{"id":2417746,"date":"2026-05-15T08:49:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2417746"},"modified":"2026-05-15T08:49:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:49:12","slug":"morris-music-legend-will-sing-accept-honors-at-weekend-arts-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/morris-music-legend-will-sing-accept-honors-at-weekend-arts-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Morris music legend will sing, accept honors at weekend arts events"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A busy weekend awaits one of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/name-morris-countys-most-famous-083528266.html\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Morris County area's leading voices;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Morris County area's leading voices&quot;}\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Morris County area&#8217;s leading voices<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Saturday, May 16, Morris Plains resident R. Wayne Walters will take his place in the bass section of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/morrischoralsociety.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Morris Choral Society;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Morris Choral Society&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Morris Choral Society<\/a> when it presents its annual spring concert at St. Mary&#8217;s Abbey on the campus of the Delbarton School in Morris Township.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The next afternoon, the longtime singer, composer, conductor and music educator will be honored by the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MasterworkFoundation\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Masterwork Music and Art Foundation;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Masterwork Music and Art Foundation&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Masterwork Music and Art Foundation<\/a> at its 65th Anniversary gala at the Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship church.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>The Morris Choral Society performs a holiday concert in Morristown.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I&#8217;ll be singing with the Express Male, too,&#8221; said Walters, referring to the all-male vocal sextet that is featured at Morris Choral Society performances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Walters retired from teaching three decades ago after a long career that began in the Parsippany School District in the 1960s, then continued at the Morris School District, where he taught from 1970 to 1996. His career also included 15 years at Saint Elizabeth University and adjunct positions at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Walters still serves as an area adjudicator for the National Society of Arts and Letters.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Morris County&#8217;s premier regional chorus<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He also founded the Morris Choral Society in 1973. Since then, the group has held annual spring and holiday concerts while building a reputation as a premier regional chorus. The Society has also performed in Europe, at First Night Morristown and at several special engagements at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, where it&#8217;s supported the likes of Judy Collins, Dave Brubeck and the New Philharmonic of New Jersey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">At age 88, Walters still pursues his passion for music, learning new pieces, singing with the chorus and composing songs for a &#8220;catch group&#8221; that still doesn&#8217;t have a name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Every piece of music you touch is a new thought from a new composer,&#8221; Walters said in a phone interview with the Daily Record. &#8220;It&#8217;s a new thing to have, to be able to express, and whether I&#8217;m singing it, or composing it &#8230; one way or another, I&#8217;m always dealing with something new, which is wonderful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He embraced teaching for similar reasons. &#8220;You&#8217;re always working with a slightly different group of kids all the time that are coming and going. And you&#8217;re creating new things with new kids. I&#8217;ve always looked at it as a wonderful thing because it&#8217;s never the same thing all the time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"R. Wayne Walters\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"875\" height=\"580\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Y7yJk9npL_1rOTXKyKpJoA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzNjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/daily-record\/606b564c3bbf8c110078ba7de66df7c7\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>R. Wayne Walters<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Spring concert lineup includes Brahms, in German<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The spring concert on May 16 will feature soprano\u00a0Cassandra Douglas\u00a0and baritone\u00a0Charles Gray. The program includes &#8220;A German Requiem,&#8221; by Brahms, performed in German with full orchestra accompaniment<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Walters&#8217; Express Male group and a women\u2019s group, High Society, will also perform during the first half of the evening. Michael Shane Wittenburg will conduct, with accompanist Jennifer Yang on piano.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">General admission for the spring concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is $30, with discounts for seniors and students (children under 8 admitted free). Full details are on the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/morrischoralsociety.org\/#xl_xr_page_Upcoming\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Morris Choral Society website;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Morris Choral Society website&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Morris Choral Society website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Morris Choral Society will also take time during the concert to recognize this year&#8217;s R.\u00a0Wayne Walters\u00a0Scholarship winner,\u00a0Sophie Havens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The next afternoon, Walters will be the one collecting honors when the Masterwork Foundation honors him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Wayne is a former member of the Masterwork Music and Art Foundation Board and helped develop the template for their Premiere Award,&#8221; the foundation announced. &#8220;He has received numerous awards and accolades over the years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span class=\"exclude-from-newsgate\"><strong>More: <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/big-changes-coming-morristown-historic-083530149.html\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Big changes are coming to Morristown\u2019s historic arts center;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Big changes are coming to Morristown\u2019s historic arts center&quot;}\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Big changes are coming to Morristown\u2019s historic arts center<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Founded in Morristown in 1960, the Masterwork Music and Arts Foundation supports and nurtures artists through three programs: Community Arts Grants are designed &#8220;to inspire and encourage continued development through the arts, funding community endeavors including theatrical productions,&#8221; according to the group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The foundation&#8217;s Emerging Artist Awards also assist developing artists, while its Premier Award is designed to fund works in music, dance, theater and the visual arts. Winners will be announced at the gala.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Tickets for the gala, which begins at 3 p.m. and will include an open bar, hors d&#8217;oeuvres &#8220;and a fun-filled performance,&#8221; are $125. Visit the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.masterworkarts.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:foundation website;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;foundation website&quot;}\" class=\"link \">foundation website<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.com\/story\/news\/local\/morris-county\/2026\/05\/15\/morris-county-choral-music-legend-r-wayne-walters-honored\/90061776007\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Morris County Choral music legend R. Wayne Walters honored;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Morris County Choral music legend R. Wayne Walters honored&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Morris County Choral music legend R. Wayne Walters honored<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A busy weekend awaits one of the Morris County area&#8217;s leading voices. On Saturday, May 16, Morris Plains resident R. Wayne Walters will take his place in the bass section of the Morris Choral Society when it presents its annual spring concert at St. Mary&#8217;s Abbey on the campus of the Delbarton School in Morris [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2417747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[473384,473382,473383,354601,411276,473380,473379,473381,366383,473385,473378],"class_list":["post-2417746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-choral-society","tag-delbarton-school","tag-fairleigh-dickinson-university","tag-mayo-performing-arts-center","tag-morris-county","tag-morris-plains","tag-morris-school-district","tag-morris-township","tag-morristown","tag-spring-concert","tag-wayne-walters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Morris-music-legend-will-sing-accept-honors-at-weekend-arts.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2417746"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2417748,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417746\/revisions\/2417748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2417747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2417746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2417746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2417746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}