from our Music Director

Dear Friends of Choral Music,

   We are thrilled to announce that for the 2024-2025 season, Arcadia Chorale will be performing J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor as part of the 2025 NEPA Bach Festival. This monumental work is a testament to Bach’s genius and we are honored to present it to our community. In conjunction with this special performance, we want to share that our Founding Director, Robert Dale Herrema, established The Joyce Herrema Memorial Fund in loving memory of his wife, Joyce. This fund plays a crucial role in supporting the performance, but we also need your help. We invite you to consider contributing to this special fund to help Arcadia Chorale bring this magnificent work to life.

   Additionally, don’t miss our upcoming fall concert, We the People! This performance will feature music that uplifts our community and connects us to the values of democracy as we approach the election season.

   Join us for a heartwarming celebration of the holiday season at Arcadia’s December Holiday Concert, Love’s Light Abounds: A Holiday Celebration in Song. This special performance weaves together the rich traditions of both Christian and Jewish holiday music, bringing the universal themes of love, light, and togetherness to the forefront. In addition to our musical selections, we invite the audience to join us in singing several beloved traditional Christmas carols. Later that month, we invite community singers to the 40th annual Messiah Sing-Along giving our audience another opportunity to sing Handel’s masterpiece. 

   As mentioned earlier, J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor will be will be the centerpiece of NEPA Bach Festival, a weekend filled with exceptional music. In addition to our performance, the festival will feature a series of organ and chamber music concerts. We are especially excited to partner with Elm Park United Methodist Church (Scranton), where we will showcase the magnificent Reuter organ in a memorable performance.

   This May join us for a dazzling evening of music at our Pops Concert, What a Beautiful World. We are thrilled to welcome the Doug Smith Jazz Trio for a performance that promises to be both unforgettable and enchanting. Featuring a captivating selection of songs from the 1930s to the 1970s, this concert will evoke the charm and nostalgia of a bygone era.

   As our season comes to a close, we invite you to be a part of our 4th Annual Summer Sing! Are you a singer with a passion for choral music? If so, join our Summer Sing Chorus! This exciting mini-choral festival welcomes community vocalists from the NEPA region to sing alongside members of Arcadia Chorale. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the thrill of performing a major choral work with fellow music enthusiasts.

   This is an exciting season for us. I am glad that you are part of it. Thank you for your continued support of Arcadia Chorale. We hope to see you soon!

Matthew Rupcich

Music Director