On February 13 at Old First, author Mary Gordon presents her book On Thomas Merton, in conversation with Father James Martin. Gordon, a best-selling novelist and memorist shares her deeply personal view of her discovery of the celebrated modern monk and thinker through his writings. Thomas Merton (1815-1968) was a Trappist monk, poet, essayist, activist, and author of some of the most influential spiritual writing of […]
Baroquelyn’s 2018-19 season continues! Mark your calendars: Sunday, February 3 at 3 pm at Old First Upper Hall. Our next concert, Sound the Trumpet, is on! Trumpeter Louis Ranger will join us to offer some rich, warm sounds to counteract the cold of February. He and his sister Nancy Ranger will join forces, along with Jason Smoller, to perform Telemann’s joyful concerto for trumpet and two […]
“This group is important for Arts at Old First,” says Pastor Daniel Meeter of the Accord Treble Choir. “We have hosted them for five or six years now, and they love to sing in our Upper Hall. They have a remarkable and unique sound. All women’s voices, in a small ensemble, perfectly tuned, singing challenging pieces ancient, classical, modern, and contemporary, in many languages.” In […]
On October 18, we eagerly welcome poet Christian Wiman, who will discuss his new book He Held Radical Light: The Art of Faith, the Faith of Art. The work meditates on memory, oblivion, and eternity, setting the stage for a conversation on the interplay of faith and the arts. Also included will be a stimulating Q&A between Wiman and editor Paul Elie (Farrar, Straus & […]
2018-2019 marks Baroquelyn’s first full season, starting with its premiere event on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 3 pm. This baroque-themed concert series became an immediate hit during its initial peformance in November 2017. Spearheaded by Old First musical director Aleeza Meir, the concert features top-caliber musicians from around the corner and across the globe. A successful Kickstarter campaign helped to make these concerts a […]
William Gardiner Hammond was a composer as well as organist and choirmaster at Old First (1903-1912). He formed one of the early musical groups to hold concerts in our Carroll Street building, the Hammond Choral Society. Performances such as these were the forerunners of what Arts at Old First has become today. As a young man, William accompanied singer Lillian Nordica, America’s first home-grown diva. She […]
We are pleased to share a message from our Old First organist and Baroquelyn founder and director, Aleeza Meir: I’m very excited to give you the heads up about a big new endeavor I’m starting: As you may know, I’ve recently formed a music ensemble called Baroquelyn. Our first concert in November was a big success, and I’m about to do a second concert this Sunday. […]
Baroquelyn’s first concert, in November, was performed in Old First Reformed Church’s Upper Hall and drew a full and enthusiastic house. The next, also at Old First, is coming up on Sunday May 6 at 2:30pm. The upcoming program includes a newly arranged Handel sonata, a Telemann concerto for recorder and viola da gamba, some Handel arias, and to finish with a flourish, Bach’s 5th Brandenburg concerto. […]
Last month we posted (here and here) about the history of our annual Bluegrass Good Friday service – how it evolved and why we love bluegrass on Good Friday. Here is a one of the highlights from that service: Jen Larson’s original song “The Garden of Gethsemane”, composed for this very service back in 2013. Jen lives in Nashville now where she works as an […]
The Stone House Singers, under the direction of Thomas W. Jones, will present a concert at Old First on Sunday, April 22 at 3 p.m. The concert will include motets by the contemporary composers Morton Lauridsen and and Avro Part, spirituals, music by Brooklyn composers, a bit of Brooklyn attitude from Broadway and more. Old First members Kent Adams, Burkhard Bolger, Linda Larson, and Jennifer […]