Naples-area church concert series offer all kinds of music

We go to church for refreshment and revitalization, and churches in the Naples area don’t stop with prayer and meditation. They’re one of the best sources of musical rejuvenation in the city with their low- and no-cost concerts. But if you, can, leave something in that offering basket.

This is the second of two parts listing church concert series in the Naples area over the coming year. The churches listed last week are available online at this link:

Moorings Presbyterian Church

All concerts are in the sanctuary of Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive, Naples. and all are part of its Hyacinth Series unless designated. Freewill offerings accepted unless otherwise specified. Information at 239-261-1487 or www.mooringschurch.org. 

Nov. 18 — Russian String Orchestra: 4 p.m. The Russian String Orchestra, formerly Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, includes some of Russia’s finest young string players, has carved a touring and recording niche for itself under the creative baton of its founder and music director Misha Rachlevsky.

Nov. 27 — FGCU Holiday Concert “Joyful and Triumphant”: 4 and 7 p.m. Two free performances of FGCU’s choirs and symphony, conducted by Trent Brown and Kyle Szabo, with Thomas Goetz, organist. Separate from the Hyacinth Series. 

Dec. 16 — Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi: 10 a.m. Hyacinth Masterwork incorporated into its service, featuring chancel choir, soloists and members of the Naples Philharmonic, Thomas Goetz, director of music, conducting.

Jan. 20 —  Tim Zimmerman &The King’s Brass: 4 p.m. Playing  transcriptions for brass music from sacred to secular. 

Sass brass: Hear Zimmerman and the King’s Brass on ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’

Feb. 9 — St. Olaf College Choir: 3 and 7 p.m.  A chorus of 75 mixed voices, it identifies itself as the premier a cappella choir in the United States. Purchased tickets required, available in November or later, through the St. Olaf College website www.stolaf.edu. Separate from the Hyacinth Series. 

 Feb. 24 — 4 p.m.  Alma Choir: From Alma College in Michigan, Alma Choir members are drawn primarily from junior and senior class members who have earned their way in through membership in the College Chorale and/or the Glee Club. Directed by Will Nichols.

Alma sings: Hear the Alma College Choir perform ‘Highland Mary’

Mar. 1— Inaugural concert with organist Daryl Robinson: 7:30 p.m. The inaugural concert celebrates the newly-built solo organ division of the Sterritte family organ. It was completed in June, and brings the total number of pipes to 4,315 spread across 75 ranks and 57 stops.

Mar. 17  — Hope College Chapel Choir: 4 p.m. Directed by Brad Richmond, this is the premier ensemble of 40 auditioned choristers from Hope College, Holland, Michigan. The Chapel Choir has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada and has sung in Europe.

Apr. 7 — Southwest Florida Symphony: 4 p.m. With Alexandra Carlson, piano, and Nir Kabaretti, conductor. On the program are Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, his Overture to “Don Giovanni” and his Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter.”  

St. Monica’s Episcopal Church

The church is at 7070 Immokalee Road, Naples. All concerts are sponsored by the Friends of Music. For more information, call 239-591- 4550 or visit www.stmonicasnaples.org

Dec. 16 — Traditional Advent Service of Lessons and Carols: 4 p.m. Handbell choir, orchestra, soloists, choir and congregation in seasonal works. Reception follows. Freewill offering.

Feb. 10 — “Languages of Love”: 4 p.m. Soprano Frances Golden with church music director Ron Doiron accompanying. Benefit for the music program. Call for ticket information. Reception follows. 

March 3 — Festival Evensong for the Last Sunday in Lent: 4 p.m. Handbell choir, orchestra, soloists, choir and congregation in seasonal works. Reception follows. Freewill offering.

May 19 — The Stewart Strings: 4 p.m. Farewell performance by the advanced young teen and teen students of Joan Stewart, performing on violin and viola, before their European tour. Freewill offering.

Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church

All concerts are at the church, 1225 Piper Blvd, Naples. Freewill offering. Seraphic Fire and Grand Piano Series concerts are also held there but will be announced separately. It also offers an annual series of short Wednesday noon concerts during the Christian liturgical season of Advent. Information at 239-597-5410 or online at vpcnaples.org.

Nov. 11 — Malcolm Matthews, organist: 4 p.m. Winner of the James Cochran Prize in Organ Playing at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester (New York). Works by Mendelssohn, Reubke and Bach.

Nov. 18 – The Power of Four: 4 p.m. Jodie DeSalvo, pianist; Glenn Basham, violinist; Teddy Collins, tenor; and James Cochran, organist, offer a concert of favorites. Concert is free, but a freewill offering will be taken to help support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. 

Dec. 9 — Service of Nine Lessons and Carols: 4 p.m. Featuring the chancel choir, VandeReaders readers’ theater troupe, and guest soloists Michele Byrd, soprano; Matthew Sonneborn, trumpet, and Stanley Leonard, timpanist. It features the world premiere of “Fanfares and Celebration,” a piece for organ and timpani, written by Leonard to celebrate the new Lively-Fulcher organ in the sanctuary of Vanderbilt church. Concert will conclude with a carol sing-along.

Jan. 13 – Combinations concert: 4 p.m. Michele Byrd, soprano; Brice Gerlach, piano and organ; James Cochran, piano and organ, and Colin Gerlach, violin, will present a concert of solos, duets, trios and quartets from the sacred, secular and pop repertoire. Concert is free, but a free-will offering will be taken to benefit a scholarship program.

Jan. 27 – Song soireé: 4 p.m. Lyric soprano Nancy Peery Marriott and Broadway talent Chris Dieman will present a varied program of sacred, secular and Broadway hits. There will be solos and duets and surprise guests. Music director James Cochran will accompany the artists on both piano and organ.

March 10 – Minneapolis Baritone William Marshall: 4 p.m. Marshall will join the Vanderbilt chancel choir in a spring concert featuring Vaughan Williams’s “Five Mystical Songs.” The choir will sing from well-known British choral repertoire, and Marshall will sing music of Ned Rorem, Alan Menken and Rodgers and Hammerstein.

March 24 – Nathan Laube: 4 p.m. Laube, co-chair of the keyboard department at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, and an international soloist, will play a solo recital on the church’s new Lively-Fulcher pipe organ.

Nathan’s nation: Hear Laube talk about organs and play some tricky excerpts

April 7 – Joseph Golden: 4 p.m. Golden, professor of organ at Columbus University in Columbus, Georgia, will play a concert of ensemble pieces for organ with different instruments including harp, violin and marimba.  Golden is recognized as one of the outstanding improvisers for organ, and he will, on the spot, improvise an entire four movement liturgical suite.

 April 28 – Dexter Kennedy, organist: 4 p.m.  As the winner of the Grand Prix d’Interprétation at the 24th Concours International d’Orgue de Chartres, Dexter Kennedy is raised for his “prodigious technique and grand style musicality” in The American Organist. His concert programs present performances that are called  “fiery and historically informed.” Kennedy currently serves  the College of Wooster as instructor of organ and harpsichord.

Naples United Church of Christ 

All concerts are at the church, 5200 Crayton Road, Naples. They are in the sanctuary unless otherwise noted. The church also offers Wednesday noon concerts and sermons during the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent. Information at  239-261-5469 or online at naplesucc.org

Oct. 21 — Meet the Young Trumpet: 3 p.m. The Young Trumpet is a pipe organ stop, which includes all the pipes necessarily to play it, and was given as a gift  to complete the sanctuary Schantz organ. This free concert will be followed by a reception in the Gathering Place. Favorite pieces will include Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary, C.S. Lang’s “Tuba Tune” and more. Free.

Dec. 9 — Holiday Cheer: 3 p.m. Music Director Becky Weese-Rumpf,  Assistant Music Director Jamie Hardesty and other performers present sacred and secular Christmas carols, with a visit from a quartet of carolers and Santa. Freewill offering.

Jan. 22 — Flautist Leelo Basham and friends: 7 p.m. Beverly Hall. One of the Tuesdays at Twilight series. Joining Basham and Naples UCC Music Director Becky Weese-Rumpf, on piano, are Heather Vicevic, soprano; Kevin Mauldin, upright bass; and Brian Jordan, drums. Music includes John Rutter’s Suite Antique,   the famous “Flower Duet” from “Lakmé”;  and four movements from Claude Bolling’s Suites for Flute and Jazz Trio.

Jan. 27 — Beyond the Sea: 4 p.m. Heather Vicevic, soprano, and Robin Shuford Frank, piano, present a musical story from Vicevic’s travels as a vocalist, including Broadway favorites from hits such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Little Women,” “The Producers”; as well as pop standards and opera  classics from works such as “La Boheme,” “Le Nozze de Figaro” and “Elise D’Amore.” $20. 

Hear Heather: Vivicec sings from ‘Phantom,’ at her own wedding

Feb. 19 — Adam Satinsky, cello, and Alexandra Carlson, piano:  7 p.m. Beverly Hall. One of the Tuesdays at Twilight series. Compactly written works by Ravel and Debussy  bookend the multi-movement Suite Italienne of Igor Stravinsky. Returning artists Adam Satinsky and Alexandra Carlson join these pieces on cello and piano. $30

Feb. 26 —The Spirit of the Gulf: 7 p.m. The Southwest Florida regional 100-voice all female a cappella chorus, affiliated with Sweet Adelines International, has won seven Florida regionals and has been voted “Most Entertaining Chorus” at three International competitions in Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Denver. This is the group’s debut at Naples United Church of Christ. $20.

March 1 — Dan Heck’s Blues and Truth Sextet: 7 p.m. Dan Heck brings his blues and Truth sextet for an encore performance at UCC. His sextet plays music from Oliver Nelson’s The Blues and the Abstract Truth recording, Cannonball Adderley and Heck’s original music. The group will play jazz style but varies from funk to rock to Jazz and blues. $20. 

March 19 —Ragtime artist Peter Bergin: 7 p.m. Beverly Hall. One of the Tuesdays at Twilight series. Michigan-based ragtime artist Peter Bergin has entertained audiences for over two decades. Peter’s mission is to celebrate life through music and stories, shared through the rhythms of ragtime piano. $30.

March 3 — Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra: 3 p.m. The Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra is one of the newest student ensemble at  Artis—Naples. Led by Dan Miller, trumpeter for the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra, the NPYJO  members study the repertoire and arrangements of jazz greats, such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk, and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Members participate in small combo and big band settings, studying jazz improvisation, arranging, and original jazz composition techniques. Freewill offering. 

April 2 — American Landscapes: 7 p.m. Beverly Hall. One of the Tuesdays at Twilight series.  Bobb Robinson and Robert Tudor, baritone soloists, with Robin Shuford Frank, piano, bring a cabaret sharing both a national and personal story and their words on the healing power of art and the  community. The cabaret will feature songs from the Great American Songbook (Porter, Gershwin, and Kern), contemporary American art songs (Ben Moore, Jake Heggie, and Tom Cipullo), music theater  (Rogers and Hammerstein and Maury Yestin), and popular songs (Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel). $30.

Hear the harps: The Naples Harp Ensemble even plays ragtime

April 7 — Herd of Harps: 3 p.m. Some 35 harpists ages 8―82 in the Naples Harp Ensemble include professional, amateur, and student harpists primarily in the Naples area. Richard Fleisher leads the group. The instruments range from troubadour harps with 30 strings, to concert grand pedal harps with 47 strings and a weight of about 80 pounds. Freewill offering.