Countdown to 100
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Ridgewood Choral’s founding in 1928, we have planned a series of special activities that honor our rich legacy and our long-standing role in the Ridgewood and Bergen County arts community.
The Ridgewood Choral has always been about more than song. Throughout our history, our fundraising and community outreach have distinguished us: raising money for War Bonds during World War II; donating the piano at Benjamin Franklin School; partnering with the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus to help fund the Frank Kasschau Memorial Shell; collecting school supplies for inner-city students; supporting the local food bank; presenting outreach performances; and awarding Music Awards—such as the Reinauer and Vandervoort Awards—to help high school students continue their music education.
As we count down to our centennial, the following events are planned:
99th Season, 2026-27
Sunday, October 18 – 3PM – Celebrating Re-invention - Two piano Concert Fundraiser with Deb Goodell and Angelyn W. Mac Williams
Saturday, December 5, 2026 - 2PM - Holiday concert at Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church in Pearl River, NY
Friday, December 11, 2026 - 1PM - Holiday concert at The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, NJ.
Sunday, March 14, 2027 – 3PM – Former Scholarship Winners Concert Fundraiser
Saturday, April 10, 2027 - 3PM - Spring Concert will feature music composed and arranged especially for The Ridgewood Choral and will also mark the 60th anniversary of the Florence Reinauer Memorial Music Award.
The Ridgewood Historical Society Schoolhouse Museum will feature items from The Ridgewood Choral in an exhibit March through December 2027.
100th Season, 2027-28
The Spring Concert will be a centennial celebration, featuring music drawn from each decade of The Ridgewood Choral’s history, along with several commissioned works written especially to honor our 100th anniversary.
A special highlight of this milestone celebration will be a joint performance bringing together The Ridgewood Choral and The Ridgewood Singers, the latter directed by Susan LaFever, The Ridgewood Choral’s accompanist. The combined ensembles will perform a major work, creating a powerful and memorable centerpiece for this centennial event.
The celebration will continue with a Gala Luncheon and Reception for current and former members, former accompanists, and supporters of the Choral.
The festivities will also mark the 70th anniversary of the Frank Kasschau Memorial Shell. Kasschau, founder of both The Ridgewood Choral and Orpheus Club Men's Chorus (1909), was honored when the two choruses jointly raised funds to build the Shell and performed at its opening concert in June 1958.