Earlier this month, several South Jersey school choirs gathered at the Ocean City Tabernacle to perform a selection of holiday songs and showcase their talents. While there wasn’t a crowd full of people watching inside the auditorium, a hard-working group of students, camerapeople, and technicians made the entire show possible. It is all part of a long-running tradition now in its 43rd year.
The annual Christmas Chorale started on WMGM-TV 40 back in 1982 thanks to the Martin Fiedler, who served as the program’s longtime producer. A graduate of Stockton University, Fiedler began interning at WMGM-TV, eventually working up the ranks to become production supervisor. “I thought I was going to be there forever,” he says. “It was very hands on, even from an intern stage.”
The original concept of the Christmas Chorale was to give the newscasters a night off on Christmas Eve. “The very first episode was shot in the lobby of what was the Golden Nugget (formerly Atlantic Club). We filmed three choirs using our two news cameras that we had at the time.” Fiedler went back to the station and mixed the tapes together, and all the original segments aired at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Dec. 24, 1982.
“It grew from there,” Fiedler says.
The production eventually moved to the lobby of the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, the former Shore Mall (now Harbor Square) in Egg Harbor Township, and The Walk in Atlantic City. In 2003, Fiedler took over production of the show, taping up to seven shows spanning 30 minutes each. “It filled in some newscasts and ran over several weekends.”
While TV 40 may be a thing of the past, this longtime South Jersey production has stayed alive and is now recorded every year at the Ocean City Tabernacle. Each episode is taped by Fiedler, with the help of students from Atlantic Cape Community College, and former WMGM-TV technical director Warren Prosser. “His mission is to set up the risers and get the audio tracks ready for the different groups.” Debra Fiedler, Marin’a wife, also helps with the production, handling logistics.
This year, up to nine local school choirs and 625 students participated in the Christmas Chorale, including Absegami High School, William Davies Middle School, Oakcrest High School, Saint Vincent de Paul Regional School, Buena Vista Middle School, and George L. Hess School, among others.
One of the participating choirs, Galloway Township Middle School, has been practicing for months in anticipation for this year’s show. The group of students sang a rousing rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’ and the John Lennon classic ‘Happy Xmas’. Brian Conover, the school’s choir director, says the program allows students and their families a chance to see themselves and their talents. “It’s an opportunity for the kids to get out and sing for the community, and to showcase some of what we’re working on at the middle school”.
This year’s Christmas Chorale also includes medleys of ‘Winter Wonderland’ performed by the students at Buena Regional High School, and a thrilling performance of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by the Margaret Mace Elementary School choir.
Planning for the Christmas Chorale begins early each school year, with sign-ups starting in September. Each school chooses which songs they are going to perform and spend several hours practicing each month, leading up to the taping of the show in December. For each of the students, parents, family members, and friends, it is an opportunity to see their hard work and skills come to life.
Teachers like Conover, share that the experience is perhaps the beginning of real-world success. “I’ve had several of my students here that have performed on Broadway, so it’s a great place for them to start.”
Today, Fiedler is the owner of Just Right TV Productions, a company that specializes in videography for large events, including graduations, commercials, city meetings, and ceremonies. Conover credits the work of Fiedler and for everyone supporting the students. “Any kind of opportunities we can give these kids, to get out from their phones and video games, and do something different is a wonderful experience.”
For loyal viewers across South Jersey and beyond, the Christmas Chorale remains a timeless holiday tradition, bringing smiles to many children and families. Viewers can watch this year’s episodes online at www.youtube.com/@christmaschorale.
Photos by Martin Fiedler.
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
