Garden Spot Village invites the public to an evening of lively entertainment for the whole family when the Servant Stage Company presents a lively gospel concert on Saturday, April 19, and Friday, April 25. Both shows begin at 7 p.m. in the community chapel.
‘We invite our neighbors to enjoy a hand-clapping, foot-stomping program by a very talented group of performers,’ said Colleen Musselman, director of life enrichment at Garden Spot Village. ‘It promises to be an uplifting evening, with fiddles, banjos and fabulous harmonies.’
The concert will feature more than 20 vocalists and instrumentalists of all ages performing songs and hymns such as ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ and ‘Down to the River to Pray.’ The show will be staged as an old-time radio broadcast featuring four fictitious musical groups, each representing a different style of gospel music. Jon Rider, of Strasburg, plays the radio host. The youngest member of the cast is Chad Hughes, 12, of Paradise, who will perform with his family. Other members of The Hughes Family Singers include Eric, Paula and Chad Hughes on vocals; Emily Marini, New Holland, on vocals, harp and piano; Katie Connor, York, on vocals and piano; and Bradley Myer, Strasburg, on vocals.
The Backwoods Bluegrass Boys features Lance Yunkin, Lancaster, on vocals and banjo; Caleb Brown, Ephrata, on vocals and fiddle; Paul Marini, New Holland, on vocals, mandolin and hammered dulcimer; and Mark Marini, New Holland, on vocals and guitar.
The Southern Gentlemen Vocal Band features Paul Hughes, Paradise, tenor; Sheldon Markel, Strasburg, lead; Seth G. Antes, Manheim, baritone; and Darren Wagner, Leola, bass.
The Servant Sisters feature vocalists Meagan Mapson, Lancaster; Katherine Prickett, Carlisle; and Melissa Hildebrand, Strasburg.
Additional cast members include Meredith Nicholson, of Lancaster, on vocals; Kyle McCleary, Strasburg, on vocals; Ron McVey, Strasburg, on fiddle; Cindy McVey, Leola, on fiddle; Jim Bauer, Waterboro, Maine, on upright bass and harmonica; and Johnathan Bauer, Strasburg, on piano.
Servant Stage Co. began as a group of professional performers and young music students who rehearsed at Garden Spot Village and performed for residents there. Today, they are a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the community with outstanding musical and theatrical performances, making the arts accessible to all. They have performed at Sight and Sound Theatres, Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Cavod Academy, Fulton Opera House and other venues.
Garden Spot Village, is located at 433 S. Kinzer Ave. The concerts are free and open to the public. Donations to benefit Servant Stage Company will be accepted at the door.
Garden Spot Village invites the public to enjoy The Clarions: Clarinet Quartet Superb on Saturday, April 26, beginning at 7 p.m. in the chapel of the retirement community at 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland.
The program will draw from The Clarions’ extensive repertoire ranges from Baroque and light classical to ragtime and pops, and everything in between.
‘We welcome our neighbors to join us for a unique evening of entertainment with something for every musical taste,’ said Colleen Musselman, director of life enrichment at Garden Spot Village. ‘The group consistently gets rave reviews from audiences wherever they play.
The Clarions formed about five years ago, bringing together musicians from Lancaster, Lebanon, Manheim and Myerstown. Founder Sal Micciche played clarinet in the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra for 23 years and currently plays in the New Holland Band. Today, The Clarions are Central Pennsylvania’s only professional performing clarinet quartet.
The performance is the final program in the popular 2013-2014 Saturday Evening Concert Series. The 2014-2015 concert series is slated to begin in November.
The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted at the door.