Children's Inaugural to Feature ChildrenSong of New Jersey

January 8, 2002

The Children's Inaugural and Family Day hosted by Governor-Elect James E. McGreevey will feature a performance by ChildrenSong of New Jersey.

The Inaugural, which is being held at the College of New Jersey Student Center in Ewing, will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2002. The highlight of the event will be a mock administering of the Oath of Office by a student representing the state's Supreme Court Justice.

Children will also represent the state's 120 legislators. The event will celebrate New Jersey children of all ages with games, activities, and performances by child entertainers from around the state.

The inaugural re-enactment featuring Governor-Elect McGreevey will be followed by a selection of musical and cultural performances. As part of the festivities, the ChildrenSong Concert Choir will perform two songs: Down by the Riverside, arranged by Brant Adams, and Pillar of Peace.

Pillar of Peace is a collaborative new work which debuted in December to honor the victims of the September 11 events. The lyrics were written by ChildrenSong member Dana Manochi (age 12) and the music was composed by the noted New Jersey composer Dean Rishel. This piece will be sung in memory of all the New Jersey citizens who lost their lives or were injured on that tragic day, as well as for their families.

The soloists for this piece will be Emily Mulholland (age 11), Matt Slauson (age 10), Mary Kate Whelan (age 10), and Steven Kempa (age 11). The French Horn in Pillar of Peace will be played by Kate Tierney, a senior at Moorestown Friends School, located in Moorestown, New Jersey.

ChildrenSong of New Jersey is a choral music education and performance program based in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and is directed by Founding Artistic Director Polly Murray. The program serves 120 children between the ages of 7 and 16 in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties. The organization's mission is to provide quality music instruction with the goal of attaining the highest level of artistic excellence in choral music performance.

The ChildrenSong Concert Choir is the organization's most advanced performing ensemble and performs extensively throughout the State of New Jersey.