Don't Miss It: Second Annual Fanwood Choir Festival, May 19

Here, photos of the regional choir assembled by Tom Berdos of Fanwood Presbyterian Church for the Second Annual Fanwood Choir Festival. The May 19 concert will benefit the Fanwood and Scotch Plains Rescue Squads. Last year's event raised $2,000 for the squads. Photos courtesy of Tom Kranz.

More on the upcoming concert in the press release below:

On Sunday, May 19, 2013, the music ministry of Fanwood Presbyterian Church will present the second annual Fanwood Choir Festival. The event will feature a large chorus drawn from singers in Scotch Plains, Fanwood, and other communities. The day will culminate in a grand concert at 7:00 p.m. with guest conductors, choral repertoire, and a freewill offering to be donated to the rescue squads of Scotch Plains and Fanwood.

The rescue squads of Scotch Plains and Fanwood faithfully serve our community by providing essential emergency health assistance. They rely on donations from the public to maintain this service. The Fanwood Choir Festival is an opportunity for the SP/F community at large to gather at a celebratory event and provide monetary support for the rescue squads.

The concert program will include music of Mozart, Beethoven, Rutter, and others. Guest conductors will include Dr. Cindy Bell, Hofstra University faculty and frequent conductor at the Ocean Grove Choir Festival; Jan Allen, Choral Director at SPF High School; Dr. Andrew Moore, chair of the music department at the Pingry School; Seth Garrepy, conductor and composer; and Thomas Berdos, Director of Music Ministries at Fanwood Presbyterian Church. Organist Deborah Berdos, clarinetist Amy M. Burns, and other musicians will also participate.

Singers are invited to join in the chorus. Rehearsals will be at Fanwood Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evenings, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m., beginning on April 3. Singers will need to attend at least five of the six scheduled Wednesday evening rehearsals. They will also need to purchase a packet of music (cost is $20.00, available at rehearsal). Dress rehearsal will be Sunday, May 19, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Music reading skills are very helpful but not required. All who sing are cordially invited to join the chorus to support the rescue squads. It would be especially meaningful to have those who may have been assisted by the rescue squads singing in the chorus.

For more information or to participate in the chorus, please contact Tom Berdos at tom.berdos@gmail.com or (908) 889-8891, ext. 17.