Building On a Legacy

The New Choral Society kicked off its new season with a performance of Vivaldi Gloria and Handel Coronation Anthems. (Photo credit: Tony Allen Photography)The New Choral Society (NCS) is back in town with all its glory, wonderful precision sounds, and the usual noticeable professionalism at many levels with six new choral singers, two new vocal soloists, and a different concertmaster for its first concert of the 2025-2026 season.

The 32nd season began earlier than in past years, on Sunday afternoon, October 26, in the sanctuary of the Hitchcock Presbyterian Church on Greenacres Avenue. The musicians, 48 singers and the 15-member orchestra with Elizabeth Lim-Dutton in the Violin 1 slot, replacing Una Tone who is now the concertmaster of Ragtime on Broadway, included two beautiful musical pieces—Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Coronation Anthems, all under the continued direction of Dr. John T. King, Artistic Director and Conductor for all those years.

Emma Marhefka, soprano, and Ashly Brown, mezzo soprano, were both excellent in their first performances with NCS. They sang a glorious duet of "Laudamus te." Ms. Marhefka sang a lovely, lilting "Domine Deus" and Ms. Brown sang a fiery "Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris." Ms. Brown also performed "Domine Deus, Agnus Dei" with the chorus.

Dr. Frayda Lindemann, benefactor of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera, was in attendance to support the chorus and young soloists, whom she greeted warmly backstage. Emma Marhefka is in her first year of the Lindemann Program.

“BRAVO,” which means “well done!” and “excellent!” is the only way to describe the first performance of its 32nd season. Without missing a beat, King is continuing to build on a well- deserved and marvelous legacy that he started when he founded NCS in 1994.

Next-up for NCS, and to usher in the holiday season, will be the always-to-look-forward-to annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, Part 1 on Friday, December 5 and Sunday, December 7. Tickets are going fast at www.newchoralsociety.org.

Dr. John T. King backstage with soloists Emma Marhefka and Ashlyn Brown.