Stone Church Arts is the arts program of Immanuel Episcopal Church.

“Bringing the World to Bellows Falls”
2009-2010 Season
all concerts begin at 7:30 pm, doors open at 7:00 pm
tentative program

Fri, Sept 25:  Maidens IV, Celtic, early music
Four sisters, Four part Harmony, Four instruments and eight dancing feet! In 2003 Havilah and Heather branched out from the family quartet to create the Maidens band.  Two years later Abigail joined her older sisters adding the alto sounds of her viola.  In 2006 youngest sister Tabitha, brought a vibrant change to the band with her driving rhythms and sensitive acoustic guitar.  Kindling with a passion that makes all the difference, these angels of the Ohio heartland ignite the gala joy in children yet rock a solid thrill in teens and adults alike.   

Sat, Oct 10: House Blend, A capella music from all over
House Blend, formed in 2006, is an assembly of 20 veteran singers from Vermont and New Hampshire, devoted to the collective exploration of the many styles of mostly a cappella songs from around the world and throughout musical history. A democratically-governed party of self-professed singing addicts, the "Blenders" look to the artistic direction of all of its members to guide the group, creating a harmonious brew that reflects their diverse musical backgrounds.

Sat, Oct 17: Jayne Kelly, classical piano
Ms. Kelly received a standing ovation for her performance of Rachmaninoff last season at Immanuel Church so we invited her back! Her technical skill and expressiveness, along with her ability to find the inner voices in a wide variety of classical pieces, have won her many followers. She has performed in recital halls throughout the country, including Steinert Hall in Boston. Jayne will perform works by Beethoven, Brahms, J. S. Bach, Rachmaninoff and Chopin.

Fri, Nov 13: To Warm an Early Winter’s Night
Aine Minogue, Celtic harp & Eugene Friesen, cello
Áine Minogue, the world famous harper from Ireland, and renowned cellist Eugene Friesen join forces to welcome Winter. The combo of harp and cello together with their very different, yet complimentary styles, perform in gorgeous combination and solo to help us turn within and back to hearth and home.

Sat, Dec 5: Music from the British Isles
Peter Blanchette, archguitars and _____________, violin
This show will feature Strathspeys, Rants, Jigs, Airs, and more from four sources of early music of the British Isles: The Gow Collection of Scottish Dance Music, O'Neill's Music of Ireland, The Playford Dance Master, and The Collected Lute Songs of John Dowland. The first three collections make up the Bible for British Isles fiddlers, the Dowland is a jewel in the crown of Elizabethan music and one of the highpoints of Renaissance repertoire.

Sat, Jan 16: Miché Fambro, guitar & vocals
David Fricke, Senior Editor of the Rolling Stone, wrote: “Hailing from upstate New York, singer, guitarist and songwriter Miché Fambro specializes in a more quiet storm – a delicate blend of acoustic chamber folk, Brazilian tropicalismo and metaphysical introspection”.

Sat, March 13: St. Patrick’s Fiddle Frenzy
Eugene Friesen, cello, with Annalivia
The acoustic quintet Annalivia features the beautiful voice of Liz Simmons, a protégé of famed Irish singer Karan Casey. Liz is joined by fiddle champions Brendan Carey Block and Emerald Rae, guitarist/vocalist Flynn Cohen, and bass player/banjo picker Stuart Kenney. Together, their music combines Anglo-Celtic ballad singing and fiddle music traditions with their North American counterparts—Appalachia and Cape Breton–all with a groove-centric contemporary flair.

Sat, April 10: Eugene Friesen & Friends
Eugene Friesen is an award-winning cellist and composer and the Music Director of Stone Church Arts. Once again, Eugene brings world class musicians to Bellows Falls for a jazz/world music concert the likes of which are normally only seen in big cities such as NYC or Boston.

Sat, April 17: Odaiko New England
at the Bellows Falls Opera House
Odaiko New England (ONE) began drumming in 1994 and is fast becoming one of the premier taiko groups on the East Coast. In Japan, the sounds of the taiko are infused into various aspects of daily life. From Shinto and Buddhist rituals, to celebratory festivals, the taiko is said to be the voice and spirit of the Japanese. Its rhythms reflect the sounds of nature, the changing of the seasons, Mother’s heartbeat.

Sat, May 1: Klezmer/Jazz,
Alki Steriopoulos, piano and and Howie Leshaw, clarinet
Yiddish Klezmer clarinetist Howie Leshaw and jazz pianist Alki Steriopoulos team up for a wild & wonderful evening of klesmer-jazz fusion.  They were on Broadway together in Those were the Days, the only all Yiddish Klezmer music to ever run on Broadway and garner two Tony nominations.  Alki performed at Madison Square Garden with Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famers, The Band. Howie has played with Itzhak Perlman. The music originally came from the shtetls of Eastern Europe and was instrumental in leading to many old jazz standards of the 30's on.  Enjoy an early May evening of cool, exotic, sensuous music.