Rider University Choirs, Bands to Celebrate Sounds of the Season

This holiday season, Westminster College of Arts of Rider University will be mixing old traditions with new ones during two winter concerts held on the Lawrenceville campus.

The Rider University Band, under the direction of Dr. Jerry Rife, will perform its winter concert on Monday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. in The Yvonne Theater, located inside the Fine Arts Building. The Rider University Choir and the new Rider Chapel Choir will present their winter concert Joy & Peace! on Sunday, December 7, at 3 p.m. in the Gill Chapel. Both concerts on the Lawrenceville campus are open to the public and are free.

The Rider University Choir traditionally includes a larger ensemble of students and requires no auditions. This year, the University Choir not only has a new conductor, Dr. Philip Orr, but it also now encompasses members from the entire Rider community of students, faculty staff.

Under the direction of Dr. Ronnie Oliver, who also co-directs the Westminster Chapel Choir, the Rider Chapel Choir is a new 24-member ensemble that is audition-based only. The new chapel choir was formed to meet the needs of students, who have more of a background in music, explained Oliver.