(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Westminster Community Orchestra, conducted by Ruth Ochs, will present a concert and holiday sing along titled “Holiday Chestnuts and Sing-Along” on Wednesday, December 14 at 7:30pm in the Robert L. Annis Playhouse on the campus of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton. A free-will offering of non-perishable food or monetary donations will be collected at the event and distributed to local food pantries.
The program will include such favorites as Let it Snow, The Christmas Song, excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival, and Feldstein’s Chanukah Celebration. Everyone will be invited to join in singing familiar carols and the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.
Now in her12th season as conductor and music director of the Westminster Community Orchestra, Ruth Ochs has led the orchestra in performances of major orchestral and choral-orchestral works, including symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. Under her leadership, the orchestra continues to feature choral ensembles and soloists from the Westminster Conservatory and to collaborate with Westminster Choir College students. She is also the founding conductor of the Princeton Charter School/Westminster Conservatory Youth Orchestra, and she is in her 13th season as the conductor of the Princeton University Sinfonia.
Ms. Ochs holds degrees in Music and Orchestral Conducting from Harvard University and the University of Texas at Austin, and she is completing her Ph.D. in Musicology at Princeton University. She is currently a lecturer in the Princeton University Department of Music.
Now in its 29th season, the Westminster Community Orchestra is known for performances that showcase the artistry, commitment and passion of a true community ensemble. The group presents popular programs noted for their diverse repertoire and widespread appeal. Members are professional and gifted amateur musicians from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They come from all walks of life but share a common goal: the desire to make wonderful music for themselves and their community.
Westminster Choir College of Rider University is located on the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Walnut Lane in Princeton. Learn more at www.rider.edu/arts.
