Post date: Sep 05, 2012 9:25:12 PM
Greetings to all! We are embarking on a very special year for the Cecilian Music Club, as we celebrate the Club’s 130 year Anniversary! As we like to say around here, “we’ve done away with the 10-cent fine for missing a meeting that was enforced in 1883 (when we were founded by six women of Freehold, NJ), and we don't even insist on members practicing 1 hour a day anymore!” But as our earliest records state, we still strive to “advance the interest and to promote the culture of Musical Arts in the Freehold Area,” and in fact, the entire Tri-State Area. As the second-oldest music club in the U.S., the CMC has much to be proud of. In 130 years, we have upheld the traditions of musical culture not only by continuing in our Founders’ footsteps, but by creating our own new traditions: new and contemporary ways to celebrate, understand, and experience classical music. The Young Artist Competition and Cecilian Award Competition teach our students dedication and musicianship, as does the revived Cecilian Scholarship. The Monster Concerts (celebrating an anniversary of their own: 15 years!) give them a chance to enjoy a musical community, and Alan’s Musical Hours, as well as our duet-playing at Beth’s, let everyone continue the conversation off-stage. It is thanks to your dedication, enthusiasm, and musicianship that all of these experiences are made possible, and I think we can look to the future of the club with excitement for what lies ahead. Wishing all of you a very special 130th Anniversary Year: may your musical experiences this year be a celebration of both our traditions and our future!
Marina Strakovsky