The Whitehouse Wind Symphony, a community band under the direction of Branchburg resident James P. Sheeley, Jr., will present three holiday concerts this December at various locations throughout central New Jersey.
The program is entitled “Carols, Candles and Cheer!” Concertgoers will enjoy the band’s arrangements of classic Christmas carols such as “Good King Wenceslas,” “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,” “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful,” and “Here We Come A’Caroling.” The band will also perform a medley of favorite holiday songs, including “Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “The Christmas Song.” Audience members will also have the opportunity to sing along with the band!
The first concert will take place on Friday, December 2, 2022 at 7:30pm at Whitehouse United Methodist Church (the band’s namesake venue), located 73 Old Highway 28 in Whitehouse Station. Parking is located behind the church and on the street. WUMC is fully wheelchair accessible via the elevator at the west entrance of the building.
The second concert will take place on Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 3pm at Flemington United Methodist Church, located at 116 Main Street in Flemington. The concert is intentionally scheduled so that audience members can exit the church after the concert and immediately enjoy the annual holiday parade in Flemington presented by the Hunterdon Chamber of Commerce. Parking is available in several nearby municipal lots. FUMC is fully wheelchair accessible via a ramp at the entrance from Main Street.
The third concert will take place on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 3pm at Readington Reformed Church, located at 124 Readington Road in Readington. The church has a gravel parking lot located immediately to the east of the education wing, with additional parking located on a grass field at the rear of the cemetery. The church has a handicap dropoff area located at the rear of the education wing which is equipped with a chair lift for persons with mobility issues; however, restrooms are only accessible via stairs.
All three of these concerts are free and open to the general public, although donations will be accepted to benefit the band, a non-profit group comprised entirely of volunteer musicians, as well as the presenting churches. In the event of dangerous travel conditions or public health emergency, the announcement to postpone or cancel any of these concerts will be made on the band’s website (whitehousewindsymphony.org), Facebook page (facebook.com/whitehousewind), and Instagram feed (instagram.com/whitehousewind).
Masks are encouraged, but not required. Attendees must adhere to all safety guidelines as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and mandated by the local and state government. Attendance is at one’s own risk; discretion is advised, especially for those at high-risk for infection for COVID-19.
The Whitehouse Wind Symphony was founded by conductor emeritus Casey Bork on April 15, 1996. It is dedicated to presenting the best in all varieties of wind band literature. Since its founding, the band has grown rapidly, attracting experienced musicians as regular members from all over New Jersey, as well as New York City and eastern Pennsylvania. It is now comprised of approximately 50 amateur and professional musicians who perform together regularly to enthusiastic audiences throughout central and northern New Jersey. The band was recently named the winner of the 2021 Hunterdon Happening List in the category of favorite band/musician!
The Whitehouse Wind Symphony is committed to making music accessible to all. For information about venue accessibility, please send an email to whitehousewindsymphony@gmail.com, or call the band’s ADA coordinator, Margaret Smith, at 908-534-6662.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through funds administered by the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
