Our Festival Team
Jim Cole, Festival Director
Jim Cole is the Director of Liturgical Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Whitehouse Station, NJ, where he has served since 2001. He is organist, pianist, director of the adult choir, children’s choir, handbell choirs and chamber orchestra.
Jim began his choral singing with the Philadelphia Academy Boys Choir (University of the Arts) under the direction of Dr. Carlton Jones Lake, the first of many choirs. He furthered his music studies at the Settlement Music School of Philadelphia with Mrs. Ruth Strauss (piano) and Mr. Italo Taranta (music theory and chorus). While in high school, Jim sang with Fred Waring at his summer choral workshop at Penn State.
He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School of Philadelphia. He has a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Northwestern University where he also studied conducting, orchestration, voice and theory. He began his music ministry at Northwestern’s Sheil Catholic Center, singing in and then directing several choirs. Later he earned a Master of Music Education from Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
Jim is an active member of the National Assoc. of Pastoral Musicians (NPM), on the board of the Metuchen, NJ Chapter, and is the Music Reviews Editor of NPM’s journal Pastoral Music and online newsletter Notebook. His choral arrangements Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head and My Hope, My Salvation, My All have been published by GIA Publications.
Sandy Hayes-Licitra,
Co-conductor
Sandy Hayes-Licitra, PhD, is the Director of Sacred Music and Liturgy at Blessed Sacrament Church in Martinsville, NJ, where she has served for the past three years. Sandy directs the adult choir, children’s choir, and handchime choir, and plays flute. In addition, Sandy directs the handbell choir at St. Matthias Church in Somerset, NJ, where she has served for 15 years. She also served as director of the ensemble choir, and handbell choirs at St. Matthias. Outside of music, Sandy is a Director of Regulatory Medical Writing at Johnson & Johnson, Raritan, NJ.
Sandy started her music journey in elementary school where she played flute and sang in the school choir. In high school, she continued her flute studies and played piccolo in both the concert band and marching band, and was the drum major of the marching band her senior year. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the College of the Holy Cross where she studied flute, music theory, music history, and conducting. She played in the orchestra, pit bands, and marching band, and was the drum major of the Holy Cross Marching Band. After college, Sandy received a PhD in Physiology at Rutgers University/Rutgers Medical School.
Sandy is a member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) and the chapter director of the NPM Metuchen Chapter.
Thom DeLessio,
Co-conductor
Thom DeLessio has been the Associate Director of Sacred Arts for First Presbyterian Church, Bonita Springs, FL since September 2021. He is organist, pianist, accompanist to the chancel choir of over 100 members, director of Jubilate Bells, and Director of First Academy of Music, a ministry of the church that offers private music instruction to approximately 90 students.
Thom is also Collaborative Pianist for the Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Youth Chorus. He is the assisting organist at St. William Parish, Naples, FL, and a resource musician for the Roman Catholic Churches of Southwest Florida.
Thom served as Organist and Director of Music for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (1987-2001), and the Diocese of Metuchen and Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi (2001-2021). He directed Diocesan Choir and parish adult, handbell, and graded K-12 choral programs at Our Lady of Lourdes and the Cathedral. He conducted choirs on tours to Vatican City, Rome, Paris, and to the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. He oversaw pipe organ projects at both churches: The new Randall Dyer pipe organ at Our Lady of Lourdes (1998), and the restoration and enlargement of the Cathedral pipe organ by Parick Murphy (2018).
Thom is a long-time teacher of piano and organ. He holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education and Organ from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and a graduate degree in Theology and Ministry from La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA.
Wendy Relation,
Accompanist
Wendy Relation is the accompanist for the adult choir of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Whitehouse Station, NJ. She previously served as Co-Director of Liturgical Music at St. Joseph Church in Sylvania, OH, and also taught general and instrumental music. Wendy currently teaches Lower School Music at Gill St. Bernard's School.
Wendy is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Music and Notre Dame Law School.
Questions? Contact us at NPMChoralFestival@gmail.com.