Oratorio Society of New Jersey celebrates its 70th season

MONTCLAIR, NJ — In 1952, Elizabeth II was crowned queen of England, Dwight Eisenhower was elected president of the United States and “The Today Show” had its inaugural broadcast. Closer by, in New Jersey, the Bloomfield Avenue trolley in Montclair had its final run. And the Oratorio Society of New Jersey held its first concert.

Seventy years later, OSNJ continues to provide a creative outlet for choral singers from North Jersey who love to perform the great choral works and share their passion with the broader community. And for the 2022-23 season, OSNJ invites that community to celebrate the choir’s 70th anniversary with a program that honors the rich history of choral music across the centuries. The 2022-23 season includes two concert performances and the annual “Messiah Sing,” as well as plans to reintroduce OSNJ’s “Summer Sing” tradition, reimagined as a “Spring Sing,” scheduled for May 2023.

OSNJ will also hold a gala celebration in honor of its 70th season on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Gilded Age Blanchard estate in South Orange. For more information about the gala celebration, visit oratoriosocietynj.org/70th-anniversary-gala-event. The celebration will feature live entertainment, gourmet food and wine selections, and a silent auction. Plus, OSNJ will honor members who have sung with the choir for 25 years or longer.

After all, OSNJ’s upcoming season is all about recognizing the choir’s longevity, as well as the timelessness of the music that OSNJ performs. And the season also celebrates the diverse group of singers, from many backgrounds and communities, who come together every week to rehearse choral masterpieces that they deliver with polished grace, musical precision and abundant enthusiasm in performances.

In the 70 years since its founding, OSNJ has enjoyed many highlights, including performing with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, staging the New Jersey premiere of Arthur Honegger’s “King David,” and joining with other choirs to sing Johannes Brahms’ “German Requiem” in Carnegie Hall. And during its 50th anniversary season in 2002, OSNJ performed the world premiere of Montclair composer George Walker’s “Cantata.”

Since 2005, OSNJ’s music director and conductor has been Sándor Szabó, who is actively engaged as a conductor, organist, pianist, harpsichordist, vocal coach, arranger and adjudicator. Choirs and orchestras under his leadership have toured throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, and he has performed in major concert halls and cathedrals in Europe and North America.

Under Szabó’s leadership, OSNJ has broadened its exploration of the choral repertoire, from Renaissance composers such as Palestrina to modern masters such as Bernstein and Jenkins.

OSNJ hires a range of first-class soloists for its programs; many have performance careers on an international level. The choir also chooses instrumentalists from the superb freelance musicians available in the New York metro area.

The choir has persevered during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the choir suspended rehearsals, but still maintained a presence in the community by sharing video performances of highlights of past performances, as well as holding a virtual “Messiah Sing” in December. In the first half of 2021, the choir met regularly for virtual study sessions of the planned fall repertoire. In November 2021, OSNJ returned to live performance, with concerts at Union Congregational Church in Montclair, as well as initiating a new relationship by performing at Grace Church in Newark, followed by a live “Messiah Sing” in December in Montclair.

Given the challenges of the past two years, the Oratorio Society of New Jersey is thrilled to be going strong after 70 years and looks forward to celebrating that accomplishment throughout the upcoming season.

Further information and recordings of numerous performances of OSNJ can be heard at oratoriosocietynj.org. OSNJ receives support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Essex County Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs, as well as many corporate and individual donors.