(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Light up this holiday season with a stunning performance by the New Jersey Youth Chorus and special guest handbell choir, the Walsh Memorial Bell Choir from the Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains. As part of the 2023-24 season’s vision to engage alumni by building a passionate, caring, and broad community of chorus members, the concert features NJYC Alumna Emmalee LaFean. Readings and Carols: Season of Light will take place on Sunday, December 3 at 4:30pm at the Morristown United Methodist Church located at 50 South Park Place in Morristown.

Tickets are $20/Adults and $15/Students and Seniors, available at NJYC.org.

Said NJYC Founder and Director Trish Joyce, “Since the dawn of time, light has been celebrated as a symbol of hope, peace, wisdom, truth, and goodness.  It is a common thread, woven throughout humanity. We are excited to present a program which celebrates the importance of light in the cultures dear to our NJYC families. Our choristers will light the Advent wreath, Menorah, and Diyas; share readings and poetry; and lead the audience in songs and carols honoring the light within all of us.”

Joyful selections performed by NJYC’s Coriste ensemble, led by Director Trish Joyce, and Camerata ensemble, led by Director Dan Malloy, include Veni, Veni Emmanuel by Michael John Trotta, TāReKiTa by Reena Esmail, One Light by Evan Ramos, Night of Silence by Daniel Kantor, Faith is the Bird that Feels the Light by Elizabeth Alexander, Hold Out Your Light by Stacey V. Gibbs, Season of Light by Jacob Narverud, and Carol of the Bells arranged Peter J. Wilhousky. Arrangements of seasonal favorites will be performed by the Walsh Memorial Bell Choir and soloist Emmalee LaFean.

Don’t miss out on this enchanting holiday concert illuminated by candles of peace, hope, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness.

Wharton Arts’ mission is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities.

Wharton Arts’ vision is for a transformative performing arts education in an inclusive community to be accessible for everyone.

Wharton Arts is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving nearly 2,000 students through a range of classes and ensembles. The 5 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, an auditioned choral ensemble program for students in grades 3–12, encourage a love and appreciation of choral music while nurturing personal growth and creative development. The 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve over 500 students in grades 3–12 by audition, inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through high-level ensemble training and performance opportunities. Based in Paterson, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Arts that uses music education as a vehicle for social action by empowering and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing. From Pathways classes for young children to Lifelong Learning programs for adults, the Wharton Performing Arts School has a robust musical theater and drama program and offers both private and group classes for instruments and voice for all ages and all abilities. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and that performing arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton Arts offers need-based scholarships. 

Wharton Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts’ extraordinary teaching artists, faculty members, and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.