Event details
Sunday, December 22, 2024
4:00 p.m.
Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, Count Basie Center for the Arts
99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ
MCC returns to the Basie for our beloved annual holiday concert. This season’s program features your favorite selections from Bach, Handel’s Messiah, and Artistic Director Dr. Ryan James Brandau’s own holiday suite — including two brand-new arrangements. The chorus teams up with our elite professional orchestra for the most heartwarming event of the season.
Premium seating: Adult $60, Senior $50, Student $20
Regular seating: Adult $40, Senior $35, Student $15
Concert runtime is approximately 90 minutes, including a short intermission.
Parking in Red Bank is free on Sundays, but there is no dedicated lot at the venue. Please allow plenty of time to find parking and go through security before taking your seats.
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.
Program
Act 1
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel/God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen — Plainchant and Trad. English, arr. Ryan James Brandau
Mi Yimalel — Trad. Hebrew, arr. Brandau
Gabriel’s Message — Trad. Basque, arr. Brandau
Magnificat Anima Mea — Johann Sebastian Bach
Go Tell it on the Mountain — Trad. Spiritual, arr. Margaret Bonds, orch. Brandau (Kenneth Budka, baritone)
For Unto Us a Child is Born, from Messiah — G.F. Handel
Angels We Have Heard on High — Trad. French, arr. Brandau
I Wonder as I Wander — John Jacob Niles, arr. Brandau
Poem: “On the Feast of Fear Not” — written by Robert Kelly, read by James J. Green
Still, Still, Still / Silent Night — Trad. Austrian, Franz Gruber, arr. Brandau
Joy to the World/Hallelujah — G.F. Handel, arr. Brandau
Intermission
Act 2
O Come All Ye Faithful (singalong) — arr. Brandau
Greensleeves — Trad. English, arr. Brandau
Wexford Carol — Trad. Irish, arr. Brandau (Kristen Babcock and Heather Daniels, sopranos)
I Saw Three Ships — Trad. English, arr. Brandau
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day — John Calkin, arr. Brandau (Kenneth Wasser, baritone)
Jingle Bells (singalong) — John Lord Pierpont, arr. Brandau
Wassail — Trad. English, arr. Brandau (Matthew Izzo, tenor)
Poem: “No Matter How Far Away You Roam” — written by Robert Kelly, read by Daniel Ford
Auld Lang Syne — Trad. Scots, arr. Brandau
Finale: Joy to the World/We Wish You a Merry Christmas — G.F. Handel, arr. Brandau
Keep in touch
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Selected Text & Translation
Mi Yimalel
Mi yimalel gvurot Yisrael
Otan mi yimne?
Hen be’chol dor yakum ha’gibor Goel ha’am!
Shma!
Ba’yamim ha’hem ba’zman ha’ze
Maccabi moshia u’fode
U’v’yameinu kol am Yisrael
Yitached yakum ve’yigael!
Who can retell the things that befell us,
Who can count them?
In every age, a hero or sage came to our aid.
Hark!
In this time of year in days of yore
Maccabees the Temple did restore
And tonight our people as we dream
will arise, unite, and be redeemed.
Magnificat Anima Mea
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
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.
Member soloists
Kristen Babcock, soprano, is proud to be a new member of Monmouth Civic Chorus. She last performed with MCC 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.
Kenneth Budka, bass, has been active in Monmouth County music community since he and his wife Cindy moved to Marlboro in 1991 and raised their two children. Ken has performed with the Monmouth Civic Chorus, New Jersey Chamber singers, and is a vocalist/guitarist with the Freehold United Methodist Church’s praise band “Joyful Noise” and choir. Ken is a recent retiree from Nokia Bell Labs. He is a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician with the Marlboro Emergency Services and Music Chairperson of Monmouth Civic Chorus.
Heather Daniels, second soprano, began singing with Monmouth Civic Chorus in 2022 and has since been featured in several ensemble and small group pieces. She joined the Board of Trustees as Technology Chair at the start of the 2024-2025 season. A passionate singer since the age of 8, Heather has studied with numerous voice instructors throughout the years. After taking a 15-year hiatus, she is thrilled to be back singing and loving every minute of it. Outside of music, Heather works as a Nurse Practitioner. She is excited and proud to sing with Monmouth Civic Chorus and is so grateful for the opportunity to sing with and contribute to this amazing group of singers.
Matthew Izzo, tenor, has been a Monmouth Civic Chorus member since 1987 and served on the Executive Board as President and Vice President from 2008 to 2016. Matt is a frequent soloist for MCC and has also performed leading roles in local stage productions over the years, including Titanic, Fiddler on the Roof, The Most Happy Fella, and Pippin. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in electrical engineering. He works at Catchpoint Systems in New York as Executive VP of Product. Matt is married to MCC soprano Claire Harbeck. They met in MCC in 1992 and have been singing together ever since.
Kenneth Wasser, baritone, has been a member of MCC for over 40 years. He has performed leading roles in local productions of Sondheim on Sondheim, Ragtime, South Pacific, Titanic, Damn Yankees, Man of La Mancha (NJ ACT PERRY award for outstanding lead actor in a musical), Fiddler on the Roof, The Secret Garden, Follies, The Magic Flute, The Most Happy Fella, New Moon, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Merry Widow, Brigadoon, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Kismet, and many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Ken is also a featured vocalist with The Garden State Symphonic Band in Middlesex County and an active partcipant in Cabaret for Life fundraisers. Ken provides the entertainment for various organizations with his one-man show, The Three Baritones. He lives in West Long Branch with his wife, Linda, also an MCC member.
Poetry
Bob Kelly, poet, began distributing his annual “Christmascard poems” in 1981. He earned an M.A. degree in Interpretation from Northwestern University in 1979 and a J.D. from Rutgers in 2006. Bob joined Monmouth Civic Chorus in 1997, after singing with the Oratorio Society of New York and I Cantori di New York. His poems have been featured in MCC concerts since 2015. Bob and his wife, Mary Giblin, live in Old Bridge, occasionally joined by their daughter, Kat Crowe. Bob recently retired from practicing law for the State of New Jersey.
“On the Feast of Fear Not” (2018)
They had to scrounge for shelter,
for her hour was upon them.
The night grew ever darker,
but she was not afraid.
Some drowsy shepherds, wakened
by angelic mañanitas,
stood stock still struck by wonder,
but no longer afraid.
Three great ones crossing deserts
bore gifts of regal tribute
to one whose birth a star proclaimed,
and they were not afraid.
The Newborn, grown to manhood,
spoke truth to all who listened,
walked boldly up to death itself,
and He was not afraid.
In the silent night of Fear Not,
we partake of shepherd wonder,
and we pray to share the courage
of the Blessed Unafraid.
“No Matter How Far Away You Roam” (1997)
That last Noël, at Little Sister’s house,
rooms crowded, bustling, bright and cousin-loud,
one held grandkids, grinning for my lens,
the other warbled carols for his son.
Two fathers, joining in as fathers do,
not looking far ahead, not hanging back,
in Christmas present, celebrating Birth
(with just a nod to its twin, standing near).
More than he would say, my father sensed
this celebration likely was his last,
and now he’s gone, we feel him, present, still,
Quiet, in our midst, behind us, still,
there with Mom, in our old Christmas pose,
home for the holidays.
MCC members performing
Soprano 1
Chiara Abreo
Kristen Babcock
Aylin Bilgutay
Donna L. Boris
Marina Christopher
Hillary Critelli
Gwyneth Hecht
Barbara H. Jacomme
Joan R. Kinney
Janice Liddy
Teri Lindstrom
Nicole Moran
Janet Rostad
Cheryl Sobolewski Parker
Helen Steblecki
Madeline Thees
Jennifer Weingarten
Soprano 2
Micaelie Bremer
Patti Carlisle D’Andrea
Heather Daniels
Wendy Davis
Megan Delaney
Claire L. Harbeck
Lisa M. Kirby
Sandra Liddy Papp
Cindy Lin
Deborah Macock
Eleanor Mason
Pat Miller
Petrina Picerno
Christine Psolka
Carol A. Van Kirk
Martie Viets
Hui-Ling Wu
Shelley Ziegler
Alto 1
Carol Andrew
Kathleen Blinn
Jenni Blumenthal
Janet Breslin
Carolyn Gratzer Cope
Patricia Dowens
Sarah Gillis
Becky Gorman
Joanne Kelsey
Kari Martin
Susan Metz
Janine Nehila
Clare Resnick
Linda Wasser
Kathleen Woolston
Alto 2
Suzanne Costello
Celeste Credle
Ellen Crimi
Alissa Downey
Susan Gorsky
Deb Hoffman
Marcie Horowitz
Alison Nead
Angelina O’Neill
Stephanie Palmer Bates
Mari-Jo Policastro
Fiona Smith Sutherland
Tenor 1
Douglas Clark
Daniel Ford
Marshall Gorman
Matthew Izzo
Tenor 2
George Liddy
Ray Ritchie
James Scavone
David P. Willis Jr.
Baritone
Victor Barbella
Leyland Brenner
Kenneth Budka
William J. Clingerman
William Fiorelli
James J. Green
Daniel Hyman
John Luard
Ruairi O’Neill
Richard Oppenheim
Tim Velardo
Gordon Wu
Bass
Kenneth Almquist
Kelly Morgan
Joseph Pisano
Richard Sorrentino
Kenneth Wasser
Instrumentalists performing
Violin 1
Urara Mogi
Laura Hamilton
Cheng-Chih Kevin Tsai
Margaret Banks
Garry Ianco
Patrick Doane
Violin 2
Marina Fragoulis
Erica Dicker
David Steinberg
Courtney Orlando
Sayuri Lyons
Viola
Stephen Goist
Liuh-Wen Ting
Victoria Witmer
Ah-Ling Neu
Cello
David Heiss
Luke Krafka
Chris Gross
Bass
Milad Daniari
Tony Falanga
Flute
Tara O’Connor (+ Piccolo)
Diva Goodfriend-Koven
Oboe
Pedro Diaz
Karen Birch-Blundell (+ English Horn)
Clarinet
Robert Dilutis
Bohdan Hilash (+ Contrabass Clarinet)
Bassoon
Gili Sharett
Daniel Shelly
Horn
Eli Pandolfi
Alejandro Gándara
Nicolee Kuester
Victoria Drexler
Trumpet
Wayne Dumaine
James De La Garza
Paul Murphy
Harp
Lynette Wardle
Keyboards
Kerry Heimann
Timpani
William Trigg
Percussion
John Ferrari
Gregory Landes
In memoriam
Monmouth Civic Chorus mourns the passing of our beloved member Gerald Metz and former members Laura Elliot, Rene O’Neil, and Elizabeth Rubin. Our thoughts are with their families.
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.
MCC Annual support
Angel ($1,200+)
The Cope Family
Joel and Marilyn Morgovsky
Steve and Pat Miller
Jim Scavone & Paul Chalifour
Thomas and Leegen Wu
Donor ($600 – $1,199)
Anonymous (1)
Andrew and Stephanie Bates
Kathleen Blinn
Ralph and Jenni Blumenthal
Janet and Pete Breslin
Deborah Macock
Susan Metz – in memory of Gerald Metz
Phil Carter and Martie Viets
Gordon and Hui-Ling Wu
Sponsor ($300 – $599)
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
Mary and David Graham
Brian and Joelle Kelly Family Foundation
Craig Nohl and Maura Marcus
Ray and Anita Ritchie
Wendy Shapiro – in memory of Gerald Metz
Patron ($150 – $299)
Doug and Doris Clark
Marshall and Becky Gorman
Susan Gorsky
Deb and Tom Hoffman – in memory of Gerald Metz
Gilded Lily Florist
Greg and Joan Kinney
Beatrice Oppenheim – in honor of MCC’s 75th Anniversary
Clare Resnick
James Schmitt – in honor of Peggy Noecker
George and Dawn Sumrall
Friend (up to $149)
Anonymous (2)
Barry and Sharon Bedrick – in memory of Jerry Metz
Helen Benham
The Carton Law Offices
Kehilat Chaverim – in memory of Jerry Metz
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
Donna Domenicali
Dorothy Harbeck
Stephan A Heinlein – in memory of my father
Marilyn Kelsey
Joanie Oram – in memory of my husband Gibb
Charles D Parr
Christina Ritchie – in honor of G Ray Ritchie
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
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)
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
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
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
Tom and Deb Hoffman – in memory of Gerald Metz
Pat and Steve Miller
Mari-Jo Policastro
Clare Resnick
Ken and Linda Wasser – in memory of Jerry Metz
MCC Scholarship Fund
Under $1,000
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: Jacqueline Reynolds
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: Kenneth Budka
Production Manager: Brian Shapiro
Marketing Manager: Carolyn Gratzer Cope
Ticket Manager: Alissa Downey
Database Manager: Kathy Woolston
House Manager: Doris Clark
Digital Program Manager: Jacqueline Schreiber
Program Designer: Micaelie Bremer
Earthsongs