Lenten Concert Series 2022
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."
1 Chronicles 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
First Fine Arts
The First Fine Arts Series is a venture that is dedicated to the idea that art is a gift from God, and that it should be cultivated and celebrated among the people. Concerts throughout the Series will bring together the community and the church to enjoy the gift of music. The spirit of bringing people together is in keeping with our purpose.
ADVENT CONCERT SERIES 2022
Concerts Begin at Noon in Unity Hall
Lunch Available After For $5
DECEMBER 20th
Castle Brass (Brass Quintet)
Jeff Castle - Trumpet
Dan Orban - Trumpet
Hughey Hancock - French Horn
Erick Dahlgren - Trombone
Gary Poffenbarger - Tuba
Castle Brass was founded in 2017. It is a brass quintet made up top tier performers and educators in the Central Texas area. The members include musicians from top military bands, professors of leading universities and performers that regularly work with symphony orchestras across the United States. The group is a newly formed chamber ensemble, however many of it’s members have worked with each other for several years and share the goal of arts education outreach and furthering brass chamber music in our community.
DECEMBER 13th
Steve Peterson (Trombone)
Dr. Seth Nelson (Piano)
Steve Peterson is currently performing as acting principal trombone with the Fort Worth Symphony. Previously, he held the position of principal trombone with the San Antonio Symphony and is still performing with the newly formed San Antonio Philharmonic. Steve has also performed with St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Houston Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and Alabama Symphony Orchestra. He has a Bachelors of Music in trombone performance from the University of Michigan where he studied with David Jackson and a Masters of Music from Southern Methodist University where he studied with John Kitzman. Steve has taught at Texas State University San Marcos interim faculty, Richland College, and is currently adjunct professor of trombone at St. Mary’s University and Trinity University.
Steve has performed with many chamber groups including DFW Brass, Olmos Ensemble, Music in the Mountains Brass Quintet, and Bishop Arts Brass. Previous to moving to Texas in 2011, Steve played in jazz and commercial ensembles on cruise lines, which allowed him to travel to Europe, Australia, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. Steve is also a filmmaker and creates many original satirical and documentary videos that can be found on his youtube channel: petersonproject.
DECEMBER 6th
Dr. Stephen Town (Baritone)
Dr. Seth Nelson (Piano)
Stephen Town, Professor Emeritus of Music (1986-2022), Director Emeritus of the Tower Choir (1999-2022), and Distinguished Faculty Awardee at Northwest Missouri State University, is a recipient of many federal and international research fellowships, most notably the prestigious Ralph Vaughan Williams Fellowship (to conduct archival research on the autographs of the composer deposited in The British Library, the Royal College of Music, Oxford University, and elsewhere), a Visiting Research Fellowship to Clare Hall, Cambridge University and, subsequently, a Life Membership there. Dr. Town is the author of An Imperishable Heritage: British Choral Music from Parry to Dyson (Ashgate, 2012) and The Choral-Orchestral Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams: Autographs, Context, Discourse (Lexington, 2020), as well as many articles and reviews. He served as the Choral Journal book reviews editor and as a member of the editorial board from 1991 to 2016. A baritone, Dr. Town has presented concerts and recitals for churches, universities, and professional societies in the South, the Southwest, the Midwest, and the West Coast of the United States, and in the United Kingdom (St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, and Imperial College, London) and in Vienna, Austria.
We apologize for the technical difficulties in the recording of this performance.
NOVEMBER 29th
Agarita - String Chamber Ensemble
Sarah Silver Manzke, violin
Marisa Bushman, viola
Ignacio Gallego, cello
Daniel Anastasio, piano
An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello) and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, education, community engagement, and free, adventurous programming. With concise, eclectic performances that are “splendid – unified, spirited, [and] well prepared” (Greenberg, Incident Light), the young chamber group offers a new, open-armed experience for listeners. As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."
1 Chronicles 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
+ + Advent Concert Series 2021
+ Lenten Concert Series 2021
+ 
Advent Concert Series 2020
+ 
Lenten Concert Series 2020
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."1 Chronicles 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
2020 Lenten Concert Series
Interactive Hymn Sing - Part 2
Interactive Hymn Sing
Qizhen Liu - Cello
+ Advent Concert Series 2019
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."1 Chronicles 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
2019 Advent Concert Series
Richard NovakCome Full Circle
Elaine Barber
+ Lenten Concert Series 2019
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."1 Chronicles 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
2019 Lenten Concert Series
Trio
DEUX
Meredith Vis
Chamber Singers
+ Advent Concert Series 2018
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."1 Chronicles 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
2018 Advent Concert Series
Jourdan Howell
Mark Cruz
Chamber Singers