FAMILY HARMONY: Dr. Rosemarie Scolaro Moser celebrated a recent birthday by appearing in a world premiere choral performance of “The Stone” at Richardson Auditorium with members of her family. From left are daughter Rachel Moser Vassak, Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, granddaughter Serena Vassak, son Alex Moser, and Tim Keyes.

By Anne Levin

When Dr. Rosemarie Scolaro Moser started thinking about how she wanted to celebrate an upcoming significant birthday, material gifts did not come to mind. Moser, who is the director of Princeton Neuropsychology, was considering something more meaningful.

Moser asked her daughter, son, and granddaughter — all singers — to join her as part of the chorus in a performance of the Tim Keyes Consort, which took place on June 15 at Richardson Auditorium. The concert included the world premiere of The Stone, by Keyes, who founded the ensemble 29 years ago.

“Our true legacy is found in the multiple generations of our families who have come to be part of the Consort,” Keyes said in a speech at the performance. “Tonight, however, is a first, as one of our longtime members, Rosemarie Moser, is here with three generations of her family on stage tonight. Additionally, she joins us on the eve of a significant birthday, so I think it only appropriate that we join in singing happy birthday to her.”

“She was mortified, but it was very special,” said Moser’s daughter Rachel Moser Vassak. “The whole evening was special. It’s a very large choir, but my mother and my daughter and I were right in front, singing together.”

Moser senior has been a part of the Tim Keyes Consort for decades. Vassak and her brother, Alex Moser, grew up in Princeton. She was a member of the Princeton Girlchoir, and he sang in local groups. Alex Moser, a graduate of The Hun School, is the chief operating officer of Princeton Neuropsychology. Vassak, who went to Stuart Country Day School and The Lawrenceville School, is the owner and director of Flow Yoga Studio in Hohokus.

Serena Vassak, who is 13 and just graduated from eighth grade, sings and cantors at the Academy of Saint Paul and St. Paul Church in Ramsey.

“Right now, we live in Ridgewood, so it’s nice to be able to come back, especially to Richardson, where I performed as a child,” said Rachel Vassak.

The Tim Keyes Consort consists of a symphonic choir and orchestra, and “is as much a philosophy as it is an organization,” reads its website. “Tim Keyes continuously seeks out gifted and like-minded individuals to perform new and standard choral and orchestral repertoire.”

The nonprofit considers education an important component, pairing highly skilled instrumentalists and singers with younger and less experienced musicians. Scholarships are offered to students for the past 17 years. This year’s winner was clarinetist Pablo Ramirez-Garcia.

The Stone is a two-act work based on the bible story of Lazarus. “It’s a new work that Tim Keyes composed, for a full choir and full orchestra,” said Vassak. “It was quite impressive to see how many people he had.”

The Mosers have been parishioners at the Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Skillman, where Keyes is currently the pastoral assistant for music and liturgy. Rosemarie Moser has been singing with the Tim Keyes Consort for more than two decades, and is a cantor at St. Charles Borromeo.

“Taking part in this concert was a great experience for our family, especially for my mom,” said Vassak. “It was really a gift, and just what she wanted.”