NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY Presents #ChoraleYou on December 13 After Concert

The NJSO invites attendees of "A Take 6 Holiday with the NJSO" on December 13 to join fellow audience members and members of the NJSO to sing the "Gospel Hallelujah" at the first-ever #ChoraleYou-a massive "sing-in" in the lobby following the Orchestra's holiday pops concert with legendary Grammy-winning ensemble Take 6 at NJPAC in Newark.

Donald Morris, music director of the Newark Boys Chorus, will conduct a fun-filled rehearsal and performance of the "Gospel Hallelujah"-a gospel interpretation of the famed "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah-immediately following the NJSO concert.

Concert attendees can watch the session unfold from one of the lobby's many vantage points and can share their photos and comments on social media using the #ChoraleYou hashtag.

An NJSO Accent event, #ChoraleYou is inspired by the excitement of last season's #OrchestraYou, which garnered national attention on NPR's "All Things Considered."

Last spring, NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas recounted a young #OrchestraYou participant telling her that "playing with this group, even for literally just a few minutes, was simply amazing. 'I got such a feeling of ... euphoria,' he told me, searching for just the right word. 'There's nothing like this. There's so much energy here, so much of a sense that you're part of something much bigger than yourself.'"

Tsioulcas continued: "If this kind of effort catches fire either in New Jersey or nationally, all the better. Not only was it incredibly fun, but it served as a good reminder that music-making shouldn't be divided into producers and consumers, with most people locked into a passive experience."

Participation in #ChoraleYou is free to December 13 ticketholders, but advance registration is appreciated. Call Patron Services at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) to register.

More information-including downloadable sheet music for the three-part soprano-alto-bass arrangement-is available atwww.njsymphony.org/choraleyou.

The NJSO will hold its second annual #OrchestraYou post-concert instrumental session on Friday, March 13, following the Orchestra's performance of Mahler's "Titan" Symphony and Bernstein's "The Age of Anxiety." More information will be available at www.njsymphony.org/orchestrayou.

A TAKE 6 HOLIDAY WITH THE NJSO

Take 6 joins the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for "A Take 6 Holiday with the NJSO" December 13-14 in Newark and New Brunswick. The NJSO POPS series opener will feature the 10-time Grammy Award-winning vocal sextet, who will bring their patented fusion of R&B, gospel and pop on a program of Christmas favorites including "Joy to the World" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Joseph Joubert conducts.

Performances take place on Saturday, December 13, at 8 pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark and Sunday, December 14, at3 pm at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. The December 14 performance is presented in collaboration with the State Theatre.

The New York Times has praised Take 6's "creamy vocal blends and gleaming gospel harmonies." Of the sextet's celebrated Christmas performances,Smooth Jazz Ride writes: "Take 6, one of the most competent and most recognizable groups to ever successfully compete with any instrument we could possibly associate with the contemporary jazz genre, adds this sparkling touch to the season and gives us reason to close our eyes for a gleeful moment and realize that there is much for which to be joyful."

The weekend's NJSO Accents also include special festivities preceding each concert. In a prelude performance, the Newark Boys Chorus will sing holiday favorites in the NJPAC lobby on December 13; audiences can join in a sing-along of Christmas carols at the State Theatre on December 14. Learn more at www.njsymphony.org/accents. NJSO Accents in Newark are generously sponsored by the Prudential Foundation.

The Orchestra invites patrons to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.

TICKETS

Concert tickets to "A Take 6 Holiday with the NJSO," which include entry into #ChoraleYou, start at $20 and are available for purchase online atwww.njsymphony.org or by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476).

To post a comment, you must register and login.