Westminster Community Chorus Performs December 19 and 20

The Westminster Community Chorus, conducted by John Wilson, will present its annual Holiday Concert on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 at 8 p.m. in Bristol Chapel on the campus of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. Martha Davidson will accompany the performances.

The Chorus will perform Vivaldi’s popular choral masterwork Gloria in D Major, RV 589, and favorite Christmas carols, including O Holy Night, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Love Came Down at Christmas and more.

In his first season with the Westminster Community Chorus, John Wilson is the choral director at Bridgewater-Raritan High School where he conducts seven ensembles. His choirs have consistently received superior and first-place ratings in festivals throughout the state, earning praise most recently for performances of Gustav Holst’s Hymns from the Rig-Veda. Mr. Wilson’s ensembles have performed at major venues in the New York/New Jersey area under the baton of Ryan Brandau, Alan Raines, Lee Nelson and Andrew Megill. During the summer of 2014, Mr. Wilson served on the faculty at Westminster Choir College’s High School Vocal Institute, where he conducted the women’s choir. He was also accepted as a conducting fellow for the 2014 Yale School of Music Choral Conducting Workshop, held in Norfolk, Conn., where he worked with Simon Carrington.

Martha Davidson has been the accom­panist and assistant for the Westminster Community Chorus since 2002, and has taught music at the elementary, middle and high school levels. She has served as organist and choir director at numerous churches throughout New Jersey. She has taught piano through the Westminster Conservatory and served as its director from 1982-1986. She then served as vice president for development and external affairs at Westminster Choir College leading to the merger with Rider University. She has also served as director of corporate and foundation relations at Saint Jo­seph's University; and director of development at Wood­row Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Princeton Project 55, Foundations, Inc., and currently for Trenton Health Team.

The Westminster Community Chorus is composed of singers from all walks of life who share a love of choral music. Since its inception in 1996 as part of Westminster Conservatory’s choral program, the group has developed a reputa­tion for excellence in the Westminster tradition. The chorus performs a wide variety of accompanied and unaccompanied choral music as well as frequent collaborations with the Westminster Community Orchestra.

Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door, through the Westminster Box Office at 609-921-2663 or online at www.rider.edu/arts.