteous shine forth James Scavone
43. And then shall your light break forth
Join us for our annual spring soiree
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 7 p.m.
Branches,123 Monmouth Road, West Long Branch, NJ
Meet the artists
Among audiences, MCC Artistic Director Ryan James Brandau is best known for dynamic and uplifting choral and orchestral performances, whether he himself is at the podium or his arrangements on the program. The New York Times hailed his recent debut appearance at Trinity Church Wall Street, conducting its iconic annual Messiah, “the gold standard” against which others “paled in comparison.” For both expert and new listeners, his interpretations are at once resplendent with the past and resonant with the present, earning the Times’ praise as “urgent and eloquent,” “burning and gladdening,” “intimate, alternately sober and joyous,” and, most essential to Ryan’s pervasive artistic intent, “modest yet monumental.”
Among musicians, he is perhaps better known for a clarity of vision and mastery of craft that is uncommonly equaled by a commitment to collaboration with vocalists and instrumentalists — a potent alchemy that not only produces music of the highest level, but invites participation in his music-made joy.
In New York City, he is the founder and Director of Res Facta, a vocal ensemble bringing together 14 of the city’s finest professional vocalists, and the longtime Artistic Director of Amor Artis, a chamber choir and Baroque orchestra, which specializes in bridging the Renaissance and Baroque to the present day. He is also the Artistic Director of the symphonic chorus and orchestra, Princeton Pro Musica — winner of the 2021 American Prize in Choral Performance — and Monmouth Civic Chorus, both in New Jersey.
In addition to leading his own ensembles, he has prepared choruses for the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and New Jersey Symphony.
As a choral and orchestral arranger, Ryan is equal parts artistic innovator and technical practitioner, taking pride in works that are as rewarding for musicians as they are for audiences. His expansive holiday repertoire in particular is lauded as “inventive,” “unfailingly gratifying,” and “in a class by itself” by the directors, vocalists, and instrumentalists of the many volunteer to professional ensembles that showcase their best through his well-crafted arrangements and meticulous orchestrations.
And as a lover and scholar of music, he is committed to collaboration with emerging artists and educational organizations, cross-cultural exploration, and building bridges for new audiences by presenting classical works in dialogue with contemporary themes and new music.
Ryan has taught and conducted at Westminster Choir College, Santa Clara University, and Smith College. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Yale School of Music, a Master of Philosophy in Historical Musicology from Cambridge University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Princeton University.
He lives in New York City with his husband, Ian, and his dog, Tux.
Holland Jancaitis as Elijah
Holland Jancaitis (Elijah) has been MCC’s accompanist on and off since 2013. He has also been music director of Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church in Maplewood since 2010, when he and his husband Nicholas Clarey moved to New Jersey. Holland has music-directed numerous musicals for interACT Theatre Productions, including Pippin, Forum, Legally Blonde, Sister Act, The Wedding Singer, Footloose, and many others, including their next production, Guys and Dolls, opening at the Burgdorff Center in Maplewood on April 11. Holland holds a DMA, MMA, and MM from Yale University, and a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, and currently studies voice with Martin Hurt. He was born and raised in Waterford, Vermont.
Organist Eric Plutz
Eric Plutz is University Organist at Princeton University, where his responsibilities include playing for weekly services at the Chapel, Academic Ceremonies, and solo concerts. He manages the weekly After Noon Concert Series at the University Chapel, is Lecturer in Music and Instructor of Organ at Princeton University, and maintains a private studio. Also in Princeton, Mr. Plutz is Collaborative Keyboardist for Princeton Pro Musica. More information is available here.
Mr. Plutz has made six solo recordings: Musique Héroïque, Carnival, Denver Jubilee, and French Trilogy, about which James Reed (The Diapason) wrote, “Plutz is a master craftsman… his performances are sensitive, emotional, stunningly accurate, and spectacularly musical… truly a world-class performance by a world-class musician.” As an organ concert soloist, Mr. Plutz has accepted engagements in distinguished locations across the United States and abroad.
In celebration of Louis Vierne’s 150 th birthday in 2020, Eric initiated The Vierne Project: performances of the complete organ symphonies. One of a handful of organists to embark on such a venture, he performed the symphonies at 12 different venues. A CD recording of the symphonies on six different instruments was released in 2022. His most recent recording, “B A C H – The Gamut from ‘A’ to ‘G’,” showcasing organ works in A, B, C, D, E, F, & G was recorded at the Princeton Chapel, and was released in 2023.
Originally from Rock Island, Illinois, Mr. Plutz earned a Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music.
MCC member soloists
Lindsay Abbot, alto, began singing with Monmouth Civic Chorus in 2018. For the past nine years, Lindsay has participated in local community theater, performing in musicals and plays with Stone Church Players, MAC Players, Spring Lake Theatre, and Algonquin Arts Theatre. Her favorite roles include The Witch (Into the Woods), Francesca Johnson (The Bridges of Madison County), Jo March (Little Women, The Musical), and Emily (Our Town). Since 2020 she has been an active member of the Stone Church Players board, working to produce lesser-known, underrated productions while highlighting local playwrights and actors. When not performing she works in consulting, specializing in program evaluation. She enjoys swimming, tennis, skiing, and spending time with her husband, Blake, and two children, Dylan and Cecilia.
Chiara Abreo, soprano, is a recent addition to MCC, joining us in January 2024. She first heard about the organization in her senior year of high school when she auditioned for and won one of the MCC scholarships for 2018. Along with singing, she plays the flute and piccolo. She enjoyed playing in the marching band, concert band, and pit band for her school’s productions. Chiara also loves participating in community choral efforts including seasonal and holiday concerts. Outside of music, Chiara currently holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She is excited to sing the role of The Youth in Elijah, who appears at a dramatic point the story line.
Kristen Babcock, soprano, is so happy to have joined Monmouth Civic Chorus in 2023. Her first performance with MCC was years ago in their collaboration with Cabaret for Life, an organization dedicated to raising funds for health-related charities, as Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime. She performed as Leslie Lohan in CFL’s The Housewives of Monmouth County for many years, and has sailed around the world as a lead female vocalist on various cruise ships including Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth II, Crystal Cruises, and Oceania Cruises. Kristen was a featured vocalist in Las Vegas in the mega-production show Jubilee! at Bally’s, and was a featured singer in the U.S. National Tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber starring Petula Clark. Kristen has a Bachelor of Music in Music Theatre from Baldwin Wallace University. In her spare time, Kristen loves traveling and hiking various National Parks with her husband, Darryl, and her children, Hadley and Hudson.
Janet Breslin, MCC alto, retired from the Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District in 2012 after 36 years as an elementary vocal and general music educator. She has performed with the Monmouth Conservatory Opera/Operetta Society, the Shrewsbury Chorale, Masterwork Chorus, The Garden State Singers, Princeton Pro Musica, the five-voice a cappella ensemble Mad Regalia, the Philadelphia Orchestra Symphonic Choir, and has been a member of Monmouth Civic Chorus since 2013. She is studying voice with Nora Sirbaugh.
Janet is currently serving as Vice-President on the MCC Board of Trustees following her nine years as Music Chairperson. She is particularly proud to continue the musical legacy of her mother, Edythe Kaufman, who sang with Monmouth Civic Chorus in the late 60’s.
Douglas Clark – tenor, songwriter, composer/arranger, recording engineer & producer, has been a long-time member and soloist with Monmouth Civic Chorus, the New Jersey Chamber Singers, and the Shrewsbury Chorale, all located in NJ. He was a soloist on the MCC’s CD Grace Notes, and in many MCC concerts, including Liszt’s Psalm 13, Handel’s Messiah, Janacek’s Otčenáš, Buxtehude’s Magnificat, Biebl’s Ave Maria, Mahler’s 8 th Symphony Veni, Creator Spiritus, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Felsted’s Jonah, Finney’s Psalms, Charpentier’s Filius Prodigus, Think No More Lad from Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad, Ireland’s The Soldier, Britten’s Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and in MCC Christmas concerts.
Doug’s solo repertoire has also included Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Requiem, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, and St. Saens’ Christmas Oratorio. Doug sings professionally at Tower Hill Church in Red Bank, NJ, with Fiona Smith Sutherland, and in summer, at Elberon Memorial Church with Timothy Broege, in Elberon, NJ.
Doug has collaborated with internationally acclaimed pianist Vladislav Kovalsky,
performing lieder by the great masters including Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, R. Strauss, and Wolf. The duo also collaborated on several albums and singles, including Schubert’s song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin, Brahms Liebeslieder & Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52 & 65, and a recording of Malotte’s Lord’s Prayer, available to the public on digital music outlets.
Doug has studied voice with Mark Hoeler, former Metropolitan Opera Chorus member,
and Kathleen Rubin.
Patti D’Andrea, soprano, has been a Monmouth Civic Chorus member since 1987 and served on the Board of Trustees as President from 2016-2022 and as Financial Operations then Financial Development Chairperson from 2006-2015. She loves singing with MCC as a mezzo-soprano, and she has been featured in several small group ensembles, solos, and a leading role in MCC’s production of Golden Gate. Patti also serves as MCC’s assistant accompanist. She has accompanied three of MCC’s European tours, the annual scholarship auditions, multiple gigs and cabarets, six MCC stage productions, and organist for several performances of Handel’s Messiah. She has been Director of Music (organist and choir director) at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Neptune for over 30 years. Patti holds a bachelor’s degree in Technical Writing (Carnegie-Mellon University) and an Executive MBA (CUNY Baruch College). She works as the Director, Capture Group for Federal Engineering, a privately owned public safety consulting firm.
Caitlin deBrigard, soprano, has been a member of Monmouth Civic Chorus since 2010. She has participated and soloed for a number of concerts during her time with MCC. She was also a member of New Jersey Chamber Singers for several years. Additionally, Caitlin sometimes subs as a cantor at the Church of St. Catharine in Holmdel. Professionally, she has a career in banking and currently works at Provident Bank. She is excited to be performing with MCC in its performance of Elijah and take part in the trio for “Lift Thine Eyes,” a beautiful and comforting message of hope and faith.
Carolyn Gratzer Cope, mezzo-soprano, has been a member of Monmouth Civic Chorus since 2016 and has served on the Board of Trustees as Marketing Chair since 2019. An enthusiastic singer from a young age, she has performed as a member and soloist with a wide variety of volunteer and professional ensembles, including the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, London Oriana Choir, and New Jersey Chamber Singers, and makes appearances as a substitute alto section leader and soloist at churches throughout Monmouth County. She studies voice with Mark Hoeler and is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists. Carolyn is the founder and publisher of Umami Girl, a multi-media company centered around her award-winning recipe website. She holds an A.B. in Politics from Princeton University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She lives in Fair Haven with her husband Jonathan and children Adelaide and Celia.
Sandra Liddy-Papp, second soprano, has been singing with MCC since 2015. Throughout her time with the Chorus, she has been featured as a soloist and in many small ensembles. She previously served as a soprano section leader, participated in focus groups and committees, and is now a member of the Board of trustees, serving as the Scholarship Committee Chair. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The College of New Jersey in vocal performance and education. She has always been active in the arts in her community. Before joining the chorus, she was an active participant in many community theater productions throughout Monmouth and Mercer counties. When she is not performing, she is the Choral Director at Thompson Middle School in Middletown, NJ. She has a chorus of 270 middle school students, and works with them to perform in concerts and competitions throughout the school year. Outside of work, she is a resident of Tinton Falls. She lives there with her husband, Shane, son James, and far too many cats. She also enjoys yoga and is an avid equestrian.
Teri Lindstrom, soprano, has been singing with MCC for over 35 wonderful years. She says, “It is a joy to finally perform Elijah for the first time. Singing the Angel recitative is a special addition to the performance that I will cherish forever. Thank you.”
Deborah Macock, second soprano, has been an MCC member since 1977 when she and her late husband Dwight moved to New Jersey for her job at Bell Laboratories. She has served as MCC’s Secretary, Vice-President and Ticket Manager, and also chaired the Endowment Fund campaign. Originally from Michigan, Debbie has degrees from Miami University (Ohio) and Virginia Tech. Debbie has sung with several area ensembles and church choirs, and also enjoys singing classic rock at local venues. She is a pickleball fanatic, loves golf and hiking, and spends lots of time with her three young grandsons.
Jim Scavone, tenor, joined MCC in 2003. In addition to singing with the group, he has served on the Board of Trustees in many different capacities over the years and is currently serving as the organization’s president. Jim began his singing career as a boy soprano at the age of 9, performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and other organizations through the Chicago area. Currently, Jim is an active participant in the Monmouth County music scene, appearing as a guest singer/soloist or keyboardist with multiple groups. He currently serves as music minister/choir director at St John’s Episcopal Church in Little Silver. Jim is a recent retiree from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. He lives in Neptune with his husband, Paul.
Janice M. Thomas, soprano, studied organ at Moravian University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Music. She also holds a master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from The Ohio State University and the Ph.D. in Education Administration from the University of New Orleans. At present, Dr. Thomas is director of International Education at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ. She spends much of her spare time devoted to her favorite avocation, music.
Having been initially trained as an organist, Dr. Thomas served for a time as director of music at Vanderbilt Moravian Church, NY. Additionally, she has sung in choirs all her adult life beginning with the Moravian University Choir and with church and community ensembles in Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, and New York. She has been with Monmouth Civic Chorus since 2007 and served in various volunteer roles including secretary of the Board. Additionally, she sings with the choir of Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ where she also serves as a lectionary reader.
Dr. Thomas currently studies voice with Patricia Cioffi (Montclair, NJ), had a debut recital in 2012 and continues to perform locally and abroad.
Kathy Woolston, first alto, began singing with Monmouth Civic Chorus in 2015. She served as Gig Manager for MCC and has been Database Manager for the Chorus’ new ticketing/donation system since 2020, supporting the Financial and Marketing committees. Kathy retired from AT&T after 38 years as a systems engineer but had a passion for sacred music which she continued to develop by accompanying and singing at several parishes. Upon joining St. Mary’s in 2002, Kathy volunteered as a choir member, accompanist and cantor. She has also sung with the Trenton Diocesan Festival Choir. As a parishioner of St Mary’s, she continues to sing with its choir, rings handbells and co-leads a women’s bible study. Kathy resides in Colts Neck and especially relishes time with her five grandsons.
MCC members performing
Soprano
Chiara Abreo
Kristen Babcock
Aylin Bilgutay
Donna L. Boris
Micaelie Bremer
Patti Carlisle D’Andrea
Heather Daniels
Wendy Davis
Caitlin deBrigard
Megan Delaney
Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern
Claire L. Harbeck
Gwyneth Hecht
Barbara H. Jacomme
Joan R. Kinney
Sandra Liddy Papp
Cindy Lin
Teri Lindstrom
Deborah Macock
Pat Miller
Nicole Moran
Peggy Noecker
Christine Psolka
Janet Rostad
Cheryl Sobolewski Parker
Helen Steblecki
Madeline Thees
Janice M. Thomas
Carol A. Van Kirk
Martie Viets
Alto
Lindsay Abbot
Kathleen Blinn
Jenni Blumenthal
Janet Breslin
Carolyn Gratzer Cope
Suzanne Costello
Celeste Credle
Ellen Crimi
Elena Cuesta
Patricia Dowens
Gabriella Estrada
Sarah Gillis
Susan Gorsky
Deb Hoffman
Joanne Kelsey
Kari Martin
Susan Metz
Alison Nead
Janine Nehila
Angelina O’Neill
Stephanie Palmer Bates
Clare Resnick
Fiona Smith Sutherland
Linda Wasser
Kathleen Woolston
Tenor
Kenneth Brynildsen
Douglas Clark
Daniel Ford
Jim Harbison
Jonathan Hartwell
Matthew Izzo
Daniel Kanhofer
George Liddy
Ray Ritchie
James Scavone
David P. Willis Jr.
Bass
Kenneth Almquist
Victor Barbella
Andrew Bogdan
Leyland Brenner
Dylan Brown
William J. Clingerman
William Fiorelli
James J. Green
Daniel Hyman
Kevin Douglas Jasaitis
Robert E. Kelly
Joseph A. Leen
John Luard
Ruairi O’Neill
Joseph Pisano
Darnell Robinson
Richard Sorrentino
Kenneth Wasser
Instrumentalists performing
Violin 1
Urara Mogi
Kevin Tsai
Violin 2
Marina Fragoulis
Mioi Takeda
Viola
Alissa Smith
Cello
Nathan Whittaker
Bass
Milad Daniari
Organ
Eric Plutz
Keep in touch
While we still send occasional snail mail, most of our communication is online. Please be sure you’re subscribed to our email list so you’ll never miss a beat.
A huge thanks to our donors
We are deeply grateful for the generous and continuous financial support we receive from our donors. These contributions allow us to organize and hold concerts like this one. Through the Scholarship Fund we have supported many young artists throughout the years.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Virtuoso Fund
Maestro ($500)
Anonymous (2)
Anonymous – in honor of Maestro Dr. Brandau and in memory of Jerry Metz
Kate Ferguson — for Ryan Brandau
Kenneth Fiorelli – in honor of Bill Fiorelli
Daniel and Anne Ford
Warren Moe – in honor of all tenors
Carol A Van Kirk
Kathleen Woolston – in honor of Holland Jancaitis
Gordon and Hui-Ling Wu
Soloist ($250)
Janet & Peter Breslin
Carolyn Cope – for everyone in MCC. Thank you for putting the great gift of community into our community chorus.
Patti D’Andrea — in honor of Holland, our accompanist, back-up director, and thrilling soloist — I enjoyed working with you!
Kate Ferguson — for Eric Plutz
Anne and Daniel Ford
Marcie Horowitz & Margaret Maloney – in honor of Elijah Baritone Holland Jancaitis
Mary Giblin and Bob Kelly – in loving memory of “Mr. Metz”
Randy Messina – in honor of my daughter Lindsay Abbot
Joe Pisano and Steven Russell – in honor of Holland Jancaitis, an amazing singer, pianist, and stand-in director! Thank you for all your artistry!
Master ($200)
Ellen & Joe Crimi
Deb Macock – in loving memory of Dwight Macock
Anita Ritchie — in honor of Ray Ritchie, tenor
Smolka Tours – A big Thank You to the entire chorus for the wonderful music you are bringing to the community
Musician ($150)
Jim and Sue Harbison
Artist ($125)
Anonymous
Anonymous – in honor of Carolyn Cope: for your patience, dedication and expertise
Anonymous – in honor of Janet Breslin: for reasons too great to count
Anonymous – in honor of Kathy Woolston: for being indespensible
Lindsay Abbot
The Bricks – in honor of Carolyn Cope
Paul Chalifour – in honor of Jim Scavone
Doris Clark – in honor of Doug Clark – from “Beautiful Dreamer” (1993) to “If with all your hearts” (2025) you are still THE tenor that gives me goosebumps when I hear you sing
Steve D’Andrea – in honor of my wife Patti, an occasional MCC accompanist and featured vocalist in “Lift Thine Eyes”
Marcia Horowitz and Margaret Maloney – in honor of Elijah baritone Holland Jancaitis
Allison Mansour — in honor of Carolyn Gratzer Cope
Nancy Messina
Steve and Pat Miller – in honor of Chiara Abreo
Steve and Pat Miller – in honor of Sandra Liddy Papp
Steve and Pat Miller – in honor of Kathleen Woolston
Steve and Pat Miller – in honor of Caitlin deBrigard
Friend ($100)
Victor Barbella — with my gratitude for all our talented chorus members, brilliant instrumentalists and soloists, and Ryan’s unparalleled excellence
Andrew, Tess and Hannah Bates – in honor of Stephanie Bates
Stephanie Bates – for my “big sister” Deb, in memory of her Tom
Kristen Babcock — love to all my new choir friends. It’s a pure joy making music with you all
Sally Caltrider — in honor of one of my favorite people on earth, Janet Breslin
Sean & Hillary Critelli
Deb Hoffman — In Memory of my beloved husband Tom Hoffman
William and Jean Fiorelli – in honor of Ken Wasser
George Liddy
Kari Martin
David and Emi Morton – in honor of Aylin Bilgutay
Darnell Robinson
MCC Annual support
Angel ($1,200+)
Stephanie and Andrew Bates
The Cope Family
Joel and Marilyn Morgovsky
Steve and Pat Miller
Joe Pisano and Steven Russell
Jim Scavone & Paul Chalifour
Thomas and Leegen Wu
Donor ($600 – $1,199)
Anonymous (1)
Kathleen Blinn
Ralph and Jenni Blumenthal
Janet and Pete Breslin
Deborah Macock
Susan Metz – in memory of Gerald Metz
Mark Shapiro — wonderful memories of Monmouth Civic Chorus
Phil Carter and Martie Viets
Gordon and Hui-Ling Wu
Sponsor ($300 – $599)
Anonymous
David and Donna Brandau
Hillary and Sean Critelli
Ellen and Joe Crimi
Patti and Steve D’Andrea
Pat and Jac Dowens
Wolfgang and Christine Elsner
Daniel and Anne Ford
Susan Gorsky
Mary and David Graham
Brian and Joelle Kelly Family Foundation
Craig Nohl and Maura Marcus
David and Diana Parkes
Clare Resnick — In memory of Tom Hoffman
Ray and Anita Ritchie
Wendy Shapiro – in memory of Gerald Metz
Patron ($150 – $299)
Anonymous
Mary Batistick
Alice Berman — in memory of Gerald Metz
Ken and Cindy Budka
Doug and Doris Clark
Donna Domenicali
Marshall and Becky Gorman
Deb and Tom Hoffman – in memory of Gerald Metz
Gilded Lily Florist
Greg and Joan Kinney
Kelly Morgan
Beatrice Oppenheim – in honor of MCC’s 75th Anniversary
Charles Parr
James Schmitt – in honor of Peggy Noecker
George and Dawn Sumrall
Friend (up to $149)
Anonymous (4)
Carol Andrew
Glenn Applegate
Barry and Sharon Bedrick – in memory of Jerry Metz
Helen Benham
The Carton Law Offices
Kehilat Chaverim – in memory of Jerry Metz
Sally and Richard Chrisman
Marina Christopher – in memory of Gerald Metz, beloved member of MCC. He made an immeasurable contribution to our chorus and was a very special person
Megan Delaney
JoAnn Dow-Breslin — in honor of Janet Breslin
Dorothy Harbeck
Stephan A Heinlein – in memory of my father
Marilyn Kelsey
Joanie Oram – in memory of my husband Gibb
Jack and Maureen Pfanne — we are so proud of our niece Meg Delaney
Christina Ritchie – in honor of G Ray Ritchie
Janet Rostad — in memory of Tracy Ten Eyck Dussman
Marie and Henry Shapiro – in memory of our cousin Jerry Metz
Wayne and Carol Smith
Fiona Sutherland – in memory of my parents George and Joyce Smith
Ken and Linda Wasser
Arlene Zielinski
Fan (any amount)
Ashar Trupti
Barbara Bilotti – in honor of Patti D’Andrea
Mary Batistick – in memory of Laura Elliot Marsha Cope – in honor of Carolyn Cope
MCC Endowment Fund
$20,000
Mike Huber, in memoriam
Gerald and Susan Metz
$10,000 +
In memory of Mary Ann Greco
Estate of Eileen McAndrew
$5,000 +
Leland dePlanque, in memoriam
A Friend
Lucent Technologies
Deborah and Dwight Macock
$1,000 +
Ralph and Jenni Blumenthal
Sydney Kindler in memory of Matthew Picerno
In memory of Ivar and Allene Lindstrom
Under $1,000
Anonymous (1)
Gregory Adams
AT&T
Catherine Baumann-Hecht
Ellen Crimi – in memory of Jerry Metz
Richard and Sally Chrisman – in loving memory of our valiant friend, Jerry Metz
Patti and Steve D’Andrea
Stephen Doyle in honor of Helen Steblecki
Michael Humphreys
Diane and Adam Iosca – in honor of Ken and Linda Wasser
Deborah Macock – in memory of Jerry Metz
Robert and Kathi O’Neil – in memory or Rene O’Neil
Raphael Podolski – in memory of Jerry Metz
Barbara Sager
Mark Shapiro — honoring the memory of Jerry Metz, with love to Sue Metz
Ken and Linda Wasser – in memory of Dwight Macock
Gerald Metz Scholarship Endowment Fund
If you’re looking for an especially meaningful way to support MCC and talented young musicians in NJ, we encourage you to consider donating to this new scholarship fund. Longtime MCC member Jerry Metz had a profound impact on the lives of countless musicians, and we are honored to be able to continue that legacy with your help.
$35,000
Susan Metz — in memory of Jerry Metz
Under $1,000
Alice Berman — in memory of Gerald Metz
Bruce Bush and Judith Johnston
Doug and Doris Clark
Patti and Steve D’Andrea
Ted Diesenhaus and Deanne Shapiro – in loving memory of Jerry Metz, our beloved brother-in-law
William Fiorelli – it was my pleasure to sing with Jerry in MCC
Daniel and Anne Ford
Ann Gratzer
Tom and Deb Hoffman – in memory of Gerald Metz
Joseph A Lean
Teri Lindstrom
Pat and Steve Miller
Mari-Jo Policastro
Clare Resnick
Ken and Linda Wasser – in memory of Jerry Metz
Gordon and Hui-Ling Wu
MCC Scholarship Fund
Under $1,000
Anonymous
Deb and Bob Abraham – in memory of Jerry Metz
Stephanie Bates – in memory of Jerry Metz
Pat and Jac Dowens
Lauren Brunski-Howard – in memory of Doris K Foster
Robert and Rebecca Hubert
The Johnson Company – in memory of Doris K Foster
Carol van Kirk – in memory of Jerry Metz
Umami Girl
Ken and Linda Wasser – in memory of Dwight Macock
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Printing2Go for providing exceptional service at every turn. You make our season possible.
MCC Board
President: James Scavone
Vice President: Janet Breslin
Secretary: Stephanie Palmer Bates
Treasurer: Joseph Pisano
Development: Stephanie Palmer Bates
Financial Operations: Michele Critelli
Marketing: Carolyn Gratzer Cope
Music: Kenneth Budka
Membership: Martie Viets
Production: Brian Shapiro
Technology: Heather Daniels
Registered Agent: Jenni Blumenthal
Concert production crew
Music Manager: Janet Breslin
Production Manager: Brian Shapiro
Marketing Manager: Carolyn Gratzer Cope
Ticket Manager: Teri Lindstrom
Database Manager: Kathy Woolston
House Manager: Doris Clark
Program Designer: Micaelie Bremer
Making Spirits Bright