New Concert Series to Debut at St. Barnabas in 2023
Inspired by one parishioner's response to God's call to help
Thanks to parishioner Martha Seagram, St. Barnabas will host an annual series of concerts performed by great musicians. The concert series’ purpose is to share the church’s love of music with the surrounding community. Named St. B @ 3, the series will present memorable musical performances in a beautiful space, to entertain and inspire members of the Montgomery community and beyond.
Concert dates are set in 2023 with the following groups scheduled to perform:
March 12: The Starling Chamber Orchestra; May 7: For kids: Peanut Butter and Jam and Madcap Puppets; September 17: No Promises, an a cappella men’s vocal ensemble; November 5: Jazz vocalist Mandy Gaines and friends.
All concerts are on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. There is no charge for the concerts, but free will offerings are gladly accepted.
Martha first became aware of the need to bring communities together when she attended a Chautauqua meeting, an adult education and social movement, in 2021. The topic was America: The Great Divide. The focus was on the many divisions our country faces such as the political divide, country versus city, religious, and income divides. The list seemed endless.
Martha was inspired to think maybe there was some small way in which she could help heal the divides all around us. She had a light-bulb moment when a Chautauqua speaker gave her an idea. She turned to her husband Dave and said, “I want to start a concert series.”
Between the pandemic and financial issues, it took a few years to get the program off the ground. A major step to start-up was to secure seed money. Seed money came from the Vestry using a "growth fund" developed by a parishioner. The fund is separate from the operating budget and was established for opportunities such as the concert series. The committee plans that ongoing concerts will be self-supporting.
Fortunately, Dr. Barton R. Branam, son of parishioner Trish Branam, became a premiere sponsor and will provide funds for the first year's concerts.
After a committee, consisting of Martha, Sally Eversole, Trish Branam, and Nancy Nolan, was formed, they set out to find musicians to perform. Through local connections, the committee has put together a diverse group of musicians, including something for children.
Looking ahead, the committee has already booked the Cincinnati Boychoir for 2024.
