Past Concerts
St. James Church launched its concert series
“Music By The Bridge“ in the fall of 2007.
The concerts were, and continue to be, open to the public,
with a free will offering the usual donation.
To open the season Mark Engelhardt of Grace
Episcopal Church, Salem,
MA played a
“Frightfully Spooktacular” organ
recital on the church’s Estey pipe organ on October 28th,
2007.
Attendees were encouraged to come in costume for the concert
and the collation which followed in the parish auditorium.
Organ selections included Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in d
minor”, Gounod’s “Funeral March of the Marionettes”, and other
pieces from different genres and centuries chosen around the
Halloween theme.
On December 8th, 2007 the
Cumberland-Lincoln Community Chorus brought its annual holiday
concert to the parish auditorium.
In its 36th year as a performing group the
ever-popular local chorus sang a rich variety of holiday music,
concluding with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” with members of the
audience joining the chorus.
The Three Amigos presented a coffee house style
concert on March 8th, 2008 in the auditorium.
The Amigos are three men who have sung together for almost
twelve years, playing acoustic guitars and complementing percussion
instruments as they sing a selection of harmonious music from the
sixties. The group comes
from East Greenwich, RI
and includes secular and non-secular music in their programs as well
as stories and humor.
Refreshments were sold during the concert.
Our concert series continued with a
Saturday evening concert by
Thomas James on April 12, 2008 at 7 p. m. in the
parish auditorium. A
free will offering was taken to support music ministries and
refreshments were served after the concert.
Thomas James is a country/southern gospel artist who hails
from northeast Ohio
and has literally been singing since he was old enough to walk and
talk. His early
performances were as part of a family group.
Singing led him down a variety of roads.
He has played The Grand Ole Opry, the
Nashville Palace,
and Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Thomas has appeared on numerous television
shows and recorded on a number of labels.
Some of his latest songs have been featured on
Rhode Island
radio stations during the past year.
After much prayer, Thomas knew in his heart where and what he
wanted to be. “I finally
just said, ‘ Lord, you know
that my heart wants to be out on the road in a silver eagle
somewhere, but this time I want it to be for you.’”
The final concert of the season was held on
Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.
m. We were thrilled to
host the Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir as part of the 100th
anniversary celebration of The Holy Dominion Orthodox Church of
Cumberland. Admission to
the concert was $10. for adults, $7. for seniors and students.
Children under 10 were free.
The Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir was formed in
1997 to be a missionary and educational group.
The members are from several Orthodox jurisdictions in
New Jersey, New York,
and Pennsylvania.
Their mission is to witness to the wide range of and major
stylistic periods in liturgical Orthodox Church music.
They sing unaccompanied and in a number of languages,
including English.
Their director, Aleksei V. Shipovalnikov, was born and educated in
Russia.
He has served as the artistic director and manager of the
Moscow State University Symphony Orchestra and Academic Choir.
He immigrated to the United
States in 1990 where he has been a
guest lecturer and music director at several prestigious universities
and has recorded and premiered several musical compositions during
this time. He is currently the Music Director at Sts. Peter and Paul
Orthodox Church in Jersey City,
NJ, Professor of Liturgical Music at ST.
Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA, and director of The Spirit of
Orthodoxy Choir.
