The Harmonium Choral Society will open its 2026 season with a free concert in Madison, New Jersey, on Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m. The 42‑voice ensemble will perform a varied program that includes works by Bruckner, Billings, Bernstein, Rosephanye Powell, Elizabeth Alexander, Lucy Cook and Mark Miller. The concert will take place in Grace Episcopal Church, 4 Madison Ave, a venue that is air‑conditioned, accessible and has ample parking.

The Madison performance is the first of a four‑date tour in the South of France that will run from June 28 to July 3. The schedule is:

Sunday, June 28 – 4:30 p.m. Thoronet Abbey, Aix‑en‑Provence area Tuesday, June 30 – 8:00 p.m. Collegiale Saint Salvi, Albi Wednesday, July 1 – 7:10 p.m. Joint concert with La Chorale Bulles d’Air in l’Eglise Saint‑Jacques, Frons Friday, July 3 – 8:30 p.m. Basilique Notre‑Dame‑la‑Daurade, Toulouse

The tour follows the society’s long history of international performances, which has included England, Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, the Baltics and the Balkans in 2022.

The Harmonium Choral Society is a 100‑voice ensemble that has been led by Dr. Anne J. Matlack since 1987. Under her direction the chorus has commissioned more than 30 works by contemporary composers and runs musicianship workshops and an outreach chorus that performs in schools, retirement facilities and other venues.

The 2026 season will also feature Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. Auditions for the next season will be held at the end of August. For more information, the society can be contacted at manager@harmonium.org, (973) 538‑6969, or via its website www.harmonium.org.

Funding for the tour is provided in part by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Grace Episcopal Church, where the opening concert will be held, has a long tradition of supporting choral music. The church’s choir performs throughout the year and the venue has been chosen for its acoustics and accessibility.

The French venues are all historic churches known for their acoustics. Thoronet Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey that offers a long echo, while Collegiale Saint Salvi in Albi combines Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The joint concert in Frons will feature the local French choir La Chorale Bulles d’Air, and the final performance in Toulouse will take place in the basilica that is a major landmark in the region.

The Harmonium Choral Society’s repertoire for the Madison concert reflects the ensemble’s commitment to both classic and contemporary choral literature. The program includes large‑scale works such as Bruckner’s symphonic choral music, as well as newer pieces by American composers.

The society’s 2026 season is positioned as a showcase of its commissioning activity and its outreach mission. The French tour will provide exposure to international audiences and will be a continuation of the society’s tradition of bringing high‑quality choral music to diverse venues.

The society’s leadership has emphasized the importance of accessibility. The free concert in Madison is open to all, and donations are welcomed at the door. The church’s facilities are fully accessible, and the venue is equipped with air conditioning and ample parking.

In summary, the Harmonium Choral Society will begin its 2026 season with a free concert in Madison on June 24, followed by a four‑date tour of historic churches in the South of France. The ensemble, directed by Dr. Anne J. Matlack, has a long history of commissioning new works and touring internationally. Funding for the tour comes from Morris Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Auditions for the next season will be held at the end of August, and the society’s next major program will include Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610.

The society’s official contact details are manager@harmonium.org, (973) 538‑6969, and www.harmonium.org.