PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN Musical Director Edward L. Krogstad Jr. of Matawan goes over some melodies with Patty Mancuso of Piscataway (l) and Beverly Marsh of South River during a rehearsal Friday for the Dec. 6 combined choir concert. Mancuso belongs to Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church of New Brunswick, while March is a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in East Brunswick. EAST BRUNSWICK — Two faiths, two choirs. One common desire: To perform the ultimate Christmas concert.
In what has become an annual tradition, the choirs of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in New Brunswick and the Trinity Presbyterian Church in East Brunswick will join forces for special holiday shows Dec. 6 and 14. The first is the big concert, open to the public at 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church. Admission is free.
Ed Krogstad, who directs both choirs, has been doing the combined show for several years. He said the dozens of choir members “absolutely love it.”
“It’s a fellowship time. It’s a time of getting together with other Christians,” Krogstad said.
Roy DeBoer of Monroe and Judson Hand of East Brunswick, both with Trinity Presbyterian Church, sing “We’ve Got Good News to Tell” during rehearsal. Trinity’s choir has 24 members, and Sacred Heart’s 23. The ages of the singers vary widely, from 12 to 87.
“The funny thing is, they all get along,” Krogstad said. “The bottom line is they love to sing.”
Barbara Keegan, who belongs to Trinity Presbyterian Church, recalled attending the holiday concert with a friend four years ago.
“The music was beautiful, and the warmth and camaraderie among the mem- bers was clearly evident,” she said. “The director was a joyful and charismatic person, and the more I listened, the more I knew I wanted to be a part of the group.”
Keegan soon joined the choir.
“At my first practice I was warmly welcomed by all the members,” she said. “I never felt like a stranger there.”
In the fall, each choir learns the music for the concert during its own rehearsals, and about a month before the concert date the members of both begin attending each other’s rehearsals to get in a bit more practice. They unite for a big group rehearsal the day after Thanksgiving.
Krogstad rehearses with each choir.
“I am director for both churches, which is quite unique,” he noted, given that the churches are of different religions.
Krogstad has been directing the choirs for 20 years, and the combined group consists of about 18 men and 30 women. There are some segments that feature only a handful of vocalists, but most of the songs are presented by the entire choir, with voices ranging from bass to soprano. Some of the music is sung a capella, but others have musical accompaniment such as pipe organ and piano.
Krogstad said he selects the songs, which span about three centuries and are compatible with the Catholic and Protestant churches. The songs include selections from Bach and other composers, and commonly known Christmas material.
“The good thing is, we have a great working relationship with the two Christian, yet different, religions,” Krogstad said.
Both Keegan and Krogstad made note of the unique camaraderie and fellowship among the members of both groups, and the warm friendships that have been formed.
“Being a member of the relatively small choir at Trinity is a nice experience,” Keegan said. “There is a closeness among the members, which really helps the music blend well.”
But, she noted, the real thrill is joining the choirs together for the Christmas concert.
“Having a larger number of members enables us to perform more difficult and complex pieces of music which is very exciting,” Keegan said.
Sacred Heart Church, she noted, has excellent acoustics and is decorated exquisitely for the season, lending a festive air to the concert.
Most of all, the concert is a fun time for the choirs and audience alike, she said.
“We’ve formed some nice friendships between the choirs, and we even got together for an after-Christmas party last year,” Keegan said. “There are a lot of laughs and a lot of joy.”
The first concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Sacred Heart Church, Throop Avenue in New Brunswick. Refreshments will follow. The second concert will take place at 10:15 a.m. Dec. 14 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Cranbury Road.

