Past Events
Legend: Worship Services Musical Events
2022
November 5, 2022 7:00 – 9:00pm
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This will be a real treat… a Silent Movie Night featuring The Cameraman, one of the greatest movies ever made. This classic silent comedy, which stars the legendary Buster Keaton, will be accompanied live on the church’s magnificent pipe organ by virtuoso Robert Humphreville.
In this silent classic from 1928, photographer Buster (Buster Keaton) meets Sally, who works as a secretary for the newsreel department at MGM, and falls hard. Trying to win her attention, Buster abandons photography in order to become a news cameraman. In spite of his early failures with a motion camera, Sally takes to him as well. However, veteran cameraman Stagg also fancies Sally, meaning Buster will need to learn how to film quickly before he loses his job. |
October 9, 2022 4:00 – 5:30pm
Fall brings us a Classical Strings Concert featuring the Artful Noise String Quartet playing violins, viola, and cello at the church sanctuary.
Fall brings us a Classical Strings Concert featuring the Artful Noise String Quartet playing violins, viola, and cello at the church sanctuary.
Listen here!
Shared with the expressed permission of Artful Noise String Quartet. FCC does not own the rights to these recordings.
https://artfulnoise.com 
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Artful Noise was established in 1997 as a performing group for concerts and events. Since then, we have provided music for thousands of guests at weddings and parties, private ceremonies and in concert halls. In recent years, we have enjoyed accompanying Portsmouth ProMusica, the Seacoast Community Chorus, Amare Cantare, the Community Chorus of South Berwick, the Granite State Choral Society, the Rockingham Choral Society, Women Singing Out, and Voices from the Heart.In August 2014, Artful Noise gave the world premier performance of Kevin Siegfried’s string quartet, “Land of Pure Delight,” at the Canterbury Shaker Museum’s Village Rising Festival, which we then reprised for concerts with Amare Cantare in 2015 and Portsmouth ProMusica in 2016. In 2003, we were selected to work with the UNH Symphony on Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and Orchestra, rehearsing as the featured quartet with the orchestra in preparation for their performance with the world-renowned Shanghai String Quartet. During this time, we were honored to perform for a masterclass with the Shangai String quartet.
Although we are all trained in traditional classical repertoire, we enjoy playing in other styles, and frequently join pit orchestras for musical theater productions. With our extensive collection of string quartet arrangements, we also entertain audiences with Celtic and American fiddle, jazzy showtunes and contemporary pop tunes. To learn more about The Quartet, and for a list of upcoming public concerts, visit https://artfulnoise.com | ||||||
September 18, 2022 4:00 – 5:30pm
We wrap up the summer with a Classic & Contemporary Organ Concert featuring Laura Belanger at the church sanctuary.
We wrap up the summer with a Classic & Contemporary Organ Concert featuring Laura Belanger at the church sanctuary.
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Laura Belanger is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where she was a student of Bronson Ragan and Frederick Swann. She holds Choirmaster and AAGO professional certificates from the American Guild of Organists and has held multiple officer and board positions with AGO chapters throughout New England. Laura also studied composition with Ludmila Ulehla and Richard Cumming and is an active composer.
Laura is the organist at Sanbornton Congregational Church and collaborative pianist for the Pemigewasset Choral Society. She has enjoyed performing organ recitals and has dedicated a number of organ installations throughout New England. Laura also is the creator of “Organ Symphony Assistant” and manages a website by the same name that promotes music written for organ and orchestra. Laura currently lives in the Lakes region of New Hampshire with her husband, Ron, and their English Springer Spaniel, Bela. For more information about Laura Belanger, please go to https://organsymphonyassistant.com/ |
August 18, 2022 7:00 – 8:30pm
August brings an Organist Extraordinaire Concert featuring Patrick Kreeger from the Juilliard School of Music to be held at the church sanctuary.
August brings an Organist Extraordinaire Concert featuring Patrick Kreeger from the Juilliard School of Music to be held at the church sanctuary.
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Giving his Carnegie Hall debut at age 17, Patrick Kreeger has established himself as one of the leading musicians of his generation. Praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for his “elegantly detailed phrasing,” as well as having “a lot to offer beyond the organ console,” Patrick maintains a versatile career as an organist, conductor, and educator.
Patrick has performed in many prestigious venues around the world, including Benaroya Hall (Seattle, WA), Meymandi Hall (Raleigh, NC), Verizon Hall (Philadelphia, PA), Bulgaria Hall (Sofia, Bulgaria), Peterborough Cathedral (U.K.), Musée des Augustins (Toulouse, France), Kunsten Museum of Fine Art (Aalborg, Denmark), as well as numerous other venues in the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Denmark, and the Middle East. He gave his symphonic debut in 2008, performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s first piano concerto under the baton of William Henry Curry and the North Carolina Symphony, and has also been guest soloist with the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra, Barton College/Wilson Symphony Orchestra, SUNY-Purchase Conservatory Orchestra, and the New York City Chamber Orchestra. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Patrick holds degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music (B.Mus.), Yale University (M.Mus.), and The Juilliard School (D.M.A.), where his main teachers included Alan Morrison and Susan Starr, Martin Jean, and Paul Jacobs, respectively. At Yale, he was the recipient of the Robert Baker scholarship and was awarded the Margot Fassler Prize for excellence in sacred music performance. At Juilliard, he was a C.V. Starr doctoral fellow, and was awarded the Richard F. French Doctoral Prize for outstanding research in his dissertation examining Brahms’s views on spirituality and mortality. A devoted educator, Patrick was appointed to the faculty of The Juilliard School in 2019, where he teaches music theory and keyboard skills in the College and Extension Divisions. Additionally, he serves as the Associate Organist at New York City’s historic Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and is on the executive board of the New York City chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He maintains a small private studio, and many of his students have been admitted into prestigious music programs in the U.S. and Europe. |
August 7, 2022 10:00am Bluegrass Sunday. Join us for music worship service featuring the Congo Bluegrass band.
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The band has a full compliment of talented musicians, messaging the power of music through life's winding journey. With banjos, guitars, fiddle, spoons, mandolin, bass, harmonica, rhythm instruments, and vocals, there will be new songs as well as seasoned favorites. Many songs are familiar and have choruses for the congregation to join in with singing, clapping, and toe tapping to various rhythms.
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July 21, 2022 7:00 – 8:30pm
We continue in July with a Guitar Virtuoso Concert featuring David William Ross to be held at the church sanctuary.
We continue in July with a Guitar Virtuoso Concert featuring David William Ross to be held at the church sanctuary.
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David William Ross is a classical and jazz guitarist with a wide range and unique approach. His performances and recordings have been lauded for their sensitivity, virtuosity and depth of musicality. Ross has performed throughout the United States and Europe. He is an advocate of new music and works closely with composers in cultivating new repertoire for the guitar. His playing can be heard frequently on the Ravello and Navona record labels. Ross has premiered works by many composers, including Frank Wallace, Ferdinando DeSena, Peter Dayton, Pierre Schroeder, and is currently recording a second volume of works by Swiss composer Georges Raillard, which is to be released in 2022.
Ross holds degrees in guitar, music theory and composition from the Peabody Conservatory and the Thornton School of Music- USC. As an educator, he has taught guitar, jazz improvisation, music theory and composition. He currently serves on the faculty of the Putney School as assistant director of music. |
June 25, 2022 5:30 – 7:30pm
A Showtunes Supper featuring Phil Breton at the keyboard in the church fellowship hall, marks the second installment of our Series. Tickets for $25 per person will be sold in advance to include an Italian buffet dinner.
A Showtunes Supper featuring Phil Breton at the keyboard in the church fellowship hall, marks the second installment of our Series. Tickets for $25 per person will be sold in advance to include an Italian buffet dinner.
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With his vast musical talents, Phil Breton is a busy musician whose performances have delighted numerous audiences in varied venues throughout New England Phil was organist and choir director at First Congregational Church in Meredith, NH for 25 years. He is currently the organist at the First United Methodist Church, Gilford. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. As an educator for over 30 years, he taught elementary music, elementary band, as well as private lessons for 35 years.
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May 28, 2022 Noon - 7:00pm
Memorial Day weekend marks the launch of our 2022 Joyful Noise Music Series with a free Bluegrass and Americana Concert to be held at Hesky Park. In Meredith. Performing artists include Bow Junction 1st Congo Bluegrass Band and the John Irish Duo. Concert HAS BEEN MOVED to the church sanctuary (4 Highland Street Meredith) due to rain is forecast.
January 2, 2022 10:00am
Bluegrass Sunday. Although we’re down a guitar, fiddle and banjo (due to Pandemic concerns) a “bluegrass-lite” concert is still scheduled for the first Sunday in the new year.
February 6, 2022 10:00am
We welcome New Hampshire Gentlemen Alumni, an acapella group who’ll be singing during Sunday worship.
Memorial Day weekend marks the launch of our 2022 Joyful Noise Music Series with a free Bluegrass and Americana Concert to be held at Hesky Park. In Meredith. Performing artists include Bow Junction 1st Congo Bluegrass Band and the John Irish Duo. Concert HAS BEEN MOVED to the church sanctuary (4 Highland Street Meredith) due to rain is forecast.
January 2, 2022 10:00am
Bluegrass Sunday. Although we’re down a guitar, fiddle and banjo (due to Pandemic concerns) a “bluegrass-lite” concert is still scheduled for the first Sunday in the new year.
February 6, 2022 10:00am
We welcome New Hampshire Gentlemen Alumni, an acapella group who’ll be singing during Sunday worship.
2021
Jul 18 – Pastor Peter conducted a Bluegrass Sunday service with 6 musicians and 3 additional vocalists. The performance was both very well attended and received.
Jul 25 – Choir Director Nancy Narducci and Bill Boulton performed beautiful duets and solos, providing the congregation a preview of what we can look forward to hearing in December with the planned Voices of Christmas choral concert performance (cancelled due to Covid 19.
Aug 1 – Hybrid Organ Introduction (for Congregation & Friends) at 11:15 am featuring a presentation by Bob Bengtson, accomplished organist and FCCM pipe organ curator.
Aug 15 – Soprano Marla Welker will perform solos during church services.
Aug 22 – George Locke will provide folk guitar and vocals during church services.
Aug 29 – Make a Joyful Noise Hybrid Organ Concert (open to the public) beginning at 4 pm featuring six area organists Bob Bengtson, Nancy Narducci, Phil Breton, Laura Belanger, Kevin Chamberlain, and Ben O’Brien playing their favorite pieces.
Sep 25 – NH Organ Guild Organists (open to the public) beginning at 10 am featuring American Guild of Organists – NH Chapter accomplished organists performing select arrangements.
Aug 15 – Soprano Marla Welker will perform solos during church services.
Aug 22 – George Locke will provide folk guitar and vocals during church services.
Aug 29 – Make a Joyful Noise Hybrid Organ Concert (open to the public) beginning at 4 pm featuring six area organists Bob Bengtson, Nancy Narducci, Phil Breton, Laura Belanger, Kevin Chamberlain, and Ben O’Brien playing their favorite pieces.
Sep 25 – NH Organ Guild Organists (open to the public) beginning at 10 am featuring American Guild of Organists – NH Chapter accomplished organists performing select arrangements.
Won’t you pledge an amount to support planned events for Make a Joyful Noise in 2022. A pledge may be made as a single donation or over a period of months. You can conveniently donate by selecting the “GIVE” button below. Press the down arrow to change your giving to “Joyful Noise” from “General Fund”.
You can also send your contribution with a memo indicating “Joyful Noise” to:
First Congregational Church, UCC
P.O. Box 533
Meredith, NH 03253
We thank you very much for your support!!