OCEAN GROVE – One of the Great Auditorium’s most steadfast and beloved traditions, the 58th Annual Choir Festival, returns to Ocean Grove at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 8.
The choral event features dozens of choral organizations from the Eastern United States, forming a massed choir of 1,000 voices, accompanied by the auditorium’s Hope-Jones organ and the Festive Brass. The choir festival will be conducted by Ocean Grove’s Director of Music Ministries Jason Tramm. Accompaniment will be provided by organist-in-residence, Gordon Turk, and the Festive Brass. Soloists include Monica Ziglar (soprano), Martha Bartz (mezzo-soprano), Ronald Naldi (tenor) and Richard Zuch (bass). This year’s guest conductors include Cindy Bell, Lewis Daniels, Marci Major, David Lofton, Eric Townell and Shea Velloo.
Additional information is available at www.oceangrove.org or 732-775-0035. The Great Auditorium is located at Pilgrim and Ocean pathways. All facilities are handicapped-accessible. A free will offering will be accepted.
The Great Auditorium’s organ, one of the few original surviving Hope-Jones organs in the world, was built in 1908. Most of its original ranks are still playable. “New pedal pipes have just been built and installed in the OG auditorium organ,” Turk said. “Forty-four deep-toned open wood pipes will give a ‘firm foundation’ to the pedal division, and some French-influenced harmonic flute ranks are being built right now for the swell manual.”
