Jason C. Tramm to Lead Ocean Grove's 61st Annual Choir Festival PRINCE OF PEACE

The 61st Ocean Grove Choir Festival, the largest sacred music choral event on the East Coast, will take place Sunday July 12, 2015 under the baton of Jason C. Tramm.

The historic 6,500 seat Great Auditorium will showcase this spectacular annual event featuring hundreds of choristers from throughout the United States, noted soloists, musicians, composers and guest conductors.

The 1000 member Choir Festival and Philadelphia's Festive Brass will be conducted by Ocean Grove's Director of Music Jason C. Tramm, accompanied by renowned organist Gordon Turk at the magnificent Hope-Jones organ. The combined choirs will perform anthems, hymns and works by classical and contemporary composers in selections by Karl Jenkins, G.F. Handel, Felix Mendelssohn and David Stanley York. This year's festival will also showcase the works of noted contemporary composers Joseph M. Martin and Mark Miller.

The Ocean Grove Choir Festival continues its tradition of presenting both noted guest conductors and composers of choral music in performance by the 1000 member festival choir. Historical musicians have included the legendary John Ness Beck, Craig Courtney, Dr. Laurence Dilsner, Jester Hairston, Ross Hastings, Dr. Carl Mueller, Carl J. Nygard, Jr. and Clayton White. This year's guest conductors include Marcello Velame, Michael Schmidt, Dr. Cindy Bell, Dr. Mark Boyle and Thomas Berdos. World-renowned contemporary composers Joseph M. Martin and Mark Miller will conduct their own works.

The Ocean Grove Choir Festival originally evolved from a workshop for church musicians held in Ocean Grove. Invitations were extended to choral societies in nearby communities and in the Philadelphia area. Dr. Walter Eddows organized the first choir of three hundred singers who participated in the first festival. This year the 61st Annual Ocean Grove Choir Festival represents many of the finest choral and oratorio society's from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Illinois, Louisiana and Tennessee. In addition to his role as Festival Music Director, Jason C. Tramm serves as Director of Choral Activities at Seton Hall University and is Artistic Director of the MidAtlantic Opera.

"Prince of Peace" the 61st Annual Choir Festival, will take place Sunday July 12 7PM at the Great Auditorium located at Pilgrim and Ocean Pathways in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. All facilities are handicapped-accessible. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. A free will offering will be accepted.

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