ArtistDirect News
Harmonium Choral Society Announces Free Madison Concert and Summer Tour of France
When the sun sets on Madison’s Main Street, a 100‑voice choir will fill Grace Church with sound. On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the Harmonium Choral Society will host a free evening of choral music at 4 Madison Ave. The 7:00 p.m. performance will feature 42 singers tackling a program that stretches from the late‑Romantic grandeur of Bruckner to the inventive voices of contemporary composers such as Billings, Bernstein, Rosephanye Powell, Elizabeth Alexander, Lucy Cook, and Mark Miller. The church, air‑conditioned and fully accessible, offers ample parking, and attendees may donate at the door.
The Madison concert marks the opening of a season that will carry the chorus across Europe. Four days after the free show, the ensemble will depart for a four‑city tour of southern France:
• Sunday, June 28 at 4:30 p.m. – Thoronet Abbey, Aix‑en‑Provence area • Tuesday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. – Collegiale Saint Salvi, Albi • Wednesday, July 1 at 7:10 p.m. – joint concert with La Chorale Bulles d’Air in l’Église Saint‑Jacques, Frons • Friday, July 3 at 8:30 p.m. – Basilique Notre‑Dame‑la‑Daurade, Toulouse
Each venue is celebrated for its acoustics: the Cistercian stone walls of Thoronet Abbey echo the choir’s soaring lines, while the vaulted ceilings of the Basilique Notre‑Dame‑la‑Daurade provide a resonant backdrop for the final performance.
Founded in 1987, the Harmonium Choral Society has been under the artistic guidance of Dr. Anne J. Matlack since its inception. The chorus has built a reputation for musical excellence and adventurous programming, commissioning more than 30 new works to keep the choral art form vibrant. In addition to its main ensemble, Harmonium sponsors musicianship workshops and an outreach chorus that performs in schools, retirement facilities, and community venues, extending the reach of high‑quality choral music beyond the concert hall.
The society’s international footprint expanded in 2022, when it toured England, Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, the Baltics, and the Balkans. The upcoming 2025‑26 season will feature Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 among other works, with auditions slated for the end of August.
Funding for the tour and season programming comes in part from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner of the National Endowment for the Arts. Interested singers may contact the society at manager@harmonium.org or call (973) 538‑6969 for more information.
The society’s website, www.harmonium.org, provides additional details on upcoming concerts, outreach activities, and ways to support the ensemble. The Madison concert and French tour exemplify Harmonium’s commitment to bringing high‑quality choral music to diverse audiences while maintaining its roots in the New Jersey community.
The next season will begin with the free Madison concert, proceed to the France tour, and conclude with a series of performances across the United States. Auditions will open in August, and the chorus remains open to new talent and community engagement.
Through its blend of historic venues, contemporary repertoire, and community outreach, the Harmonium Choral Society continues to play a leading role in New Jersey’s choral arts scene and in fostering international collaboration.
The Madison concert marks the opening of a season that will carry the chorus across Europe. Four days after the free show, the ensemble will depart for a four‑city tour of southern France:
• Sunday, June 28 at 4:30 p.m. – Thoronet Abbey, Aix‑en‑Provence area • Tuesday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. – Collegiale Saint Salvi, Albi • Wednesday, July 1 at 7:10 p.m. – joint concert with La Chorale Bulles d’Air in l’Église Saint‑Jacques, Frons • Friday, July 3 at 8:30 p.m. – Basilique Notre‑Dame‑la‑Daurade, Toulouse
Each venue is celebrated for its acoustics: the Cistercian stone walls of Thoronet Abbey echo the choir’s soaring lines, while the vaulted ceilings of the Basilique Notre‑Dame‑la‑Daurade provide a resonant backdrop for the final performance.
Founded in 1987, the Harmonium Choral Society has been under the artistic guidance of Dr. Anne J. Matlack since its inception. The chorus has built a reputation for musical excellence and adventurous programming, commissioning more than 30 new works to keep the choral art form vibrant. In addition to its main ensemble, Harmonium sponsors musicianship workshops and an outreach chorus that performs in schools, retirement facilities, and community venues, extending the reach of high‑quality choral music beyond the concert hall.
The society’s international footprint expanded in 2022, when it toured England, Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, the Baltics, and the Balkans. The upcoming 2025‑26 season will feature Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 among other works, with auditions slated for the end of August.
Funding for the tour and season programming comes in part from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner of the National Endowment for the Arts. Interested singers may contact the society at manager@harmonium.org or call (973) 538‑6969 for more information.
The society’s website, www.harmonium.org, provides additional details on upcoming concerts, outreach activities, and ways to support the ensemble. The Madison concert and French tour exemplify Harmonium’s commitment to bringing high‑quality choral music to diverse audiences while maintaining its roots in the New Jersey community.
The next season will begin with the free Madison concert, proceed to the France tour, and conclude with a series of performances across the United States. Auditions will open in August, and the chorus remains open to new talent and community engagement.
Through its blend of historic venues, contemporary repertoire, and community outreach, the Harmonium Choral Society continues to play a leading role in New Jersey’s choral arts scene and in fostering international collaboration.