WHIPPANY, N.J. (Morris County) — The Hanover Wind Symphony and the Morris Music Men will join forces this holiday season for a free concert designed to bring festive cheer to audiences of all ages.
The performance, titled “Holidays in Hanover: Wassailing Through Hanover,” will take place Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. at Memorial Junior School, 61 Highland Ave., in Whippany.
“Please join the Hanover Wind Symphony and the Morris Music Men as we go ‘wassailing’ through the early American village of Hanover! Hear the music of the holidays as you might have heard it in the houses and on the street corners of our special town!” said HWS musical director and conductor Matthew Paterno of Parsippany.
The program will feature a lively mix of early American carols, traditional holiday favorites and unexpected musical selections. Among the works to be performed are:
- “Joy to the World,” Traditional/arr. William Silvester
- “Celtic Carol,” Traditional/arr. Robert W. Smith
- “The First Noel,” Traditional/arr. Yukiko Nishimura
- “Dreidel Dance,” by Robert Thurston
- “O Tannenbaum,” Traditional/arr. William Silvester
- “British Carol Suite,” Traditional/arr. Ralph Martin
The two ensembles will alternate performances, echoing the tradition of “wassailing,” or spreading good cheer throughout a village. The concert will close with a combined finale featuring a Christmas sing-along with audience participation.
The Hanover Wind Symphony, one of New Jersey’s few community-based adult wind bands, features about 70 musicians playing woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The nonprofit ensemble is known for putting a contemporary spin on classic pieces while carrying out its mission of bringing “Music to People and People to Music.”
Since the late 1950s, the Morris Music Men have shared the uniquely American art of barbershop harmony with audiences across northern New Jersey. The all-male a cappella group, which includes more than 40 singers ranging from their 30s to their 90s, is a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Under the direction of Nate Barrett, the ensemble performs for civic groups, charitable organizations, houses of worship, community events and private functions.
Both groups say they look forward to spreading holiday spirit — and a bit of musical history — at this year’s concert.
