Just in time for Christmas, choirs from all over Cape May and Atlantic counties will be coming to the Ocean City Tabernacle to sing all of the traditional holiday favorites and maybe even some that you do not know. Their performances will be recorded and broadcasted online throughout the holiday season.
18 Local choirs will be performing throughout the course of an entire day. The event is Free Of Charge to the public.
Production Supervisor Martin Fiedler said, “This is the 34th consecutive year of the chorale and the first time it will be on broadcast by MediaWize using their network of websites including: OCNJDaily.com, SeaIsleNews.com & SomersPoint.com; while also utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google and YouTube. It was formerly on SNJ and NBC40.” Fiedler and Just Right TV have been working on the chorale since the 1980s, and Ocean City High school has performed all 34 years.
Fiedler went on to say “We start planning in June so schools can reserve the date and busses for the choirs. This year is going to be a new attendance record with well over 800 performers during the course of the shoot day at The Tabernacle on Wednesday.
We are going to use 5 cameras. I have a great crew on board again this year. We are all excited about doing this every year.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that viewing habits have changed. We have reacted to that. So the real break-through for this year is that we are moving the programs on-line so people can watch these great choirs on demand. They can even “Binge Watch” the whole Chorale if they want! We secured our own web site just for viewers www.ChristmasChorale.com
There will be more music this year with 12 – 15 episodes rolled out on a daily basis, starting the second week of December. Each episode will be shorter than the half-hour TV shows used to be because attention spans are shorter these days. We will also be able to use more of the material insuring that no performance gets left on the cutting room floor.”
Below is a list of participating choirs. Each will perform for a 25 minute performance window.
The public is invited to come into the Tabernacle for any or all of these performances.
9:00am William Davies Middle School – Hamilton Township
9:25am Galloway Twp. Middle School
9:50am Champion Baptist Academy – Galloway
10:15am Margaret Mace Middle School – Wildwood
10:40am Wildwood High School and Middle Schools
11:05am Absecon Schools
11:30am Oakcrest High School – Mays Landing
11:55am Northfield Community School
12:20pm Charter Tech High School for The Performing Arts – Somers Point
12:45pm Pilgrim Academy HS – Pomona
1:15pm Ocean City High School
1:40pm Ocean City Intermediate School
2:05pm Absegami High School – Galloway
3:45pm St Vincent DePaul School – Mays Landing
4:10pm Ventnor Middle School
5:00pm Assumption Regional School – Galloway
6:40pm Hess School – Hamilton Twp.
7:05pm Shiloh Baptist Sunlit Choir – Atlantic City
“This is a tradition; 34 years strong to be exact. Where else do our local youth choirs get a showcase for all to see and the experience. The arts and Christmas have been coming together for generations on the Christmas Chorale. Thanks to The Ocean City Tabernacle for sharing that vision.”
