Wraps Up ‘Fabulous’ Concert Season at Bay Ridge Church, Say Happy Attendees
By Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Eagle
BAY RIDGE — Broadway show tunes with distinct cultural accents and a trio of Beatles favorites concluded a stellar concert season at the Union Church of Bay Ridge on Sunday, making for a delightful seasonal finale.
“This was truly wonderful,” said Pastor Mary Barrett Speers, leading a happy chorus of approval from the audience. Artist Olive Reich said, “Bay Ridge needs more of this. The more people who know about it, the more people will come and enjoy it.”
The immediate praise was for the concert performed by the Mel-O-Chords, a singing group based in Montclair, NJ since the 1950s. Its artistic director and conductor happens to be Vince Peterson, the current music minister and director of Union Church at Ridge Boulevard and 80th Street. He is an award-winning composer, pianist and organist, acclaimed by parishioners for his talents and energy.
The concert by the Mel-O-Chords, numbering a total of 19 performers, was titled, “Tapestry: A Concert of Cultural Songs from the Stage,” along with the Beatles medley. Among songs featured were “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King” and renditions of “Tradition” and “Sunrise, Sunset” from “Fiddler on the Roof.” There was also a medley from “Evita” including, “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” and from “Songs for A New World,” a performance of “Hear My Song.”
The old standard “Let’s Fall in Love” launched the concert and was arranged by Peterson. Ending the concert was the trio of Beatles songs: “Taxman,” “Fool On the Hill” and “Hey Jude,” the last most recently heard in the popular movie “Across the Universe.” The 2007-2008 concert series, part of Union Church of Bay Ridge arts, crafts, music and cultural program, with its Bay Ridge-Union Arts Center, began its season in October with Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” and Candace Forest’s Brooklyn debut of “Trilogy for Endangered Species.”
In December there was the church choir singing “Carols and Lullabies,” and in February there was a piano recital by Brad Whiteley, who also played in the Mel-O-Chords concert. An uplifting “Gloria” by Vivaldi inspired the audience at an April concert.
For more information on the arts and music programs at Union Church, call (718) 745-0438.
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008
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