New Jersey Youth Chorus to Present JUST US GIRLS In Morristown

The New Jersey Youth Chorus, a program of Wharton Arts, will present Just Us Girls on March 8 at 4:00 p.m. at Morristown United Methodist Church located at 50 South Park Place in Morristown. The event is free. Donations can be made to support the Brooke Healey Foundation. 

NJYC's Coriste, Sola Voce, and Primo Coro singers will join together for Just Us Girls, a concert in honor of International Women's Day and benefitting the Brooke Healey Foundation. This New Providence-based not-for-profit organization was started in honor of five-year-old Brooke Healey, who passed away in 2013 from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable and aggressive form of brain cancer that only affects children and has a 100% fatality rate. The foundation works to build awareness and raise funds for DGIP research and supports families dealing with pediatric cancers.

The concert will feature Neil Ginsberg's Two Poems of Emily Dickinson; Grow Little Tree by Andrea Ramsey, which reflects the journey of childhood and the loving guidance of those who help us grow;  Andrea Ramsey's Letter From a Girl to the World, which the composer hopes will inspire young women “to be confident, educated, and comfortable in their own skin;" The Beat of a Different Drum by Sarah Quartel; Abbie Betinis' Be Like the Bird, dedicated to a program called High Rocks, which inspires each girl to know that “she hath wings;” and Light of a Clear Blue Morning by Dolly Parton (arranged by Craig Hella Johnson), which is a song of hope and resilience. All three NJYC choirs will combine for When I Rise Up by J. David Moore; the text by Wendall Barry reminds us that, no matter the struggles we face, we can rise again through the strength we find within ourselves: rise up with joy and fall without regret.

Said Trish Joyce, NJYC Founder and Director, “Choral music has the power to unite, heal, and inspire. At this concert, our girls and young women will lift their voices in a powerful celebration of strength, resilience, and hope. In addition to celebrating International Women's Day, we are thrilled to support the Brooke Healey Foundation, an organization that works tirelessly to bring hope and healing to children and families in need. Each work on the concert program reminds us that no matter what the challenge, we rise together and lift each other up.  Based on the inspiration of one of our pieces, Letter from a Girl to the World, a special touch will include our choristers' own thoughts as a ‘Letter from the NJYC Girls to the World.' In addition, the Brooke Healey Foundation's logo is a butterfly, signifying hope, love, and transformation, and audience members will be invited to write a short note on butterfly cards that will be distributed to families served by the Foundation. Special alumni guests Ginny LaFean and Annie Salorio will share their talents on our program as well.”

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