Never miss what is happening in Sussex County
Events, new openings and weekend plans from Newton to Vernon, Sparta to Stanhope. Straight to your inbox, free.
The Sussex County Oratorio Society presents its Songs of the Season holiday concert on Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 3 PM at Christ Church, 62 Main Street in Newton, with conductor Jeanette Hile leading the chorus. The afternoon program mixes carols and choral pieces with orchestra and strings, closes with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and includes three carols for the audience to sing along.
Our team pulled the date, venue and full program from the society’s upcoming concert page, where tickets are sold online.
Songs of the Season 2026 at a Glance
- When: Sunday, December 6, 2026, 3 PM
- Where: Christ Church, 62 Main Street, Newton, NJ
- Who: Sussex County Oratorio Society, Jeanette Hile, conductor
- Tickets: sold online through the link on the society’s upcoming concert page
- Questions: sussexoratorio@gmail.com or (917) 921-7387
The 2026 Program
The society has posted the full concert program. Pieces marked with orchestra and strings on the program are noted below.
- Hodie Christus Natus Est, Sweelinck, arranged by Louis Robert and Kurt Schindler, with organ
- Celtic Carol, arranged by Kirby Shaw
- Mary’s Lullaby, John Rutter, with orchestra and strings
- Hanerot Halalu, arranged by Becki Slagle Mayo
- Winter Sings Her Song, David Waggoner
- Chamber Choir: Grow Lovely Rose by Gordon Young, The Angel Gabriel (Basque carol harmonized by Edgar Pettman) and I’ll Be Home for Christmas, arranged by Mark Hayes
- Adam Lay Y Bounden, Boris Ord
- O Little One Sweet, from Carols for Choirs Vol. 1, harmonized by J.S. Bach, with orchestra and strings
- Jesus Child, John Rutter, with orchestra and strings
- Praeludium Noel, Randol Alan Bass, with orchestra and strings
- Hallelujah Chorus, G.F. Handel, with orchestra and strings
- Three carols sing-along, with orchestra and strings
It is a varied hour of music, moving from Renaissance and medieval texts to John Rutter and a Hanukkah song, with familiar holiday favorites in the mix.
About the Sussex County Oratorio Society
The society was founded in 1952 by Florence Wenzel Scudder to perform Handel’s Messiah each year and was first known as the Messiah Choral Society of Sussex County. It first rehearsed in Sparta and moved to Newton in 1960, and today it performs concerts in December and May. Jeanette Hile is the artistic director.
The society opened its season on November 8 with a community sing. Our Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along guide has the details on that event.
Make an Afternoon of It in Newton
Christ Church sits on Main Street in downtown Newton, close to the shops and restaurants downtown, so a 3 PM concert fits neatly between lunch and dinner. For more holiday plans across the county, see our Christmas events in Sussex County calendar.
Featured photo: Christ Church, Newton.
Have a Sussex County event coming up?
Share it with Sussex County.
Festivals, fundraisers, 5Ks, school nights, grand openings. Send us the date, time, place and a flyer, and our team will reach out about getting it in front of Sussex County.
Enjoying our Sussex County coverage?
Add us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in your Google results.
Add as a preferred source
