Please join us for our Annual Christmas Concert directed by June Marano-Murray, Choir Director and Organist.
Featuring the Second Reformed Church Chancel Choir
Soloists: soprano Pamela Jones, mezzo-soprano Katherine Keyes, tenor Michael Malanga, baritone Chris Davis
Guest Vocalist: Nancy Marano
Second Reformed Church Hand Bell Choir with Director: Shirine Hickey
Reception in the Church Lounge following the concert
Free Will Offering
Free Parking in our Anderson Street Lot and Ward Street Municipal Lot E Across Ward Street
NANCY MARANO (Guest vocalist) “It’s one thing to have a great voice- it’s another to know how to sing and tell a story- Nancy knows.”- is a quote from acclaimed song writers Alan and Marilyn Bergman. In early years, Nancy trained as a classical pianist at Manhattan School of Music, but shortly after moved into the jazz vocal idiom. She ultimately recorded nine CDs, and performed at jazz festivals in the Hague, Helsinki, Italy, Lake George with Barry Harris, and in NYC at the JVC.
Nancy has recorded with Michel Legrand, Benny Carter, Gerry Mulligan, Dick Hyman, and Roger Kellaway. She was featured artist on a CD with the famed 65 piece Dutch Metropole Orchestra in Amsterdam, Holland, and also featured with the Radio Big Bands of Cologne, Germany, and Slovenia.
Here in the US, Nancy has taught jazz voice at Manhattan School of Music and William Paterson University for 20/25 years respectively. Also a sought after clinician, she has given master classes at SUNY, Purchase, City College, the New School, and Universities of Maine and Miami. She was also “artist in residence” at the Conservatories of Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands over the course of 18 yearly trips to Holland. Nancy has been profiled on CBS Sunday morning by Billy Taylor, “Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz” on NPR Radio, the New Yorker, the NY Times, and the Wall St. Journal. She is the author of “Musicianship for the Jazz Vocalist,” published by Advance Music/Germany. Nancy is the arranger of the songs she performs on most of her CDs and for us today at Second Reformed Church.
PAMELA JONES (Soprano) Pamela Jones has sung all over the world with various organizations including NY City Opera, the Bregenzer Festspiele, the Royal Danish Theatre, and the Mostly Mozart Festival. She has won the National Opera Association Vocal Competition Legacy Award twice. She earned her Master’s Degree in voice performance from Indiana University, and she serves as the Senior Artist Development Manager at OPERA America, helping to guide the training of the next generation of opera artists. She has been named SphinxLEADer by the Sphinx Music Organization. Pam has sung at Second Reformed for over 13 years.
KATHERINE KEYES (Mezzo-soprano) Katherine Keyes sang over 1,000 performances at Lincoln Center as a member of the NY City Opera chorus for over 20 seasons where she also sang many small roles as well as leads with the NYCO Education Department. In addition
Katherine has performed over 40 opera, operetta, and oratorio roles with regional companies. Her performance of Rebecca Nurse in the Crucible is available on Mezzo TV. An avid recitalist, she has sung multiple song and duet recitals in diverse venues, including songs in Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish. Katherine made her Broadway debut as Madame Chow in the ensemble of Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme, and also appeared as a Choir Member in Melly Still’s Coram Boy. In addition to maintaining a private voice studio in Manhattan, she is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. She has presented Master Classes in Alexander Technique for singers and for jazz instrumentalists. This is her first year singing for Second Reformed Church.
MICHAEL MALANGA (Tenor) Michael has held the soloist/section leader position at Second Reformed Church for over 20 years. He is a graduate of William Paterson University and a General Music teacher for the Township of Union School District. With a background in Rock and Jazz music as a vocalist and drummer, he has the ability to perform in a variety of musical styles. Michael resides in Englewood, NJ.
CHRISTOPHER DAVIS (Baritone) Christopher Davis has enjoyed singing with the wonderful community at Second Reformed Church since 2022. A professional singer and actor, he recently booked a tour to Canada and the West Coast with a comedic “Golden Girls” parody. He is excited to join the choir for another Christmas season. Chris met his spouse, Jordan, doing professional caroling and they still sing in Dickensian outfits with the Olde Towne Carolers each December. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Music Theatre from St. Olaf College, where he toured internationally with their 75-voice a cappella choir.