Westchester Oratorio Society To Have Concert At Mount Kisco Presbyterian Church

The Westchester Oratorio Society will hold its annual spring concert on May 23 at The Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco.

The concert, titled The Lite of Spring, will feature Bach's sixth motet Lobet den Herrn, Brahms' Las dich nur nichts and Mass No. 5 in A-flat by Shubert, according to Dean Travalino, a board member.

Travalino said that the concert is an example of what they strive to accomplish, and that is bringing a high-level musical performance at a reasonable price to northern Westchester.

The society does its rehearsals at the Katonah United Methodist Church and a majority of its members are from northern Westchester, according to Travalino. The society is now in its 13th year.

Featured at the performance will be four soloists, which include Mount Kisco's Michelle Serrano-Moeritz as soprano, who will be leading the group. The other members are Matthew Singer as bass, Oliver Mercer as tenor and Elise Quagliata as alto, Travalino wrote in a press release.

The conductor will be the society's artistic director, Benjamin Niemczyk, who is in his third year with the society. Joining the concert will be Bradley Brookshire, who is a Bach interpreter and will perform on a von Beckerath organ at the church, according to Travalino.

The society does two performances a year: one in the spring and another in the fall, Travalino said. In addition, they also perform at other events when invited. Past examples include performing with the Brooklyn Philharmonic. In addition, they have a chamber chorus that performs at several events, including during the holiday season at Muscoot Farm in Somers.  

Travalino also talked about the society's plans for the fall. In November there will be a performance with the REBEL Baroque Orchestra, which will also be at the Presbyterian Church.