Salem County 250 History Trail | Salem County America 250

3 days ago

Countdown to 250: Salem County & America’s JourneyWeek 32: Salem County ChoirsThroughout Salem County’s history, music has brought the people of our county together. From local church choirs to broader community chorales, local residents have spent a lifetime of singing to express their faith throughout our broader community.One of the county's most remarkable musical organizations is the Salem Women's Community Choir, an African American choir founded in 1960. This choir grew out of the Colored Women's Club of Salem, whose members wanted special music for their Annual Negro History Program. To accomplish this, they formed a choir dedicated to singing spiritual music and invited women from across the community to join.Under the leadership of Ida Accoo, organist at Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, the choir flourished. There were no auditions, no dues, no officers, and no requirement for formal musical training. As co-founder Anne Henry later wrote, "If you liked to sing, if you enjoyed learning to sing different kinds of music, and if you were willing to attend rehearsals, you were welcomed into the group."The choir represented numerous congregations throughout Salem County, including Haven United Methodist Church, Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, Mt. Pisgah, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, New Jerusalem A.U.M.P, and later Mt. Salem in Woodstown. Over six decades, nearly one hundred women sang with the group, creating lasting friendships and even including several mother-daughter and sister pairs among its membership.In the 1970s, Salem County residents also came together through the Salem County Community Chorale. Especially active during the years surrounding the nation's Bicentennial, the Chorale united singers from churches throughout the county and beyond. Members participated from Salem, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Carneys Point, Daretown, Sharptown, Woodstown, and even Wilmington, Delaware. Rehearsing for months and performing together at churches across the region, the Chorale showed the county a united spirit of cooperation that went beyond worshipper’s local denominations. The tradition of county-wide choral singing also continues today through the Salem Community College Oak Singers. Established in 1991 by Charles H. Musser as a college-based community choir of just twenty-three singers, the ensemble has grown into an important part of Salem County's cultural life. Like the choirs that came before it, the Oak Singers welcome members from throughout the community and require no audition but bring people together through a shared love of music.As we are now celebrating America's 250th anniversary, these choirs should remind us that Salem County's history is found in the voices of ordinary people who still come together in their local churches and concert halls to create something greater than themselves. From the Salem Women's Community Choir to the Community Chorale of the Bicentennial era and the Oak Singers of today, music has remained one of the county's strongest traditions of fellowship and service to their community. ... See MoreSee Less

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Salem County 250

1 week ago

Countdown to 250: Salem County & America's Journey Week 31 - Community BandsIn the early days of Salem County, similar to the rest of the country, most of the towns had a community band. Since the technology for recording sound and playing it back wasn’t available until 1877 when Thomas Edison patented the phonograph, community bands across the country provided live entertainment and were a source of community pride. Community bands peaked in the late 1800s through the early 1900s.In Salem County, the earliest band that has been identified was the Salem Band, led by John Cummings. On February 22, 1823, there is documentation that the band accompanied the Salem Light Infantry in drilling at the Inn of James Sherron in Salem City, NJ. Examples of some of the Salem County town bands include the Amphion Band of Woodstown, the Franklin Cornet Band of Allowaystown, the Penns Grove Cornet Band, the Elmer Cornet Band, the Quinton Band led by Charles Glaspey, the Pennsville Fife and Drum Band, the Pennsville Clarinet Band, and the Mosasca Cornet Band of Pedricktown. School bands began to be formed in the late 1800s and early early 1900s. The high schools each had bands. In recent years, COVID took its toll on the high school band programs but they are slowly rebuilding.Today, the Salem American Legion Band, founded in 1947 when service men returned from World War II, the Salem County Brass Society, founded in 1975, and the Fort Delaware Cornet Band and Pea Patch Brass, both led by Jim Ludlam, are the remaining instrumental groups in the county.More information about the history of Salem County bands can be found in the book, The History of Community Bands in Salem County, New Jersey, published by Jim Ludlam, former Woodstown High School Band Director in 2021. The photos show the Franklin Cornet Band, Alloway, 1876 (Photo from the collection of the Salem County Historical Society) &Salem American Legion Band, 2003 (Photo from private collection) ... See MoreSee Less

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Salem County 250

2 weeks ago

A number of upcoming events are occurring throughout Salem County in July! Have a look and we hope to see you out and about as we get ready to celebrate our nation's official 250th anniversary! ... See MoreSee Less

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