Local singers to extend holiday cheer

NEWTON — While for most, the holiday season is slowly fading away, but that isn't the case for the folks from the Sussex County Oratorio Society. Don Rutsch, a member himself since 2007, explained that the group uses its winter concert as a way to send off the holiday season in style.

Getting started
The Society was founded more than 50 years ago, according to Rutsch.

"It was founded by a group of Sussex County singers," he said. "They were all people that were interested in oratorial performances."

The group has grown over the last five decades, even over the last five years — Rutsch pointed out.

"It has definitely gotten larger ever since I have been here," he said. "When I joined there were about 35 people and now there are over 50. I think we are at 55 and slowly growing at this point."

Al Kopacka has directed the Oratorio Society for more than 15 years and though the group was founded in Sussex County, members hail from all over the area.

"We do have members from all around Sussex County," Rutsch said. "We have other people that come from Morris County as well as a number that come from Warren County."

Musical performances
Though the upcoming winter concert in Newton is of the holiday variety, the Oratorio Society performs a variety of genres of music year-round.

"We do perform mostly classical music being an oratorio group but that's not the only thing we do," Rutsch said. "Last spring we did an American folk show, played songs like 'Oh Susanna' and things like that. It was a whole show dedicated to that. Most of the time we don't do things that are like that but our winter concert is always dedicated to the Christmas season. We were invited to perform with the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey last year and they invited us back this year."

The focus of the show is the holiday season and the program will include “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion” and “For Unto Us A Child is Born,” from Messiah by Handel, Anton Bruckner’s “Virga Jesse floruit” and “A Festival For Christmas,” a group of familiar carols in a new arrangement by Douglas Helvering.

"We do about 16 or 17 pieces in all," Rutsch said. "We also always do a sing along with three carols."

Carols after Christmas might seem a bit unusual, Rutsch thinks the timing works well.

"It is the perfect time of year for this type of show," he said. "It is after the hustle and bustle of the holiday and it is a great chance for people interested in or that enjoy group choral performances. It is done extremely well. This is an amateur group but it doesn't produce amateur music. It is a wonderful sound with organs and brass and percussion. It is an amateur group but it isn't just a ma and pop presentation."