Special Events at St. John's Episcopal Church Williamstown, MA

Housetop in Concert - Friday, Feb. 10 at 8pm

2012-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Peter Siegel, Erica Morse, Anna Patton, Naomi Morse

Admission: $15 ($10 students, seniors, or low-income)

Housetop is the musical playground of four musicians from New England's traditional music and dance scene, milking rich 4-part harmonies and and unabashedly funny lyrics.

In April, 2011, they released their debut album, Two Foot Jumpin', which combines unique arrangements of popular songs from the swing era, charming originals, and songs lifted from some of America's finest harmony singers. They have performed at festivals and concerts all over the Northeast, including Jay Ungar's Dancing on the Air and Saratoga Dance Flurry.

Click here to go to the Housetop website!

Enjoy swinging music in a coffeehouse atmosphere (with coffee and sweets) in our newly-renovated Lower Room!

Free Trombone Recital - Monday, Aug 22 at NOON

2011-08-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Trombonist Will Lang and pianist Scott Bailey will perform works by Schumann, Brahms, Mozart, Wagenseil, and the premiere of a new work by New York composer Matthew Siffert. Don't miss this exciting concert! Bring a lunch to eat - St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Will Lang is a performer, improviser, and teacher in New York City and Boston. He can be found playing in all settings and styles, from the avant-garde and classical to salsa and indie chamber pop. He has given trombone recitals throughout the United States; played concertos with large ensembles; and recorded with artists including Philip Glass and Jónsi (of Sigur Rós).

Free Vocal Recital - Monday, August 15 at noon

2011-08-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 15, soprano Lucy Bergin and pianist Scott Bailey will present a free concert of music by Schumann, Copland, Bellini, and Mozart. The concert begins at noon - audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Lucy Bergin is a senior at Wellesley College and will graduate with a double major in music and German languge and literature in 2012. She studies voice with Gale Fuller. She has just returned from her junior year abroad at the University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria. She plans to pursue post-graduate studies in vocal performance, specifically early music.

Free Vocal Recital - Monday, August 8 at noon

2011-08-03T05:04:00.000-07:00

Baritone Avery Griffin and pianist Scott Bailey will present a free concert of arias from opera and oratorio on Monday, August 8 at noon as part of the St. John's Summer Concert series. The program will last 45 minutes, and audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Admission is free; donations to help offset expenses are welcome.

Avery Griffin is a member of the Choir of Men and Boys and St. Thomas in New York City. He has just returned from the Carmel Bach Festival in Californina. He is also a member of the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth which will be in residence at MOCA from August 15 -26.

Free Violin Recital Monday, August 1 NOON

2011-07-28T19:56:00.001-07:00

Emily Kalish returns to St. John's with pianist Scott Bailey in a program that includes Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano; Debussy: Clair de lune; and Ravel: Tzigane.

The concert begins at noon and lasts for 45 minutes. Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Admission is free; donations to help offset concert expenses are welcome.

Free Violin Recital Monday, July 25 at noon

2011-07-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

New York-based violinist Akiko Kobayashi will perform music for solo violin by Geminiani, Bach, Paganini, and Ysaye on Monday, July 25 at noon. Bring your lunch to enjoy during this free, 45-minute concert!

Summer concert schedule (click to enlarge)

2011-07-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Free Cello Recital, Monday, July 18 - NOON

2011-07-13T18:06:00.001-07:00

Cellist Perri Morris and pianist Scott Bailey perform music by Bach, Schumann, and Romberg on Monday, July 25 at noon. This free concert will last 45 minutes; audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert; St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Free Summer Noontime Concert series begins - Scott Bailey, organ

2011-07-06T04:36:00.001-07:00

Monday, July 11 marks the beginning of the 8th annual Summer Noontime Concert Series at St. John's. These free recitals begin at noon and last for 45 minutes. Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat if they wish; St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

For the opening concert, Scott Bailey will perform music of William Bolcolm, Matthew McConnell, James Bergin, J.S. Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Michael Hutchinson.

Eve Mahon in concert!

2011-06-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Evelyn Mahon will present a vocal recital at St. John’s on Sunday, June 5 at 4:30 p.m. with a reception to follow in the Upper Room. Admission is free, and all are welcome!

She will sing a program of show tunes by composers including Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch and others, accompanied by pianist Robin Kibler.

Evi is a rising sophomore at Mt. Greylock High School, and studies voice privately with of Keith Kibler. She saw her first Broadway show at the age of five, and hasn't gotten off the stage since. She has previously appeared in professional productions of Into the Woods and High School Musical 2 with the Barrington Stage Company, as well as in Medusa's Tale, Love's Labours Lost, Thoroughly Modern Millie, As You Like It, The Jungle Book, and The Princess Bride at Mt. Greylock High School. She will be performing in this summer’s Barrington Stage Company’s production of All Shook Up.

Vespers Monday, May 16 at 5:15 pm

2011-05-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

An ancient saying goes "that to remember is to find redemption." Awer Bul, artist and one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, was commissioned by Hope With Sudan to paint this Martyrs of Sudan icon. Since 1956, millions of Sudanese have died, often in religious conflicts. May 16th has been set aside throughout the world to remember those who died for their faith.

This 20-minute service will include scripture, time for reflection, prayers, and music.

2011-04-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

Concert March 26

Emily Kalish & Scott Bailey performed a recital of French music for violin and piano on March 26. The program included the Sonata in A by Cesar Franck and the Tzigane by Maurice Ravel. Emily and Scott will be performing on this summer's annual Noontime Concert Series, which will run in July and August on Mondays at noon!

Free Violin Concert - Saturday, Mar 26 - 8 pm

2011-03-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Emily Kalish, violin
Scott Bailey, piano

Saturday, March 26
8:00 pm
reception in the Upper Room after the concert

Program:
Franck: Sonata in A Major
Ravel: Tzigane

admission is FREE!
(donations welcome)

Signing Supper Friday Feb. 18 - 5:30 pm

2011-02-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Beat the winter cold by coming to our Singing Supper this Friday from 5:30 - 6:45 in the Upper Room. Our Singing Suppers bring together all our generations, as all of us like to eat, and many of us like to sing (or at least enjoy hearing the results).

After enjoying our meal, we sing a mixture of hymns old and new: chestnuts from the hymnal, rounds, and songs from WorshipOutside the Box, led by our Youth Band.

We ask those who attend to bring an entree, salad, bread, beverage, or dessert, to share.

Singing Supper (with heat!)

2011-01-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

We've got heat!

Beat the winter cold by coming to our

Singing Supper this Friday, January 21

from 5:30 - 6:45 in the Upper Room.

Our Singing Suppers bring together all our generations, as all of us like to eat,

and many of us like to sing (or atleast enjoy hearing the results).

After enjoying our meal, we sing a mixture of hymns old and new: chestnuts from the hymnal, rounds, and songs from Worship Outside the Box.

We ask those who attend to bring an entree, salad, bread, beverage, or dessert, to share.

Vespers Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 5:15 pm

2011-01-05T06:30:00.001-08:00

Join us for Vespers (Evening Prayer)
on the eve of the feast of Epiphany
This 20-minute service will include scripture,
time for reflection, prayers, and music.

Christmas at St. John's

2010-12-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve
4:00 p.m., The Children's Service
9:00 p.m., Choral Festival Eucharist
Christmas Day
10:00 a.m., Communion and Carols
First Sunday after Christmas
8:00 a.m and 10:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist

Christmas Pageant - Sunday, Dec 19

2010-12-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

St. John's Childrens' Christmas Pageant

Sunday, Dec. 19 - 4:15 pm

Presented by the children of St. John's.

Carols led by the Youth Band.

Instrumental prelude by the children.

This short program is a great way to introduce

St. John's to friends and neighbors!

Vespers this Wednesday

2010-11-15T19:01:00.001-08:00

Join us for vespers

on the eve of the feast of St. Hilda.

Wednesday, Nov. 18 5:15 p.m.

This 20-minute service will include scripture, time for reflection, prayers, and music.

In the evening of life, I shall be judged by love.

- John of the Cross

November Singing Supper tonight!

2010-11-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

TONIGHT - Fri,.Nov. 12

5:30 - 6:45 in the Upper Room

Our Singing Suppers bring together all our
generations, as all of us like to eat, and many of
us like to sing (or at least enjoy hearing the results).
After enjoying our meal, we sing a mixture of hymns
old and new: chestnuts from the hymnal, rounds,
and songs from Worship Outside the Box.

Members of the Affinknitties group will speak briefly about their ministry of crafts and fellowship.

We are ask those who attend to bring an entree, salad, bread, beverage, or dessert, to share.

Vespers this Wednesday at 5:15

2010-10-25T19:40:00.001-07:00

Join us Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 5:15 pm
for Vespers (Evening Prayer)
on the eve of the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.

This 20-minute service will include scripture, time for reflection, prayers, and music.

In the evening of life, I shall be judged by love.
- John of the Cross

Sunday @ 9: Seeing the Holy Land

2010-08-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

Bethlehem Security Fence

Seeing the Holy Land:
Religous Tradition & Political Reality

Our summer "Sundays at 9" series continues this Sunday, August 29, at 9:00 AM, when The Reverend Susan Crampton and Stuart Crampton will present "Seeing the Holy Land: Religious Tradition and Political Reality," an illustrated presentation of their experience. The public is invited to attend.

The "Sundays at 9" series features speakers whose life's work has brought them to a moment of challenge. Last March Susan and Stuart Crampton visited the Holy Land on a ten-day tour that was very rewarding and sometimes surprising.

Their presentation will take place in the parish library, at the red doors entrance, 35 Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Concert photos from Monday, August 23, 2010

2010-08-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Alicia Choi, violin; Amanda Verner, viola; Aleisha Verner, cello

From today's concert...

If you missed, it, check in at www.willinet.org in a few days - this concert, and others from the season are posted - you can view them anytime!

String Trio Concert - Monday, August 23 at Noon

2010-08-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Aleisha Verner, cello

Alicia Choi, violin

Amanda Verner, viola

Beethoven: Trio in c minor, Op. 9, No. 3

Dohnanyi: Serenade in C, Op. 10

FREE

Sundays @ 9: Wootters in Rwanda

2010-08-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

Our summer "Sundays at 9" series continues this Sunday, August 22, at 9:00 AM, when Adrienne and Bill Wootters will present "Teaching and Learning in Rwanda," an illustrated talk about their recent sabbatical experiences in Africa.

The "Sundays at 9" series features speakers whose life's work has brought them to a moment of challenge. Both Bill and Adrienne Wootters teach college physics, Bill at Williams and Adrienne at MCLA. They spent the first six months of 2010 in Kigali, Rwanda, teaching college-level physics at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, where Adrienne was a Fulbright Scholar. Her responsibilities included teaching two courses, supervising senior projects, and leading the physics department in a curricular review. Bill initially had no formal appointment, but was recruited to supervise several senior projects and to help a few students prepare for the Graduate Record Exam in physics, a prerequisite for graduate study in the US.

Their presentation will take place in the parish library, at the red doors entrance, 35 Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Violin Recital - Monday, Aug 16 at NOON

2010-08-13T03:58:00.001-07:00

On Monday, August 16, Williamstown violinist Sassok Eybiyan will be the featured artist on the Summer Noontime Concert series held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown. The free concert will begin at 12:00, and will include works by Massenet, Bartok and Beethoven.

Bring your lunch to enjoy during the concert; St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; voluntary contributions to help defray expenses are welcome.

The concert series will continue on Mondays through August 30, and will feature musicians from Williamstown, New York, and Boston. Violinist Alicia Choi, violist Amanda Verner, and cellist Aleisha Verner perform trios of Ysaye and Dohnanyi on August 23. The series will conclude onAugust 30 with a performance by the Williamstown-based Trio Café Budpest.

Updated information may be found at www.saintjohnswilliamstown.org. under the “News and Events” tab.

St. John’s is located at 45 Park St and is wheelchair-accessible.

Sundays at 9: Medical Mission to Ecuador

2010-08-11T17:49:00.001-07:00

For the eighth time, St. John's Episcopal Church in Williamstown has sent a medical mission team to work in a developing nation. This summer, Laurie Glover, Adrienne Wootters, Jim Mahon, and Bart Saxbe traveled to Ecuador under the auspices of Medical Ministries International.

On Sunday, August 15th, they will give an illustrated presentation of their experience at 9:00 a.m. in the parish library (reached by the red-doors entrance on Park Street). The public is invited.

Scott Bailey at the St. John's organ

2010-08-10T04:15:00.000-07:00

Scott's concert on Monday, August 9 will soon be showing on Willinet, the Williamstown local cable access company (channels 16/17). We'll post the schedule here when it's available. The concert will also be available anytime on the Willinet website www.willinet.org for viewing on your computer!

Sundays at 9: "Our Newest Americans"

2010-08-04T18:30:00.001-07:00

Hilary Greene, Director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center, will speak on the subject "Our Newest Americans: Immigration in Berkshire County and Beyond" at 9:00 AM on Sunday, August 8, at St. John's Episcopal Church of Williamstown. Each Sunday through the end of August, speakers will share how their life's work has brought them to a moment of challenge.

Hilary Greene graduated from Mt. Greylock Regional High School and earned her BA in Soviet and Russian Studies from Colby College. Her interest in immigration began in the early '90s when she spent four years living and working as an expatriate in St. Petersburg, Russia. After returning to the United States, Hilary worked as the Refugee Resettlement Coordinator at the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and helped to establish the Berkshire Immigrant Center, where she is currently the director.

Griffin/Bailey recital DVD link

2010-07-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Willinet (Williamstown local cable access company) has posted a video of the concert given by baritone Avery Griffin and pianist Scott Bailey on July 19, 2010, part of the Summer Noontime Concert series at St. John's. Click on this link to view anytime!

www.willinet.org.

Folks can also turn on channel 17 in Willimstown and watch it on:

WEDs - 4 pm & 8 pm

THUs- 9 am & 5 pm

SATs - 6 am

SUNs- 2 pm & 7 pm & 10:30 pm

Sundays at 9: Approaching Death: A Geriatrician's View

2010-07-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Mary B. King, M.D., F.A.C.P., will speak on the subject "Approaching Death: A Geriatrician's View" on Sunday, August 1, at 9:00 a.m. in the upper room (ramp entrance). This program continues the parish's summer series "Sundays at 9." Each Sunday through the end of August, speakers will share how their life's work has brought them to a moment of challenge.

Dr. King will speak about how she came to practice in the field of geriatric medicine, what is distinctive about that field, and how by its nature she is often engaged in supporting people as they die.

Dr. King is a geriatrician with Williamstown Medical Associates, where she practices primary and consultative care for people ages 55 and over. She is also the Medical Director at Williamstown Commons.

Summer Noontime Concert Series - August 2

2010-07-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

New York violinist Emily Kalish will perform works for solo violin by J.S. Bach on Monday, August 2 on the Summer Noontime Concert series. The concert will last 45 minutes and will feature the Partita in D minor (including the Chaconne) and selected movements from the Partita in E.

Bring your lunch to enjoy during the concert. St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies.

Admission is free; voluntary contributions to help defray expenses are welcome.

Emily Kalish grew up in Great Barrington and studied violin with Alla Zernitskaya of Pittsfield. She holds an Associate of Arts from Simon’s Rock College, a Bachelor of Music from the Hartt School, where she studied with Katie Lansdale, and a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where her teacher was Burton Kaplan. She has participated in numerous summer programs, and last summer was a fellow with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckinridge, CO. Emily now lives in New York, where she teaches violin and performs as an orchestral player, chamber musician, and soloist.

Gwen Tunnicliffe & Patrick Madden - July 26

2010-07-27T04:39:00.001-07:00

Sundays at 9: Achieving Food Security - July 25

2010-07-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Williamstown, will host Kim McMann, Coordinator of Target Hunger in the North Berkshires, as guest speaker on Sunday, July 25, at 9:00 a.m. in the parish’s upper room (reached by the ramp entrance). Her subject will be “Achieving Food Security.”

St. John’s summer series “Sundays at 9” features speakers whose life’s work has brought them to a moment of challenge. Kim McMann reports that in this present economy Americans are challenged to just keep up with hunger and food security, let alone reduce these strong but often hidden needs in our society. In her work of finding resources for people and connecting them to those resources, Kim McMann feels that challenge daily.

Her program, Target Hunger, is one of two pilot projects of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which serves four hundred agencies in the four western counties of the Commonwealth. The North Berkshire project is the Food Bank’s rural location, while its urban counterpart is located in the Mason Square section of Springfield.

In the work of Target Hunger, it’s understood that addressing hunger means more than giving people food. People need to learn about their food options, and gain what they need to prepare and cook nourishing food.

One of Target Hunger’s goals is to increase low-income households’ access to fresh produce. Kim will talk about Square Roots Farm, a C.S.A. (community-supported agriculture) farm in Clarksburg, MA, which allocates a number of shares for low-income households.

The upper room of St. John’s is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street.

Information: 413-458-8144.

Gwen Tunnicliffe, soprano - Monday, July 26 at noon

2010-07-20T19:22:00.001-07:00

Come hear soprano Gwendolyn Tunnicliffe and pianist Robin Kibler perform works by Mozart, Copland, Faure, Menotti, and Sondheim on Monday, July 23. The concert will begin at noon and last 45 minutes.

Bring your lunch to enjoy during the concert. St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies.

Admission is free; voluntary contributions to help defray expenses are welcome.

Gwendolyn Tunnicliffe is a recent graduate of Mount Greylock Regional High School in Williamstown, where she sang in the chorus and took part in all the drama productions. Gwen has also been in many productions through the youth programs at Shakespeare & Company. She has studied voice with Keith Kibler at Williams College for two years. Her recent appearances include the Spirit in the opera Dido & Aeneas with the New Opera Company, Bastienna in Mozart's Bastien & Bastienna, Lina Lamont in Singin' In the Rain, and Fiona McLaren in Brigadoon. She is the 2010 Grand Prize Winner in the Vocal Category of the Berkshire Lyric Theatre's Young Artists Competition, the recipient of The Louise Noble Guild Recognition in Dramatic Arts Award, and the Berkshire Heptones Betty Von Mosch Memorial Scholarship.

Robin Kibler is Organist/Choir Director at the First United Methodist Church of Williamstown, and she frequently accompanies vocalists who are students of her husband, bass-baritone Keith Kibler. Robin studied piano with Alfred Mouledous at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She is a librarian at Williams College where she manages collection development and oversees the Acquisitions and Cataloging Departments.

Singing Supper - Thursday, July 22

2010-07-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Summer Singing Supper on the lawn this Thursday, July 22 at 5:30 pm Petrunos are grilling burgers and veggie burgers - bring a dish or a dessert to share!
We'll sing favorite hymns (your choice!) from the hymnal and Worship Outside the Box!

Don't miss it!

Noon concert - Monday, July 19

2010-07-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

Avery Griffin, baritone (and pianist)

Scott Bailey, piano

perfoming selections from Schumann: Liederkreis, Op. 39

Avery Griffin: Piano Sonata

J.S. Bach: Cantata 82, "Ich habe genug"

Sundays at 9:00 - Haiti after the Earthquake

2010-07-15T15:19:00.001-07:00

Sunday, July 18, at 9:00 a.m.

Dr. Craig Clemow will present an illustrated talk, "Haiti after the Earthquake," on in the parish library (at the red doors entrance on Park Street). This program opens the parish's summer series "Sundays at 9." Each Sunday through the end of August, speakers will share how their life's work has brought them to a moment of challenge.

Dr. Clemow is a psychotherapist on the staff of The Counseling Center in the Berkshires. In the weeks following the earthquake in Haiti, he was one of many healthcare professionals who volunteered to serve there.

Avery Griffin in Recital - Monday, July 19 at Noon

2010-07-13T16:38:00.001-07:00

The Summer Noontime Concert Series continues on Monday, July 19 with performance by baritone & composer Avery Griffin and pianist Scott Bailey. The free, 45-minute concert will begin at 12:00 and will include J.S. Bach: Cantata 82 "Ich habe genug" and selections from Robert Schumann's "Liederkreis".

Bring your lunch to enjoy during the concert - St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; voluntary contributions to help defray expenses are welcome.

The series will continue on Mondays through August 23, with musicians from Williamstown, New York and Boston. The schedule is as follows:

July 26: Gwendolyn Tunnicliffe, soprano; Robin Kibler, piano

August 2: Emily Kalish, violin

August 9: JungHee Park and EunHee Seok, duo-pianists

August 16: Sassok Eybiyan, violin; Scott Bailey, piano

August 23: Alicia Choi, violin; Amanda Verner, viola; Aleisha Verner, cello

Avery Griffin is a baritone and teacher of music theory who is active in New York, New Jersey, and New England. He is a member of the Trinity Choir, a professional ensemble under the direction of Steven Fox at Manhattan's historic Trinity Wall Street Church, which is responsible for providing music for Sunday services and other holy days, and presents a full concert series running from October through May. The 2009-2010 season included concerts featuring the Howells Requiem, the Musikalische Exequien of Schütz (conducted by Jane Glover), and a concert of twentieth and twenty-first century choral music featuring Veljo Tormis's Curse upon Iron (conducted by Stefan Parkman), in which Avery was featured as a soloist.

Avery is also a charter member of two new music ensembles: NotaRiotous and Roomful of Teeth.With NotaRiotous, a Boston-based chamber group affiliated with the Boston Microtonal Society dedicated exclusively to the performance of microtonal compositions, Avery has performed works by Pascale Criton, Jason Eckhardt, James Bergin, and Ezra Sims. Roomful of Teeth is an octet of classically trained singers dedicated to building a new vocal repertoire by incorporating non-classical techniques including Tuvan throat singing and yodeling into new works commissioned by the group.

During the summer months Avery is the music history and theory coordinator of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, a high school program in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, where he teaches vocalists, pianists, and harpists. He also lectures to young composers on writing for the voice and then performs the pieces that they compose for him.

Pianist Scott Bailey is staff accompanist/coach at Westfield State College where he serves the accompanying needs of student and faculty vocalists and instrumentalists. He has served as accompanist at UMass Amherst, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and as Director of Choral Activities at Bay Path College. He was the choir director for the Bay Path College Festival Choir trip to Prague, Czech Republic for a weeklong Advent Festival. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, UCC, where he also coordinates the North County Music Series and directs the North County Ecumenical Choir.

Scott has been certified as a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists and is a member of the Berkshire and Springfield Chapters. He accompanies the Hampshire Choral Society in Northampton, MA and is a freelance pianist, organist, and music director throughout western Massachusetts. Scott has recently been featured on the Albany Records recording Connections by saxophonist Lynn Klock.

Photos from today's free concert!

2010-07-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Alicia Choi performing Brahms Sonata in G, Op 78 with pianist Scott Bailey.

Augusta Caso and Scott Bailey performing songs of Brahms, Debussy, Faure and Ives.

Next Monday at noon: Avery Griffin, baritone, performs works by J.S. Bach, Poulenc, Argento and Rihm.

Noontime Summer Concert Series Begins

2010-07-05T15:20:00.001-07:00

The Noontime Summer Concert series begins on Monday, July 12

with a joint recital by violinist Alica Choi and soprano Augusta Caso, accompanied by pianist Scott Bailey. The program is entitled "Romantic Notions of the Rain and Sunlight”. The free, 45-minute concert will begin at 12:00, and will include works by Brahms, Debussy, Faure, and Ives.

Children are welcome!

Bring your lunch to enjoy during the concert - St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; voluntary contributions to help defray expenses are welcome.

The series will continue on Mondays through August 23, with musicians from Williamstown, New York and Boston. The schedule is as follows:

July 19: Avery Griffin, baritone; Scott Bailey piano

July 26: Gwendolyn Tunnicliffe, soprano; Scott Bailey, piano

August 2: Emily Kalish, violin

August 9: JungHee Park and EunHee Seok

August 16: String Quartet led by Alicia Choi

August 23: Sassok Eybiyan, violin

Packing and Pizza Event

2010-07-05T15:11:00.001-07:00

Join us for a Packing and Pizza Event!

Wednesday, July 7th,

5:30 pm

Upper Room

Kids of all ages welcome!

On Saturday, July 10th, we'll be departing for our medical mission trip to Latacunga, Ecuador. We look forward to distributing all of the toiletries, toys, over-the-counter medications, and other donations from the Saint John's and Saint Stan's School communities. But we need your help sorting, bagging, organizing, and packing.

If you can't make it to the packing event but would like to contribute items from the list below, please drop them off in the boxes located on the church porch between the sanctuary and the Upper Room before 5:30 on Wednesday, July 7th.

Here's the list of items that are needed for the trip:

Over-the counter medications, particularly:

· Pain-killers (ibuprofen and acetaminophen)

· Anti-fungal creams

· Anti-diarrhea medications

· Children's vitamins

Basic toiletries, especially:

· Soap

· Small shampoo (hotel-size)

· Toothbrushes

· Toothpaste

· Washcloths

· Combs

· Nail clippers

Small toys for children, particularly:

· Pens, pencils, crayons

· Note pads

· Inflatable beach balls

· Small stuffed animals for children

undergoing surgery

Other miscellaneous items:

· Duct tape

· Batteries (AA, D, and 9V)

· Zip-Loc bags, all sizes (snack and gallon

sizes are most useful)

· Large trash bags

· Old greeting cards and post cards

(we cut the fronts off the greeting

cards and paste health information

on the backs of them.)

Compline this Thursday, June 10

2010-06-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Compline Service

Night-time prayer in the comfort of chant and candlelight.

Join us this Thursday, June 10, 8:30 pm, for this 20-minute meditative service.

(please note new time)

Singing Supper - Friday, May 21 - 5:30 pm

2010-05-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

The Vestry is sponsoring a Singing Supper for all ages in the Upper Room. We'll provide soup and drinks if you bring yourself, either bread or dessert, and a willingness to sing. Barbara and the Youth Band will lead our music.

We hope to see (and hear!) you there!

Compline on Ascension Day (this Thursday)

2010-05-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Be present for
the candle-lit chanting.

Listen for
the comfort of night prayers.

Come to Compline.

Join us for this 20-minute
meditative service.

Thursday, May 13 - 8:30 pm

Join us on Ascension Day
Thursday, May 13th
8:30 pm
for this 20-minute
meditative service.

2010-04-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Come to Compline.
Come early.
Settle into the presence of the darkened church.
Be present for the candlelit chanting.
Listen for the comfort of night-prayers.
Come to Compline.

Join us on Thursday, April 22nd at 9:00 pm

for this brief 20-minute meditative service.

Starry Mountain Singers

2010-04-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Starry Mountain Singers, a world music vocal ensemble specializing in sacred and secular singing traditions from Georgia, Bulgaria, Corisca, and the United States will present a concert Tuesday, April 13 (tonight!) at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary at St. John's. The group's members are all lifelong musicians who share a deep love of traditional vocal styles and a dedication to studying and performing them.

The Starry Mountain Singers have toured extensively with the Vermont-based world-music ensembles Northern Harmony and Village Harmony, where they received an introduction to traditional songs and singing styles from around the world. Members of the ensemble have worked with Meredith Monk and the Revels International; have performed on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage; and include three members of the Brooklyn-based country band The Sweetback Sisters.

The American repertoire on tonights's concert includes shape-note songs (a traditional new England song style), powerful gospel numbers, and haunting folk tunes from Appalachia.

The Georgian, Corsican, and Bulgarian songs are a mixture of sacred and secular pieces that deomonstrate the incredible range of unique singing traditions from those countries. Each member has contributed songs from his or her particular area of musical knowledge and expertise, resulting in a dynamic and eclectic program that will delight world-music fans and lovers of choral performance.

Suggested donation, $12 general or $5 for students.

For more information, call (917) 862-9106.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-01T18:57:00.001-07:00

He is risen!

8:00 am Festival Holy Eucharist

10:00 am Festival Holy Eucharist

Followed by refreshments, Easter egg hunt,

the Great Easter Challenge for Children.

Easter Vigil - Saturday 7:00 PM

2010-04-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

The Great Vigil of Easter

Lighting of the Paschal Fire
Sacrament of Holy Baptism
First Eucharist of Easter

7:00 PM
refreshments follow

Good Friday, April 2 services

2010-03-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

Noon - 3:00 pm
the Preaching of the Passion
A service shared with the
First United Methodist Church, Williamstown
(35-minute segments, come and go as you wish)

5:30 pm Stations of the Cross for Children
(all ages welcome!)

7:00 pm Good Friday liturgy

Maundy Thursday, April 1

2010-03-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

7:00 p.m.

This service commemorates the Last Supper

and Jesus's washing of his disciples' feet,

and prepares us for the events

of Good Friday and Easter.

Join us.

Parish Meeting on Sunday!

2010-03-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Mar. 21 - 11:30

We're at an important juncture in refitting our buildings. The Facilities Committee has been working with Gary Corey of Centerline Architects in Bennington to envision better ways of utilizing our spaces. A new concept is emerging that brings our longed-for new kitchen tantalizingly within reach rather than a distant dream.

The Committee has reported to Vestry, and together with Vestry invites all parishioners to attend a meeting Sunday, March 21 at 11:30 in order to:

- Review the goals and status of the Campaign for St. John's

- Revisit the Preservation Project and hear the latest about the

structural repair and refinishing of the Lower Room

- Learn about a possible new plan for reconfiguring the spaces

adjacent to the Lower Room, including a new kitchen.

The Facilities Committee and Vestry members are eager to hear

from you as we discern our best options in realizing the

goals of the Campaign for St. John's.

Compline this Thursday!

2010-03-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

A Service of Compline: a peaceful way to end the day

Bask in the beauty of ancient chant and hymns accompanied by candlelight. Our choir leads the music; those in attendance can join in or simply sit back and enjoy the sounds around them and the opportunity to give thanks for the blessings of the day.

This contemplative service lasts 20 minutes.
Join us.

Benefit Concert Friday, March 5

2010-03-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

St. John's Episcopal Church, Williamstown,

presents

Igor Lovchinsky, Piano

in a recital of music by
Haydn, Liszt, Medtner, and Gershwin

All proceeds will benefit
The Berkshire Food Project,
The Williamstown Food Pantry, and the
St. Stephen's Table of Pittsfield.

Russian-born American pianist Igor Lovchinsky has been hailed by Gramophone as a "star of the future" and acclaimed by Germany's Piano Magazine for the "elegance and rapturous beauty" of his playing.

Come hear him play the grand piano at the Williamstown Elementary School, and support hunger relief for your neighbors right here in the Berkshires.

WHERE: Williamstown Elementary School, 115 Church St. Williamstown, MA
WHEN: Friday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10.00 for adults, $7.00 for students and seniors, and can be purchased from the office at St. John's Church (Monday-Friday 9-5) or from the office at the Williamstown Elementary School (during school hours). Tickets will also be available at the door.

2009-08-16T19:09:00.001-07:00

The final free concert of the 2009 Summer Noontime concert series at St. John's Episcopal Church will be held on Monday, August 20. Featured performers are New York-based violinists Emily Kalish and Abigale Reisman in a program of music by Bartok, Hindemith and traditional fiddle tunes.
Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies. The concert has no admission charge, but donations to offset expenses are welcome.

Emily Kalish grew up in Great Barrington, where she was a student of Alla Zernitskaya. She holds a Bachelor's of Music in violin performance from The Hartt School, where she studied with Katie Lansdale, and a Master's of Music in violin performance from Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Burton Kaplan. An avid chamber musician, she has attended Charles Castleman's Quartet Program and worked with members of the Colorado, American, Ying, Brentano, Borromeo, Orion and Miami Quartets. She is a member of the Berkshire Symphony and the Westchester Chamber Orchestra, and is on the faculty of the Enchanted Garden Conservatory in Ridgefield, CT. This past summer she was a fellow at the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, CO. She is the first violinist in a string quartet that will spend next three months performing aboard the cruise liner Zaandam on its voyages to Alaska and Hawaii.

Abigale Reisman started her violin studies at age 5 in Atlanta. When she was 15 she joined the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra where she played for two years. She spent her senior year of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Abigale currently studies violin at the Manhattan School of Music with Burton Kaplan. She has recently become very interested in Klezmer music and all types of fiddling, and hopes to pursue these newfound passions.

This is the final concert on the 2009 series - we look forward to seeing you next year!

loadbang in concert!

2009-08-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

Members of loadbang performing at St. John's Episcopal Church on Monday, August 10. The concert was part of the annual Summer Noontime concert series, held on Mondays in July and August. The concert included works by well-known composers John Cage and David Lang; new works by emerging composers Ya-Jhu Yang, Alexandre Lunsqui and Scott Worthington; free improvisation by the group members.

About loadbang:
Baritone Jeffery Gavett, trumpeter Andy Kozar, bass clarinetist Alejanro T. Acierto and trombonist Will Lang met as part of the first class of Manhattan School of Music's Contemporary Performance program, and have been playing together ever since. In the past year they have premiered more than 15 works for their unique instrumentation (bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone voice), including several work written by members of the band, and a new arrangement by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang. They also perform works for indeterminate ensemble, including such New York School classics as Brown's December 1952 and Cage's Four6.

Not content to dwell solely in the realm of notated music, loadbang is known for its searing and unpredictable improvisations, exploring the edges of instrumental and vocal timbre and technique. Most recently they made their first trip to Boston for a joint show with ai ensemble and to Philadelphia to perform as a part of the Sci-Fi Philly series. They have performed along side musicians and ensembles such as So Percussion, Lukas Ligeti, and Newspeak. Their recent performances in New York include appearances at The Tank, The Stone, The 1st Annual New York New Music Bake Sale, and an all John Cage evening at the Gershwin Hotel.

To hear samples of their music, and find out more about the group, visit www.myspace.com/loadbangmusic

Nick Revel, Violist

2009-08-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown continues its Summer Noontime Concert Series on Monday, August 3 with a performance by New York-based violist Nick Revel and local pianist Scott Bailey of music by Bach, Vaughan Williams and Bruch. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch and St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; donations to help offset expenses are welcome.

Nick Revel is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he studied viola with John Graham and had chamber music coaching with the Ying Quartet. He lives in New York City where he is a freelance performer, teacher, composer and improviser. He has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Ozawa Hall, the Glimmerglass Opera House and many others. He is a member of the Allentown and Norwalk Symphonies.

Pianist Scott Bailey is staff accompanist/vocal coach at Westfield State College and Director of Choral Activities at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, MA. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

The concert series will continue on Mondays from August 3 – August 17. Featured performers include Loadbang, a contemporary ensemble from New York City; duo-violinists Emily Kalish and Abigale Reisman.

Trombone Tone!

2009-07-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Virtuoso trombonist Will Lang performs tomorrow (Monday, July 26) on the St. John's Episcopal Church Summer Noontime concert series. The concert is free, and audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert, which will end by 12:45. The church will provide drinks and cookies. The program consists of works for solo trombone by 20th and 21st century composers John Cage, Enrique Crespo, Aaron Cassidy, Walter Hartley, James Bergin, Abbie Conant, William Osbourne and Frederic Rzewski.

Trombonist William Lang is making a career in new music. As an active musician in both New York and Boston, he is dedicated to the performance of new music by established and emerging composers. He has performed new music in such venues as Carnegie's Zankel Hall, the Winter Garden, the Cathedral of St. Paul in Boston, the Flea, the Tank, Secret Project Robot, the Gershwin Hotel, and the Stone. Lang has been involved in the premiere of over 45 new works in the last year alone.

He is a member of NotaRiotous, the chamber ensemble of the Boston Microtonal Society www.bostonmicrotonalsociety.org and has performed with such ensembles as the TACTUS Ensemble, Zero Gravity, the SEM Ensemble, the Claremont Ensemble, the Guidonian Hand (a trombone quartet he started,) Grocery Store Sushi, Wet Ink, and Loadbang, a new music group of which he is a founding member.

Lang is an active performer in New York City's freelance orchestra scene, and has toured across New York State with the SUNY Fredonia Wind Ensemble as a soloist, performing Richard Peaslee's Arrows of Time. He recently received a Masters degree in the Contemporary Performance Program (of which he is a flagship member) from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Herrington.

Don't miss this stunning concert! Families, bring your young musicians so they can see just how amazing a trombone can be!

Youth Band concert!

2009-07-12T19:27:00.001-07:00

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown continues its Summer Noontime Concert Series on Monday, July 13 with a program of contemporary gospel music presented by the St. John’s Youth Band. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch, and the church will provide lemonade and cookies. Admission is free, but donations to help offset expenses are welcome.

Members of the band are all students at Mt. Greylock and include Dylan Sikelianos, lead guitar; John Kolesar, bass guitar; Evie Mahan and Tyra Nurmi, vocals; St. John’s Special Events coordinator Jimmy Bergin directs the band and plays keyboard. The program will feature selections from the musical Godspell and other high-energy contemporary gospel songs.

The Youth Band was formed two years ago, rehearses weekly and has played regularly at the bi-weekly “Worship Outside the Box” services held at St. John’s on Sunday mornings, as well as at other church functions.

Summer Concert Series begins!

2009-06-30T00:30:00.001-07:00

The St. John's annual Summer Noontime FREE concert series begins this Monday, July 6 with a program of vocal music by Webern, Ives and Finzi. Featured performers are New York-based baritone Avery Griffin and local pianist Scott Bailey. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch. Admission is free, but donations to help offset expenses are welcome.

Families are welcome!

Avery Griffin is a freelance singer who performs regularly with both New York- and Boston-based groups including the Trinity Choir at Trinity Church, Wall Street; the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys; the NotaRiotous ensemble of the Boston Microtonal Society. He teaches theory annually at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. His most recent local performance was with Roomful of Teeth at Mass MoCA.

Pianist Scott Bailey is staff accompanist/vocal coach at Westfield State College and Director of Choral Activities at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, MA. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

The concert series will continue on Mondays from July 13 - August 17. Featured performers include:
July 13 St. John’s Youth Band
July 20 Trio Café Budapest
July 27 Will Lang, trombone
August 3 Nick Revel, viola; Scott Bailey, piano
August 10 Loadbang (contemporary music ensemble)
August 17 Emily Kalish, Abigail Reisman, violins

Beat the Winter Blues this Saturday!

2009-01-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

Beat those winter blues by coming to a FREE concert at St. John's Episcopal church this Saturday, January 31 at 7:00 pm. Five (count' em, five!) widely varied musical groups will offer a wide variety of lively music.

Families are encouraged to bring children!

The performing groups include:

- St. John's Youth Band (Tyra Nurmi, Evie Mahan, John Kolesar, Dyland Sikeleanos)

- Trio Brevalo, comprised of local singers Doug Paisley, Paul McFarland and Silvio Eberhardt, who sing traditional folk and liturgical songs from Caucasus Georgia

- Trio Cafe Budapest (Bill Wootters, piano; Ted Gilley, guitar and Jimmy Bergin, violin)

- Cantilena Chamber Choir, directed by Andrea Goodman, a 24-voice acapella group.

- The Shoes, a local teenage world music group (including Patrick Madden and Sato Matsui, who performed on January 11 at the 10am service)

Come have a great time and beat them blues!

MLK Day event

2009-01-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

St. John's Episcopal Church, Williamstown, will celebrate Martin Luther King Day on Sunday, January 18 at 4:30 p.m., when folksingers Charlie King and Karen Brandow will present "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn me 'Round", a performance piece that offers a history of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1997. The presentation, which highlights activists such as Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker, will include PowerPoint images, dramatic readings and powerful songs.

Charlie King and Karen Brandow are musical storytellers and political satirists who have released six CD's since they began performing as a duo in 1998. In addition to a fulltime career of concert touring, King and Brandow have sung in support of numerous groups working for peace, human and labor rights, environmental sanity and alternatives to violence.

This event, co-sponsored by the Williams College Chaplains' Office, is free and open to the public. St. John's Church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA. Further information about Charlie King and Karen Brandow can be found at www.charlieking.org

Leaf raking party!

2008-11-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

First, they were here -- pretty!!!

Now, they're here... :(

but...THIS guy's got the right idea!

Come to the leaf-raking party at St. John's this Saturday, November 15 at 10:00 am!

your hosts: Dan, Lisa and Jack Campbell - the more the merrier, ALL ages welcome!

Blessing of the Animals - music by Wintergreen!

2008-10-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Join us as we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi with a Blessing of the Animals during a simple service of Evensong on Sunday, October 5th at 4:30 p.m.

All creatures great and small will be welcomed to take their places in and among the pews, which make excellent corrals for animal companions. Dogs should be on leashes, and cats in carriers. Participants who wish to remember a deceased pet may bring a photo or keepsake for that purpose.

The local folk trio Wintergreen return as our guest musicians. Members Larry and Alice Spatz and Jared Polens perform a mixture of traditional and contemporary folk music from Britain and America on a variety of instruments including hammered dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, psaltery, and bass. Their inspired selections always capture the spirit of this service.

A free-will offering will be received for the fund for strays and wild animals at Greylock Animal Hospital.
St. John’s is located at 35 Park Street, and is wheelchair accessible. Information: 413-458-8144.

Final Summer Concert - Brahms Violin Concerto!

2008-08-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the final concert of our Summer Noontime concert series this Wednesday, August 27. Violinist Emily Kalish and pianist Scott Bailey will perform the Brahms Violin Concerto in D, one of the greatest concertos composed for this instrument. Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch; St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. The concert will begin at noon and last for 45 minutes. Admission is free; donations to help offset expenses are accepted.

Violinist Emily Kalish grew up in Great Barrington, where she was a student of Alla Zernitskaya. She recently received her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where her teacher was Burton Kaplan. She is a member of the Berkshire Symphony and is on the faculty of the Enchanted Garden Conservatory in Ridgefield, CT.

Pianist Scott Bailey is the director of choral activities at Bay Path College, and an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

St. John’s is located at 35 Park St. in Williamstown, and is wheelchair-accessible. More information can be found at www.saintjohnswilliamstown.org or by calling 413.458.8144

Avery Griffin concert

2008-08-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

Our Summer Noontime Concert Series continues on Wednesday, August 20 with a performance by baritone Avery Griffin and pianist Scott Bailey. The concert will begin at noon and last for forty-five minutes and will include music by Vartan Aghababian, James Radford, Avery Griffin, as well as some folk songs. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch and St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; donations to help offset expenses are accepted.

Baritone Avery Griffin is a free-lance singer who performs regularly with such New York-based groups as the Trinity Choir at Trinity Church (Wall Street) and the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys. The ’07-’08 season saw Avery participating in performances of Purcell’s King Arthur, the Monteverdi Vespers, two late Haydn masses, and the American premiere of John Tavener’s Solemnitas in Concepione Immaculata Mariae Virginis, among others. He is a member of NotaRiotous, the permanent chamber ensemble of the Boston Microtonal Society http://www.bostonmicrotonalsociety.org/ (directed by St. John's Special Events Coordinator James Bergin). Griffin teaches music theory at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. He is a graduate of Boston University, where he was the recipient of several awards, including the Harold Zulalaian cholarship and the Ellalou Dimmocock scholarship.

Pianist Scott Bailey is the director of choral activities at Baypath College; an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College; and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

Final Summer Forum this Sunday

2008-08-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

St. John’s summer forums will conclude this Sunday, August 17, when GreenFaith fellow and parishioner Tamara Adkins will help participants consider environmental stewardship. The forum will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the church’s upper room, and will include the showing of a segment of the film “Renewal”.

Adkins, who has a master’s degree in public health and is a doctoral candidate in Antioch University’s environmental studies program, studies the connections between plastics and public health through an environmental justice lens. As a GreenFaith fellow, she works to integrate spirit, stewardship, and justice.

In these summer forums, St. John’s welcomes the public to hear the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their conviction and passion into action. The church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA, and is accessible to the physically challenged. The upper room is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Igor Lovchinski, pianist

2008-08-08T04:10:00.001-07:00

Russian-born pianist Igor Lovchinski comes to St. John's this Wednesday August 13 to present a free concert of music by Chopin and Gershwin as part of our weekly Summer Noontime concert series. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert; St. John's will provide cookies and drinks.

Families are encouraged to bring their children to these concerts. You'll want to sit close to the front so you can see all the action!

Igor Lovchinsky has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Auditorium, the Bushnell Center, the Eastman Theater and the Ohio Theater. Internationally, he has presented recitals at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, the American Embassy in Beijing, and the Rosza Centre in Calgary. Upcoming engagements include performances with the Indianapolis Symphony and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestras.

As concerto soloist, Mr. Lovchinsky has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (OH), the “Live Music Project” Ensemble (Quick Centre in Fairfield, CT) and the Florida International University Symphony Orchestra. In addition, his performance of Chopin’s First Concerto with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra was broadcast on WQXR radio in New York and was featured as the soundtrack of the independent film "Romance Larghetto" by director Pablo Goldbarg.

Born in Kazan, Russia in 1984, Igor Lovchinsky began playing the piano at the age of two. In 1989, he entered the Kazan Special Music School for Gifted Children and after coming to the United States in 1994, garnered first prizes at the Eastman International Piano Competition and the National Chopin Piano Competition of the Kosciuszko Foundation.

Mr. Lovchinsky holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School and is now in the graduate program at the New England Conservatory in Boston. His teachers have included Nina Polonsky, Steven Glaser, Jerome Lowenthal and Patricia Zander.

Summer Forum: Medical Mission to the Dominican Republic

2008-08-06T19:01:00.001-07:00

St. John’s summer forums continue this Sunday, August 10, when medical missioners Laurie Glover and Bart Saxbe will speak about their experiences in The Dominican Republic this summer. The forum will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the church’s upper room.

Glover, who oversees the visual resource collection at the Clark Art Institute, is Senior Warden of St. John’s and helps coordinate the parish’s annual medical mission trip. Saxbe, also a parishioner, is a general surgeon in practice with Williamstown Medical Associates. Both are veterans of several mission trips the parish has sponsored to The Dominican Republic and Bolivia through Medical Ministry International. This year’s group of six teenagers and six adults worked for two weeks in surgical and dental clinics in Monte Plata.

In these summer forums, St. John’s welcomes the public to hear the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their conviction and passion into action. The church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA, and is accessible to the physically challenged. The upper room is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Summer forum this Sunday

2008-07-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

St. John’s summer forums continue this Sunday, August 3, when Amy Alexander and Raj Ray will present “In Our Own Voice”, their stories of living with mental illness. The forum will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the church’s upper room.

Amy Alexander is a mental health consumer and trained speaker for the statewide In Our Own Voice Program under the aegis of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She has advocated at the State House in Boston and local venues to campaign for better treatment for people living with mental illness, and has spoken to local churches, colleges, and civic organizations in hopes of eradicating the stigma surrounding mental illness.

In these summer forums, St. John’s welcomes the public to a respectful and appreciative hearing of the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their conviction and passion into action. The church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA, and is accessible to the physically challenged. The upper room is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Violinist Alicia Choi (Williams '09)

2008-07-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

Our Summer Noontime Concert Series continues this Wednesday, July 30 with a performance by violinist Alicia Choi and pianist Scott Bailey in music of Bach (Solo Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV1003) and Beethoven (Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major). The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch and St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; donations to help offset expenses are accepted.

Children are especially welcome!

Alicia Choi began studying the violin at the age of four. She was a scholarship student at the Aspen Music Festival in 2001 and 2006. From 2001-2005, Alicia attended the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School of Music, studying with Won-Bim Yim and Masao Kawasaki. She has performed in master classes of Aaron Rosand, Philip Setzer, the Daedalus Quartet, Donald Weilerstein, James Buswell, and Wonji Kim Ozim.
She currently attends Williams College, where she plays in the Berkshire Symphony, Symphonic Winds and various chamber ensembles, and studies with Joanna Kurkowicz.

Pianist Scott Bailey is currently an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

"Mixed" marriage forum this Sunday

2008-07-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

St. John’s summer forums continue this Sunday, July 27, when parishioners Debbie Monahan and Jimmy Bergin will present their own story of a middle-aged romance between two very different believers, one an agnostic and the other an evangelical Christian, and how they found common ground in a church community. Monahan serves on the Vestry and Bergin leads a special events ministry at St. John's Church in Williamstown, where they have made their spiritual home since 2002.

The forum will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the church’s upper room. In these summer forums, St. John’s welcomes the public to a respectful and appreciative hearing of the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their conviction and passion into action.

Music for Flute

2008-07-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

St. John's free Summer Noontime concert series continues this Wednesday, July 16 with a recital by flutist Lucy Bergin and pianist Scott Bailey, who will perform works of Bach, Faure and Mozart. The concert will begin at noon and conclude by 12:.45.

Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Children are especially welcome at these concerts; parents, please view this as a great way for kids to see live music up close and personal!

Trio Cafe Budapest at the movies!

2008-07-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 20 at 7:30, bring your family to the Morgan lawn at the top of Spring St. in Williamstown to hear the Trio Cafe Budapest in concert, as a prelude to the outdoor screening of "Ghostbusters", presented by the Images Cinema http://www.imagescinema.org/

The band will play from 7:30 until the movie begins. Their brand new CD "Meridian" will be available for sale!

Jim Kolesar - Summer Forum July 20

2008-07-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

St. John’s summer forums continue this Sunday, July 20, when parishioner Jim Kolesar will speak about China, often called the country of the future. Kolesar recently spent two weeks with a Williams College group meeting education, business, and government leaders in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. He will share his impressions of the country’s rapidly changing culture, economics, and politics, and of the situation there for faith communities. The forum will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the church’s upper room.

In these summer forums, St. John’s welcomes the public to a respectful and appreciative hearing of the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their conviction and passion into action. The church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA, and is accessible to the physically challenged. The upper room is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Crazy trombone!

2008-07-10T15:27:00.001-07:00

St. John's Noontime Concert series continues this Wednesday, July 16 with a concert by trombone virtuoso Will Lang. Will can do things on a trombone that are not generally regarded as possible! If your child is considering taking up an instrument, or is playing one now, this will blow their minds!

Will Lang is making a career in new music. An active musician in both New York and Boston, he performs new music by established as well as emerging composers.

He has performed new music in such venues as Carnegie's Zankel Hall, the Winter Garden, the Cathedral of St. Paul in Boston, the Flea, the Gershwin Hotel, and the Stone.

During this last year Lang has been involved in the premiere of over 25 new works, playing with such ensembles as the TACTUS Ensemble, Zero Gravity, the SEM Ensemble, NotaRiotous (directed by Jimmy Bergin), and Loadbang, a new music group of which he is a founding member. Lang and trumpeter Andrew Kozar founded the Tuesday Night Power Concert Series at the Manhattan School of Music, each concert featuring a different guest artist or composer. The pair produced fourteen concerts this year, and plans to expand the series next year.

Lang has also toured across New York State with the SUNY Fredonia Wind Ensemble as soloist, performing Richard Peaslee's Arrows of Time. He is currently finishing a Masters in Music degree in Contemporary Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studies with Benjamin Herrington.

Admission is free (donations are accepted) and audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies after the concert.

Youth Band Concert!

2008-07-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Our Summer Noontime Concert Series continues on Wednesday, July 9 with a program of contemporary gospel music presented by the St. John’s Youth Band. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch and St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free, but donations to help offset expenses are accepted. Children are especially welcome!

Members of the band are all students at Mt. Greylock and include Dylan Sikelianos, lead guitar; John Kolesar, bass guitar; Evie Mahan and Tyra Nurmi, vocals; St. John’s Special Events coordinator Jimmy Bergin directs the band and plays keyboard. The program will feature selections from the musical Godspell and other high-energy contemporary gospel songs. The Youth Band was formed last year, rehearses weekly and has played regularly at the bi-weekly “Worship Outside the Box” services held at St. John’s on Sunday mornings, as well as at other church functions.

The concert series will continue on Wednesdays from July 16 - August 20. Featured performers include trombonist Will Lang; flutist Lucy Bergin; violinist Emily Kalish; the Trio Café Budapest; pianist Igor Lovchinski; baritone Avery Griffin; Molly and the Mackins.

Transgender Forum this Sunday

2008-07-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

St. John’s summer forums continue this Sunday, July 6, when Justin Adkins, a transgender person in the parish community, will share his journey in becoming a man. He will also share basic information about transgender people and how to be an ally to this diverse group of people. The forum will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the parish’s upper room. In these summer forums, St. John’s welcomes the public to a respectful and appreciative hearing of the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their conviction and passion into action.

The church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA, and is accessible to the physically challenged. The upper room is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Summer Noontime Concerts begin!

2008-06-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

St. John's Episcopal church in Williamstown will kick off its annual Noontime Concert Series on Wednesday, July 2 with a program of contemporary music for trumpet, violin and piano. Featured performers are trumpeter Andrew Kozar, violinist Ruby Chen and pianist Scott Bailey. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch and St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free, but donations to help offset expenses are accepted

A native of Pittsburgh, Andrew Kozar is a trumpeter and composer based in New York City. An strong advocate of contemporary music, he performs and composes for several ensembles in New York including loadbang (trumpet, bass clarinet, trombone and baritone voice); Zero Gravity, a new contemporary ensemble at the Manhattan School of Music; the Andy Trio (trumpet, violin and steel pans). He has performed with such artists as Dave Douglas, Todd Reynolds, Ken Thompson, Band on a Can and Jason Price. In the last year, Kozar has had five pieces composed for him.

Violinist Ruby Chen, born in Taipei, Taiwan, began studying violin at the age of seven. She is pursuing her masters degree at the Yale School of Music, where she studies with Ani Kavafian. Ruby received her Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Mikhail Kopelman, a former member of the Borodin and Tokyo String Quartets.

Pianist Scott Bailey is currently an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

The concert series will continue on Wednesdays from July 9 - August 27. Featured performers include violinist Emily Kalish; trombonist Will Lang; violist James Bergin; flutist Lucy Bergin; pianist Igor Lovchinski; the Trio Café Budapest; baritone Avery Griffin; Molly and the Mackins.

St. John's is located at 35 Park Street and is wheelchair-accessible.

Summer Forums begin

2008-06-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

St. John’s Summer Forums open this Sunday, June 29, when local residents Molly Mackin and Sue O’Riley present their passion for the Rural Literacy Project at 9:00 a.m . in the church’s upper room.

The Rural Literacy Project www.ruralliteracyproject.org is a grass-roots organization that helps build and supply libraries in rural towns in Central America. The library in the photo is in San Andres, Guatamala, and was completed in 2008. The Project was started in 2000 by Sue O'Riley, a local elementary school teacher. At least twice a year, a group goes down to Peru, Honduras, or Guatemala to live, work, and commune with a new culture for a few weeks at a time. It is a rich opportunity for participants to gain new perspectives on globalization, service work, and our own American culture.

St. John’s Summer Forums welcome the public to hear about the experiences of people who have taken bold steps in faith and put their passions into action. Forums will be held on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am through August 17. The church is located at 35 Park Street, Williamstown, MA, and is accessible to the physically challenged. The upper room is reached by the ramp entrance on Park Street. Information: 413-458-8144.

Pool party!

2008-05-30T13:55:00.001-07:00

Saturday, June 21st from 2:00 - 5:00

Pool Party to thank everyone that helped with the youth ministry

burgers - hot dogs - chips - drinks - sweets

SWIMMING!

music by the youth band

The party will be held at the Petrino's house:

229 Bridges Road, Williamstown.

Bring your suits and let's have fun!

PS - this pool shown here is mine, but we can dream....

Georgian Music Concert

2008-03-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, March 30th at 3:00 p.m.:

Concert of

Caucasus Georgian Folk and Liturgical Music

performed by

The Kartuli Ensemble

Williamstown's Trio Brevalo

Trio Nanina

Suggested donation: $10.

The tiny nation of Georgia is nestled between Russia and Turkey on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, and is unique in many ways:

- Georgia is believed by many to be the birthplace of winemaking

- it boasts a language related to no other, and which has its own unique alphabet

- it was the legendary home of the fabled Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts.

However, one of Georgia's strongest attractions in recent times has been its remarkable polyphonic singing tradition. Composer Igor Stravinsky was fascinated by it, filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen have used it in one of their films, and even pop stars Kate Bush and Billy Joel have featured clips from Georgian folk songs on their recordings.

Interest in Georgian folk singing has been growing steadily worldwide. Formed in 1985, The Kartuli Ensemble is the first choir of foreigners devoted exclusively to the traditional folk singing of Georgia. Over the years, the group has stirred interest among many other people throughout the world, some of whom have begun also begin singing Georgian. One such group is Trio Brevalo based right here in Williamstown! The Kartuli Ensemble and NYC-based trio Nanina will join this local trio for a benefit concert on Sunday, March 30 at 3pm at St. John's Episcopal church in Williamstown, MA.

All proceeds will go to a close friend of the singers, Maia Kachkachishvili, who lives in Tbilisi, Georgia. Maia has been a key contact in Georgia's relations with foreigners, and has helped many realize their goals of meeting and working with eminent folk singers and scholars in Georgia. Maia suffered a brain aneurysm is December and has gone into severe debt from the hospital bills and related costs.

Easter Concert March 14

2008-03-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

NORTHERN HARMONY PRESENTS
A SPECIAL EASTER CONCERT

Friday, March 14

8 pm

St. John's Episcopal Church

35 Park St

Williamstown, MA

Select vocal ensemble led byPatty Cuyler & Larry Gordon presents music for Easter
Music from Corsica, Georgia, renaissance Italy and Spain, English carols, American shape-note and gospel quartet

Admission at the door: $12 / $8 for students and seniors

Over the centuries the Easter season and the bloom of spring have inspired some of the most affecting music from many cultures. The Christian story of Jesus’s death and resurrection was often combined with older themes of the mysteries of death and rebirth.Northern Harmony’s program includes traditional sacred music from Corsica and Caucasus Georgia, English Easter carols, renaissance motets from Spain and Italy, Latin motets by the contemporary Estonian composer Urmas Sisask, American gospel quartet, and traditional and contemporary American shape-note songs.

The 13 select singers include many veterans of Northern Harmony’s extended European tours, several of the strongest singers from the Village Harmony teen ensemble, and a few special guests.Northern Harmony is especially known for its remarkable command of various specialized ethnic singing styles and timbres, and this eclectic program certainly shows off this variety.

The Corsican repertoire is perhaps the least familiar. The mountainous island has a very old and earthy three part harmony singing tradition, both sacred and secular, carried on through the ages by small ensembles of village singers who would sing together throughout their lifetimes. Included in this program are three representative sections of the mass – Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei; two laments at the cross – Perdono Mio Dio, and Stabat Mater; and the triumphant Good Friday hymn, Vexilla Regis.

The Georgian repertoire includes three very ancient hymns from the Easter liturgy, with their highly startling harmonies, and a perhaps even older, rousing round dance, traditionally sung outside the church on Easter day. This piece uses alternating choirs and features the wild Georgian style of yodeling.

Other works on the program include an anonymous intricate late 15th century motet from Italy, a late 16th century motet by Spanish composer Francisco Guerrero, the extended traditional English Easter ballad The Seven Virgins in the wonderful version from the Oxford Book of Carols, traditional shape-note songs from the Sacred Harp as well as a fiery contemporary shape-note piece by Glen Wright, and the gospel song Lead Me On and On taken from the Golden Gate Gospel Quartet.

Bring your candles!

2008-01-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

This Sunday (Feb 2) at 9 am we will celebrate the feast of Candlemas at our Worship Outside the Box (WOTB) servce. Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary 40 days after the birth of her son. It also marks the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple. The Feast of Purification is called Candlemas because that was the day on which the year's supply of candles for the church were blessed.

Christians were observing this holiday in Jerusalem as early as the 4th Century A.D. By the middle of the 5th century, candles were lit on this day to symbolize that Jesus Christ was the light, the truth and the way.

Bring your candles this Sunday at 9 am for a blessing!

Epiphany Brunch!

2008-01-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

Join us after the 10 am service this Sunday, January 6 for the annual Epiphany Brunch. Bring a main dish, salad or dessert if you like - or just come! It's a great time of fellowship, and our new youth worship band (Tyra, Evie, John and Dylan) will lead us in choruses and carols, as well as perform two high-energy songs from the musical "Godspell". See you there!

Special Childrens' Concert!

2007-12-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, December 8th, St. John's will host the Bennington Children's Chorus in concert at 3 p.m. There will be 30+ singers, ages 7-16 in the performance. Their program will include Christmas and Hanukkah pieces and will last 30 -35 minutes. Don't miss this opportunity to hear one of our area's treasures!

For more information about the chorus, visit www.benningtonchildrenschorus.com

Sweetwood Bingo!

2007-12-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

Next Wednesday (Dec 12) all youth in 4th grade and above are invited to come to St. John's at 6:00 pm for Hot Tomatoes pizza, then head on over to Sweetwood to play Bingo with the residents! It's a great time, and brings a lot of joy to the folks there, so plan to come! We return to St. John's by 7:45 - call the church office to let us know you're going to come, or just show up!

Free Cello Recital!

2007-09-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

David Gibson, acclaimed cellist, will present a free recital of Suites 1 and 6 for Unaccompanied cello by J.S. Bach in the santuary on Sunday, September 30 at 4 pm.

Mr. Gibson currently teaches cello at Mount Holyoke College and runs the theory and instrumental music program at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has been on the performance and chamber music faculties of the University at Albany, Georgetown University, Mannes College of Music, and Meadowmont School of Music.

As a performer, David Gibson has been a pioneer in the field of electronic music. His repertoire includes music from the 14th century to the present, and he feels as much at home with Brahms as he does with David Behrman. He has performed throughout this country as well as Canada and Europe.

Mr. Gibson holds degrees from the Juilliard School of Music '67 and Yale University '72. His primary field was cello performance, and his most influential teachers were Luigi Silva, Claus Adam, and Dorthy DeLay. He studied conducting with Jorge Mester at Juilliard, composition with Jacob Druckman at Yale and had a close association with Morton Feldman while a member of the Center for the Creative and Performing Arts in Buffalo, NY '72-'74.

As a cello teacher, Mr. Gibson has specialized in producing virtuoso performers. He has placed students in virtually every major conservatory in the country. His students have won major national and international competitions and many have significant musical careers.

Don't miss this chance to hear Mr. Gibson's compelling interpretations of these solo masterpieces!

Final Free Summer Noontime Concert!

2007-08-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the final concert of our free Noontime Concert series this Wednesday, August 29, featuring baritone Avery Griffin and pianist Scott Bailey in a program of art songs by French, German and American composers. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45- you are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat; St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Avery Griffin is currently pursuing a master's degree in vocal performance/pedagogy at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where he studies privately with Elem Eley and is a member of both the Westminster Choir, run by Dr. Joe Miller, and Kantorei, a chamber ensemble dedicated to the performance of early and modern choral music directed by Dr. Andrew Megill. In addition to his studies, Avery is also an active church musician, singing with Trinity Church, Princeton, under Tom Whittemore and the St. Thomas men and boys choir on 5 th avenue in Manhattan, under John Scott.

Avery did his undergraduate work in voice at Boston University's College of Fine Arts, where he studied with Phyllis Hoffman. While a sophomore at BU, he received first place in Division 2 of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Boston chapter competition. He received the Harold Zulallian Jr. scholarship awarded to a junior for distinction in performance and academic achievement, and was one of two seniors selected to present the annual Ellalou Dimmock honors recital.

Avery is actively committed to the performance of new music. As a member of Time's Arrow, one of BU's student new music ensembles, he performed works by Dominick Argento, Wolfgang Rihm, Martin Amlin and James Radford. He is a founding member of NotaRiotous, a Boston-based chamber ensemble dedicated to the performance of microtonal music. He has performed the world premieres of James Bergin's Kyrie and Ezra Sims' Im Mirabell (the latter composed for NotaRiotous).

Scott Bailey is currently an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He has accompanied or worked for various organizations in Western Massachusetts including the Hampshire Choral Society, The New Opera, Berkshire Lyric Festival, Mass MoCA, The Drury Drama Team, and the Greylock Theater Project. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond..

Porter by Davenport!

2007-08-16T19:22:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, August 22, Peter Davenport will sing a concert of songs by Cole Porter, accompanied by Christopher Marlowe, piano. The concert is free, and will begin at noon. You are invited to bring a bag lunch - St. John's will provide drinks and cookies. Peter's concert was a sensation last year, so don't miss this one!

Actor and singer Peter Davenport is a veteran of Broadway, off-Broadway and regional theatres, having performed in such roles as Captain Georg von Trapp in the National tour of "The Sound of Music"; The Snake in "The Apple Tree"; Dr. Carrasco in "Man of La Mancha"; Young Roscoe and Young Ben in Stephen Sondheim's "Follies"; and he has performed as soloist in concerts around the country and the UK. He can be heard on a number of cast recordings, including "Follies" on TVT Records (for which he recorded a previously unrecorded alternative version of "Beautiful Girls"); as Captain Nemo in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"; and his on own CD entitled "Clear Day" on LML Records.

Peter is thrilled to be returning to the St. John's summer free concert series again this year. Since moving to the Berkshires, Peter has been busy doing voice over work for local radio and television, as the voice for Hoosac and Williamstown Savings Banks and Cranwell Spa, and done readings with Shakespeare and Company as well as most recently with our very own Williamstown Theatre Festival. He hopes to be performing on their main stages one day soon, and he is currently working on his second CD due to be released in early 2008, this time of
all Cole Porter songs.

Christopher Marlowe (yes, that's his real name!) was the recipient of the 1996 MAC Award for Music Director of the Year. He was principally associated with legendary singer Nancy LaMott until her untimely death in 1995, serving as her arranger and pianist for the last eleven years of her life. His recordings with her have been the recipients of Backstage's BISTRO award and the MAC award for Recording of the Year. From 1997 to 2004, Chris conducted and arranged for Kathie Lee Gifford around the country.

Most recently, Chris worked on a pre-Broadway one-woman show with Bernadette Peters. He was the music director for David Zippel's All Girl Band at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York, as well as for It's Better With a Band at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia. He has been the music director and/or arranger and co-producer for nearly 35 CDs of 23 different vocalists, including Peter Davenport's debut album "Clear Day". In addition to a soon-to-be-released CD of Chris' best loved arrangements, a CD of his own compositions, "Keepsake Lullabies" is now available.

Chris has performed on Good Morning, America; The Today Show; Live with Regis and Kathie Lee; The View; The Rosie O'Donnell Show; Late Night With David Letterman and twice at the Clinton White House.

Here's the program!

Too Darn Hot - Kiss Me Kate, 1948
I'm A Gigalo - Wake Up And Dream, 1929
I've Got You Under My Skin - Born To Dance, 1936
The Scampi - original 1926 version of his later "The Tale of theOyster" - Fifty Million Frenchmen, 1929
Anything Goes - Anything Goes, 1934
Night and Day/ I Concentrate On You - The Gay Divorce, 1932/ Broadway
Melody of 1940 (film)
You're The Top - Anything Goes, 1934
Ridin' High - Red Hot and Blue, 1936
Don't Fence Me In - Adios Argentina, 1934 (unproduced) sung by Roy
Rogers in, "Hollywood Canteen", 1944

Doulbeheader Wednesday!!!

2007-08-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday, August 15, St. John's will host two concerts, one by flutist Lucy Bergin, part of our Noontime Concert Series, the other by Village Harmony, at 7:30 pm (see below for more info)

Lucy will be accompanied by pianist Scott Bailey, in a program of works by Marais, Bloch and Poulenc. This free concert begins at noon and will end by 12:45. You are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Lucy Bergin, 17, will be a senior at Westford Academy this fall. She has played the flute since the third grade and is currently in her fourth year of study with Nina Barwell at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division. Lucy has played in the Youth Repertory Orchestra, the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, and has sung in the Youth Chorale at NEC. She is active in her high school music and theatre program, organizes classical concerts by local teenagers through the Westford Teen Arts Council, and is a worship leader for her church youth group. She is planning to pursue studies in language and music in college. As a lover of the French language and musical style, Lucy is excited to include the Poulenc Sonata in today's concert.

Scott Bailey is currently an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He has accompanied or worked for various organizations in Western Massachusetts including the Hampshire Choral Society, The New Opera, Berkshire Lyric Festival, Mass MoCA, The Drury Drama Team, and the Greylock Theater Project. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond..

and, later that day....
7:30 pm to be exact....

Village Harmony

the unique teen world music ensemble based in Vermont,
with special guest leaders Suzannah Park and Marytha Paffrath, presents
a concert in the sanctuary at 7:30 pm.

Admission at the door is $8, $5 for students and seniors.

The ensemble is jointly led by Paffrath and Park. Paffrath, a singer,

accomplished percussionist and avid student of world rhythms and
techniques, tours nationally and internationally with the acclaimed
world music ensemble Libana. She is also the director of the
Instrumental Music and Dance Program at the Cambridge Friend’s School
in Cambridge, MA. Park, a long time singer and leader with Village
Harmony and Northern Harmony, comes from a family of three generations
of traditional musicians and singers, and is well known throughout New
England for her work as a teacher and performer of traditional
Appalachian music and dance.

The concert program also includes: rousing American shape-note and
gospel songs, body percussion, music from the Balkans; Appalachian and
old time harmony songs; powerful West African drumming, and more. The
24 dedicated young singers are drawn from ten states in the US as well
as England and Canada, and they have just spent eight days in intensive
rehearsal retreat in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom learning the music and
culture of these songs in preparation for this concert tour.

Each summer Village Harmony repeats this process ten times, with six
different ensembles traveling through New England and three or four
different groups overseas, this summer in

Bulgaria

, Caucasus

Georgia

and

South Africa

. Each group develops its own unique sound, but all
share some common traits: a powerful, natural, unrestrained, yet
unforced vocal sound; a remarkable variety of vocal styles and timbres,
as appropriate to the many varieties of ethnic and traditional music;
and the vibrant community among the singers which always includes the
audience in a joyous celebration.

Village Harmony’s many recordings and songbooks will be available for
sale at the concert.

Songs of Summer Travel

2007-08-02T17:09:00.001-07:00

This Wednesday, August 8, St. John's welcomes tenor Robert Scherr and pianist Edwin Lawrence, who will present a free concert of "Songs for Summer Travel". This concert is part of the Summer Noontime Concert Series, which will continue on Wednesdays throughout August. The concert will begin at noon, and end by 12:45. You are welcome to bring a lunch to eat, and St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

Robert Scherr, tenor, has been heard in concert and many venues of musical performance throughout

America

for over three decades. Comfortably at home in classical recital, he also has appeared in musical theater productions and opera. Cantor Robert Scherr served congregations for thirty-five years, distinguishing himself as a creative artist, innovative programmer, sensitive spiritual leader, and gifted singer. Since 2004, he has served Williams College as Jewish Chaplain.

Edwin Lawrence, piano, is Adjunct Teacher of Piano, Organ and Harpsichord, and Teaching Assistant in Theory and Eartraining at Williams College, and is a member of the Williams Chamber Players. His teachers include Gabriel Chodos (piano), Preethi de Silva (harpsichord) and William Porter (organ). He is Minister of Music at the First Congregational Church in Williamstown, and Music Director of the Bennington County Choral Society. He is a producer with Dorian Recordings. Lawrence is a founding member of the Consortium of Vermont Composers and has conducted the Vermont Symphony. In 1990 he received the Citation of Merit from the Vermont Council on the Arts.

Mozart and Beethoven for lunch Wednesday, Aug 1

2007-07-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Bring your lunch this Wednesday, August 1, and enjoy sonatas for violin and piano by Mozart (K. 306) and Beethoven (Op. 30/1) as performed by violinist Emily Kalish and pianist Scott Bailey. This will be the fourth concert of our free Summer Noontime Concert series. The concert will begin at 12:00 and end by 12:45. The church will provide drinks and cookies.

Emily Kalish grew up in Great Barrington, where she was a student of Alla Zernitskaya. She has studied at Simon's Rock College, the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and the Hartt School, where she received a bachelor of music degree. She has participated in the Quartet Program at Bucknell, the Killington Music Festival and Musicorda. She has just completed the first year of a master's program in violin performance at the Manhattan School of Music, where her principal teacher is Burton Kaplan.

Scott Bailey is currently an adjunct professor of music at Westfield State College and private instructor of piano and accompanist at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He has accompanied or worked for various organizations in Western Massachusetts including the Hampshire Choral Society, The New Opera, Berkshire Lyric Festival, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, The Drury Drama Team, and the Greylock Theater Project.

He received his B.M. from SUNY Potsdam - Crane School of Music and his M.M. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

Microtones! This Wednesday, July 25

2007-07-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

Join us this Wednesday, July 25 at noon for a concert of microtonal improvisations by Boston-based musicians Noah Kaplan (sax) and Joe Moffett (trumpet), along with St. John's Jimmy Bergin (viola). The concert is free, and you are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat while you listen. We will provide drinks and cookies!

painting by Sonja Holzwarth Maneri
www.holzwarthmaneri.com

Noah Kaplan and Joe Moffett are both graduates of the New England Conservatory of Music and have busy playing and teaching schedules in the Boston area and beyond. Jimmy Bergin is our coordinator of special events, and is a composer and artistic director of the Boston Microtonal Society. www.bostonmicrotonalsociety.org

Come listen as they explore the melodic and rhythmic possibilities of the virtual pitch continuum!

Concert change for this week!

2007-07-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our Noontime Concert series will continue this Wednesday, July 18 with a program by the Trio Cafe Budapest beginning at noon and ending by 12:45. Bring a bag lunch to eat -- St. John's will provide drinks and cookies. The concert is free and open to the public.

(note: Emily Kalish's violin recital, originally scheduled for this week will be given on Wednesday, August 1.)

With a name inspired by the ethnic music of central Europe, Trio Cafe Budapest performs a wide variety of folk, blues and jazz instrumentals as well as instrumental and sung versions of popular music of the 20th century. The Trio is part of the worship and outreach program at St. John’s, and plays for a variety of church services and functions, as well as at concerts in homes.

Call the church office at 458.8144 if you would like to have them play in your home!

Trio Cafe Budapest has performed in Bennington at the South Street Café and at Ava’s Boutique. They will be playing in Manchester at Frog Hollow on July 21 at 2 pm, and in Williamstown tomorrow night at the Images Cinema from 6:30 pm until the start of the 7:00 pm show!

Ted Gilley, guitar has played locally with Generation Tex, and now works at the Chapin Library at Williams College.

Bill Wootters been playing the piano for fun for about forty years. He teaches physics at Williams College.

Jimmy Bergin was the music director at Lexington Christian Academy for eighteen years before coming to the Berkshires five years ago to work in the orchestra department of Broude Brothers Limited. He is the Coordinator of Special Events at St. John’s. He is a composer and the the executive director of NotaRiotous, a Boston-based chamber ensemble dedicated to the performance of microtonal music (www.bostonmicrotonalsociety.org).

Summer Concert Series begins!

2007-07-06T04:23:00.000-07:00

Come to the first of eight free concerts at St. John's, held on Wednesdays at noon in the sanctuary.

This week (July 11) organist and Williamstown resident Dwight Killam and Special Events Coordinator Jimmy Bergin (viola) will play a program of music by Buxtehude, Marcello, Boellman, Clokey and an original composition by Dwight! The concert begins at noon and will end by 12:40. You're welcome to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert - we will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free!

The series will continue on Wednesdays until August 29. Future programs:

July 18 - Emily Kalish, violin (music of Beethoven and Mozart)
July 25 - Microtonal improvisations with
Noah Kaplan, sax; Joe Morris, trumpet; James Bergin, viola

August 1 – Trio Café Budapest
August 8 – Bob Scherr, tenor (cantor, Williams College Jewish chaplain)
August 15 - Lucy Bergin, flute
August 22 – Peter Davenport, singer, recording artist (music of Cole Porter)
August 29 – Avery Griffin, baritone (lieder recital)

Gospel Concert Photos!

2007-04-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Last Friday (April 20) St. John's was the site of our annual Gospel concert, part of the Williamstown Jazz Festival, featuring the sweet sounds of the Williams Gospel Choir, performing music by composer-lyricist Walter Robinson, with guest artists Roscoe Mills (vocals) and Paul White, piano. Mr. Robinson spoke briefly about each of his songs, which which were drawn from complete gospel operas he has composed, and which have been performed all around the United States. The Williams Gospel choir sang heartfelt renditions of their own repertoire, and provided strong backup for soloist Roscoe Mills in the songs of Walter Robinson, concluding with the powerful and uplifting "Brave and Strong". If you missed the Gospel Choir on this occasion, plan to attend their final concert of the year on May 12 at 8 pm in Goodrich Hall.

Borderlinks Awareness Night - Wednesday, April 4

2007-03-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Come to a viewing of the documentary Dying to Live on Wed., April 4 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Lower Room of the church. The film offers a glimpse into the stories of those in Latin America who are forced to leave their homes and search for work in North America.

After the film, there will be an opportunity to ask questions to a panel of those who have recently returned from a trip to the border country and who are concerned with humane border legislation.

For those who wish, the evening will conclude with an opportunity to walk a version of the Stations of the Cross that follows the story of the Passion from the perspective of the poor of Latin America. All are welcome!

Coffehouse Chapel!

2007-03-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March 14

A brand new monthly worship experience for 5th - 12h graders!

Meet in the Lower Room at St. John's from 6 - 7:30 pm for

- Dinner
- Music (Dylan, John and Jimmy, electric guitar, bass and keyboards
hot songs to listen to and sing!
- scripture and sharing
- lots of fun!

Bring your friends to check it out too! Brooke is cooking, and Amos will get it ALL if you don't come, so BE THERE!

Berkshire Composer's Concert & Workshop

2007-02-12T04:51:00.000-08:00

The Cantilena Chamber Choir Presents

A Berkshire Composer’s Concert & Workshop

The Cantilena Chamber Choir will present a concert and workshop by area composers on Sunday, March 4, at 3 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 35 Park Street, Williamstown.

The event will include a presentation of new choral works followed by an open dialogue among the composers, the choir and conductor, Andrea Goodman, on various aspects of the piece and its performance with the score on view for the audience. After each work, discussion will revolve around the accuracy of the choir's interpretation of the composer's intentions, and how the work could have been more effectively written or performed.

"This is a unique opportunity for these composers to be able to hear their works performed by a choir of this calibre," Goodman said.

The concert is free and open to the public (but with a suggested donation of $15.00). Students are especially encouraged to attend at no cost thanks to generous grants from Berkshire Life Insurance Company, the High Meadow Foundation, and the Golub Foundation. Reservations (recommended) can be made by phone at 518-791-0185 or by email at satbchoir@yahoo.com. Those interested in more information can visit www.bhsinging.org/cdata/cant.

The featured composers at the March 4 concert and workshop are:

Steve Murray, Richmond: Singer, composer in residence for Albany Pro Musica, and local jazz band impresario.

Charles Fitzhugh, Lee: Choral singer, composer, and pianist for the Lee High School's upcoming production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” this March.

Alice Spatz, Lanesborough: Classical free-lance double bassist and teacher of double bass, music theory and composition at the Berkshire Music School..

James Bergin, Williamstown: Composer and Artistic Director of NotaRiotous, a Boston-based chamber ensemble dedicated to performance of microtonal music. North Adams resident, Special Events Coordinator at St. John’s Episcopal church in Williamstown.

John Newell, Pittsfield: Composer, pianist and conductor, founder and conductor of the Berkshire County Chamber Orchestra in Pittsfield. For many years served as music director for the Congregational Church of Worthington.

Clive Davis, Sheffield: Adjunct Professor of Electronic Music at Simon’s Rock College and the Director of Music at the Berkshire School.

Now in its third season, the 24-voice Cantilena ensemble includes professional singers and instrumentalists as well as music educators. It has been described by Berkshire Record music critic Simon Wainrib as having an “an appealing transparency of vocal texture, a clean articulation of the texts, a flawless vocal balance, and, above all, a near-perfect intonation of unaccompanied voices….”

The choir began its season in a joint appearance with the Empire Brass in their Sept. 30, 2006, concert at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield.

The group is under the artistic direction of Andrea Goodman, who is also the director of the Saratoga Choral Festival, an annual summer concert series for chorus and orchestra in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In 2004, it was the chorus in residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.