81st annual rendition of MESSIAH by George Frideric Handel
December 6th, 2025, 7-10pm in Cedar Hill
12/02/2025
YOU'RE INVITED! FREE ADMISSION 🎄
MESSIAH by George Frideric Handel
81st Annual Concert
Sponsoring: Market Street Mission
When: Saturday, December 6th, 2024, 7-10pm
Where: Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church, 422 Cedar Hill Ave, Wyckoff, NJ 07481
The Cathedral Choir
Robert F. Davis, Conductor
The American Chamber Orchestra
Winnie Nieh, Soprano
Kimberly Prins Moeller, Mezzo-Soprano
Paul D'Arcy, Tenor
Andrew Cummings, Baritone
Rehearsals: Oct 5 - Nov 30, 2:30-4pm, at Midland Park Christian Reformed Church - 183 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432. The rehearsal schedule is attached.
Full mandatory rehearsal: Dec 5th, Friday night. Performance: Dec 6th, Saturday night.
09/15/2025
Dear Friends,
Rehearsals for the Cathedral Choir’s annual performance of George Frederic Handel’s great oratorio Messiah are about to commence. Your participation is openly invited.
For many, this is an enjoyable event, a time to mark the beginning of Advent, or a tradition for families and friends. Make no mistakes, the annual Messiah is a deeply spiritual tradition for both listeners, and performers revealing the spiritual connection of hearts. This is a worship time in the very presence of God Almighty!
On a very personal level, this is a time like none other, a collection of young, old, multi-denominational, varied ethnically, and disparately talented. This is a place where you can “fit in!” Give this a thought. Join with us. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
The Apostle Paul emphasized that a worker has a right to their reward, and that believers will receive a reward for their labor in the Lord. “Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord…” (Ephesians 6:8 ESV).
Decisiveness is a positive characteristic. Any decision we make can change the course of our life forever. Messiah possesses the “Truth,” and that “Truth” will set you free!
Rehearsals: Oct 5 - Nov 30, 2:30-4pm, at Midland Park Christian Reformed Church - 183 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432. The rehearsal schedule is attached.
Full mandatory rehearsal: Dec 5th, Friday night. Performance: Dec 6th, Saturday night.
Our policy allows for a maximum of 3 rehearsal absences. New singers can join up to the 4th Sunday. Hope to see you soon!
03/20/2025
THIS SATURDAY, March 22nd from 2:00-4:00pm, the Cathedral Choir will sponsor an informal “sing” of several parts of Handel’s great oratorio Messiah. This is not a performance, but a gathering to sing together, as part of the audience.
The Sing In will be held at Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church 422 Cedar Hill Avenue in Wyckoff, NJ. Members of the American Chamber Orchestra will play and soprano Angela Dinkelman will sing some arias.
If you have ever wanted to get a Handel on Messiah, here’s your chance. If you have your own score, bring it, if not we’ll provide one for you. If you would just like to listen, that’s fine. There will be plenty of room for that.
Attached is a flier for this event. Share it, join us, and invite others!
12/07/2024
OUR 80TH CONCERT IS TONIGHT AT 7pm, 422 Cedar Hill Ave, Wyckoff NJ.
Here’s a sneak peak from our full rehearsal last night.
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The Cathedral Choir had very early beginnings, dating back to 1933, when John Teitsma organized the Te Deum Chorus. Taking the name of the choir from an ancient Latin hymn meaning "We Praise you, O God", he began with sixteen people from the Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Haledon, NJ.
In 1935, the group expanded to 100 voices and performed the oratorio, Handel's Messiah, in Central High School, Paterson, NJ, for the first time. In 1938, the choir performed with an orchestra for the first time. To the best of our knowledge, 1941 was the last year the Te Deum Chorus sang the Messiah under the name of that organization. After December 7, 1941, a world war required the services of many of the male singers.
Meanwhile, the Hallelujah Choral Ensemble, which was also organized in 1933 with singers from the Midland Park Christian Reformed Church, Midland Park, NJ, had been giving performances of Handel's Messiah since 1939.
In 1943, this group was reinforced by singers from the now defunct Te Deum Chrous and from other churches in the Bergen-Passaic area, calling themselves the Augmented Hallelujah Choral Ensemble, with John Miller as conductor. Except for 1945-46, when it was billed as the Festival Choral Ensemble, the choir retained this name through 1950. In 1951, the group took on the name it has had ever since: The Cathedral Choir.
In the early years, the performances were given at Central High School (1943-48) and Eastside High School (1949-57) in Paterson. After four performances at Bethel Reformed Church in Passaic (1958-60, 62), the concert site shifted to Montclair State College in Upper Montclair, NJ, for fifteen performances (1961, 63-77).
From 1978 to present day, the performances have been held at the Hawthorne Gospel Church, Hawthorne,NJ, as the choir needed the largest sanctuary in the area to accomodate the number of people that attend each year. In all those years, however, only one year, 1972, passed without a performance of Messiah by the choir.
Besides for performing the Messiah each Christmas season, the choir has widened its scope to also include an occasional spring concert of sacred music, as well as performing other sacred oratorios, such as the Elijah.
Remarkably, the choir has seen only five conductors since its early years. John Miller directed from 1943 to 1957. In 1958, he relinquished the baton to John Vogel who conducted from 1958 to 1975. Lawrence Hoogerhyde began his service as conductor in 1976 and continued until 1986. Frank Jackson directed the choir from 1987 to 1998. Robert Davis began his service to the choir in 1999 and continues as it's current conductor.
The Cathedral Choir began with a small group of people from local Christian Reformed Churches. Over the years the choir has grown in both size and scope. The choir now averages 145 voices, from numerous evangelical denominations with the members representing over 45 churches in the North Jersey area. Through all the years of growth and change, one constant has remained: the love and the blessing of our gracious triune God!
