Come be part of something wonderful!

Welcome to the Tim Keyes Consort!

What an exciting time it has been over the past few seasons for the consort! In the summer of 2004 we undertook and completed the recording of ‘Resurrexi. The Complete Oratorio’. Recording ‘Resurrexi’ required huge resources including numerous soloists and cantors, elaborate percussion, piano, organ and orchestra. Recording the work took six months and involved multiple locations.

The 2005-2006 season saw the release of both ‘Now Until Twilight’, which includes compositions for flute, french horn, and clarinet with orchestra and the oratorio, ‘St. Patrick’s Breastplate’. The Consort performed the Christmas Oratorio, ‘Nativitas’, at both St. Joseph’s in North Plainfield, NJ and St. Charles Borromeo in Skillman, NJ. Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, NJ excitedly received the world premiere of the oratorio ‘St. Patrick’s Breastplate’ on St. Patrick’s Day and the Consort hosted the world renowned Marimba player Simon Boyar in a spring concert at St. Charles Borromeo which included Eric Ewazen’s ‘Marimba Concerto’.

The 2006-2007 season began with performances at St. Mary Academy in Watchung, NJ and the Cathedral of St. Francis in Metuchen, NJ of ‘A Concert of Remembrance’ in commemoration of the five year anniversary of those lost on 9/11. Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, NJ welcomed us back for a performance of ‘Nativitas’ in late November. We performed a Lenten program for St. Joseph’s in North Plainfield, NJ and St. Brigid’s in Peapack, NJ which included the choral work 'Tenebrae'. In spite of a terrific ice and snow storm we performed 'St. Patrick's Breasplate' at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church in Plainfield. And, we will close our season with a concert at Richardson Auditorium titled ‘Inspired by America’ which includes a performance of Dvorak’s ‘New World Symphony’, songs of Steven Foster and a new cello concerto ‘Mighty Mississippi’ featuring the fantastic cellist Sofia Nowik.

In addition to a wonderful selection of familiar repertoir, the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 season brought three world premieres. A new oratorio, ‘Requiem’, and a piano concerto, ‘American Coastlines’ performed by the pianist Darlene Popkey and a work for clarinet and piano 'Small Town Miniatures for clarinet and piano'. We also performed 'Colorado' with new chorales and featuring the young violinist Daniel Choi.

The 2009-2010 season brought concerts featuring a new pipe organ at St. Charles Borromeo including Saint Saens Symphony no. 3 'organ'. In addition to a wonderful Christmas concert featuring works by Bach and Charpentier we celebrated Black History Month with a concert that featured the African Mass 'Missa Luba' as well as ragtime, blues and spirituals. The season ended with two premieres; Symphony in C - The Earth Whispers: A Song of Native North American Peoples and Labban's 'Short and Suite' for piano and orchestra. Darlene Popkey joined us once again for a performance of the Scriabin Piano Concerto in F#minor

It is my fondest wish that you join us on our great musical journey of invention and discovery! Come be part of something wonderful!

Tim Keyes