‘A Wonderful Peace’ at Christmas concert

Posted 12/18/19

Leave the familiar carols behind and tour foreign lands in song this Christmas season with two concerts by The Newburgh Chorale.

The program will include a Swedish carol, Wonderful Peace, whose …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

‘A Wonderful Peace’ at Christmas concert

Posted

Leave the familiar carols behind and tour foreign lands in song this Christmas season with two concerts by The Newburgh Chorale.

The program will include a Swedish carol, Wonderful Peace, whose English translation underscores the theme of the concerts, said Artistic director Michael Saunders. The chorale, with its pianist, Cherwyn Ambuter, will also perform carols from the British Isles, Poland, the Basque region of Spain, and France.

The concerts are Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 15 South Ave., in Beacon, and Dec. 29 at 3 p.m. at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 543 Union Ave., New Windsor.

The chorale was founded in 2004 with a mission to broaden and enrich Newburgh’s musical culture. It was a partner of the Greater Newburgh Symphony for 14 years before establishing itself as an independent chorale and forming a new partnership with the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan. The ensemble is artists-in-residence at King of Kings Lutheran Church in New Windsor.

The singers – all volunteers -- come from the greater Newburgh area and as far away as New Paltz, Port Jervis, and Wappingers Falls. Several sing with other ensembles in the region.

Saunders has been a member of the chorale since 2012 and was named its Artistic Director in 2018. A Hudson Valley native, he has performed with most of the local choral ensembles, including
Capella Festiva, Classic Choral Society, Hudson Valley BachFest, Kairos, and the Warwick Valley Chorale. He is the Director of Music at Grace Episcopal Church in Middletown.

Ambuter, the chorale’s pianist, has extensive experience as a teacher, recital artist, and collaborator on piano, harpsichord, and organ with many ensembles. She is a recitalist for Road Scholar in Warwick, pianist for Classic Choral Society in Blooming Grove, and conducted Zephyr Vocal Ensemble and the Jefferson Twp. Community Chorus in New Jersey. She teaches piano and sight-singing in Vernon, NJ and Warwick.

Both St. Andrew’s and King of Kings churches are A.D.A. compliant. Donation: $10 at the door. For further information, or to learn about how to join the chorale, email info@newburghchorale.org, or call 845-568-5995.