Rutter's Requiem and Orchestral Works

Nov 6, 2022
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

First Parish in Lexington 

presents 

Rutter’s Requiem 

and

Orchestral Works by Wagner, Vaughan Williams and Beethoven

Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 7 PM

On Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 7 PM, the 40-member First Parish Festival Choir, soloists and a 25-member chamber orchestra, under the direction of Rip Jackson, will perform John Rutter’s deeply inspiring choral work “Requiem.” Richard Wagner’s beautiful “Siegfried Idyll,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’s ethereal “Fantasia on Greensleeves” and Beethoven’s powerful “Benedictus.” (from the Mass in C) will also be on the program. Suggested donation of $20.


Ukrainian Relief Concert

Jun 5, 2022
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

First Parish Ukrainian Relief Concert

Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 3:30 PM

Free Will offering to support the Global Disaster Relief Team

Our sanctuary choir, children’s choir, and soloists, directed by Rip Jackson, will present their first concert in more than 2 and 1/2 years on Sunday, June 5 at 3:30 PM. They will perform heart-centered choral music, solos, duets and trios from diverse genres of music including classical, contemporary, gospel and even disco! They will be accompanied by a pit band consisting of piano, bass, guitar and drums. A free will offering will be taken to support medical relief for the Ukrainian crisis through the Global Disaster Relief Team (GDRT).

Global Disaster Relief Team, Inc. (“GDRT”), located in Medway, MA, is a non-profit organization that provides emergency response to crisis and disasters domestically and internationally. Formed in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early March 2022, GDRT has helped hundreds of thousands of refugees at the Poland-Ukraine border. Currently their mission is to help Ukrainian refugees gain access to medicine and basic medical care, evacuate crisis areas, and provide critical medical supplies to hospitals in Ukraine. To Learn more about them, please visit: www.gdrt.org.

 


Village Harmony World Music Concert

Jan 10, 2020
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

The Village Harmony Alumni Ensemble, a world music choir of 16 voices, led by Larry Gordon and Carl Linich, presents traditional harmony singing from throughout the world as well as a set of Spanish Renaissance works. The repertoire includes songs from Caucasus Georgia, Bulgaria, Corsica, and South Africa, contemporary and traditional American shape-note tunes and villancicos by Francisco Guerrero. Village Harmony is an organization dedicated to the study, teaching, and performance of harmony singing traditions from across the world, and sponsors an extensive program of traveling singing camps both in New England and abroad. The young alumni singers, ages 19-26, are all veterans of many years of these Village Harmony programs, including overseas tours in South Africa, Macedonia and Georgia. A free will offering will be taken.


Winter Solstice Experience

Dec 20, 2019
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

On Friday, December 20, 2019, First Parish in Lexington will present a Winter Solstice Experience at 7:00 pm.  With music, ritual, candles, dancing, and darkness, we will experience the quiet of the longest night, and welcome the sun as we wait for her return. Led by Rev. Anne Mason and Music Director Rip Jackson, this will be a worship service exploring earth-centered imagery, with an invitation to cherish the darkness. You are invited to set aside your frenetic everyday concerns and take this hour for your own inward journey.  The Solstice is honored by indigenous religions around the world and we will have music, dance and poetry which honor many traditions.  A diverse group of musicians will provide beautiful Solstice-themed music including soprano sax, vocal soloist Natalie Brierre, string bass, piano, organ, synthesizer, rain stick, gong, Tibetan singing bowl, and other atmospheric musical instruments. We will present music from diverse genres including music by Hildegard Von Bingen, Paul Winter, and Loreena McKennitt, and original music by Rip Jackson. Also participating will be Lisa Maria Steinberg, Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry, with other youth and adult volunteers. Free and open to the public. Parking is in the rear of the church.  For more information call 781-862-8200 or visit www.fplex.org.


I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson's Life in Word and Song

Dec 7, 2019
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

“Before Rosa Parks, before Martin Luther King Jr, before Nelson Mandela, there was Paul Robeson.”

First Parish Lexington and First Church Belmont Unitarian Universalist are proud to present internationally acclaimed baritone and peace activist Anthony Brown in the multimedia musical documentary I GO ON SINGING: Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words & Songs.

Featuring some of Robeson’s most beloved songs, I Go On Singing reveals the artistic, political and intellectual achievements of the American patriot. Accompanied by Simon Andrews (Belmont) and narrated by Lexington icon Regie Gibson (First Parish), Anthony Brown presents Robeson as a towering figure in American history and a champion for peace and human rights.  Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger makes three video appearances, discussing his friendship with Robeson and the music they shared. More information can be found at anthonybrownbaritone.net.

The event will be a fundraiser for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute in Dorchester, MA. The concert has been underwritten by the Social Action committees of First Parish Lexington and First Church Belmont, so 100% of the proceeds of the concert will go to Louis D. Brown to further their work of “Transforming Society’s Response to Homicide”. Tickets are not required. Suggested donation, $20


Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway Cabaret

Nov 10, 2019
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

First Parish in Lexington presents
A Broadway Concert celebrating the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by Rip Jackson
with the First Parish Festival and Children’s Choirs, Soloists and Pit Band

Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 3:30 PM – Free Will Offering

First Parish in Lexington proudly presents an inspirational concert of Broadway music by Andrew Lloyd Webber on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 3:30 PM. Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most celebrated Broadway music composers of all time. This concert, with music from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Phantom of the Opera, Requiem, and Sunset Boulevard, will feature the First Parish festival and children’s choirs, soloists, and a full pit band consisting of brass, woodwinds, keyboards, drums, guitar, and electric bass.  A free will offering will be accepted. For more information call the church at 781-862-8200 or visit http://bit.ly/fp-webber.


Mezzo Soprano Julia Jaffe in Concert

Oct 6, 2019
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Julia JaffeOn Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 3:30, First Parish in Lexington will present Belarus native mezzo soprano Julia Jaffe in a concert of Baroque arias, Russian Folk songs, spirituals, Broadway ballads, 19th-century art songs and instrumental trio sonatas. Ms. Jaffe will be joined by Rip Jackson on piano and harpsichord with baroque violinists Asako Takeuchi and Emily Hale and baroque cellist Jennifer Morsches. Some of the featured works include “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen, “Erbarme Dich” from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion” and Handel’s Trio Sonata in G Major.” A free will offering will be taken.

Julia Jaffe was born in Minsk, Belarus where she attended a specialized music school. She immigrated to the USA as a teenager and studied voice and literature at the University of Utah. In Boston, Julia had a career as a linguist and pursued post graduate studies in voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. She has performed as a soloist with the Lowell House Opera and Commonwealth Lyric Theatre as well as an ensemble member of Utah Opera, Opera Tampa, and the Odyssey opera. Julia experiences singing as direct conduit between the spiritual and corporeal realms. She feels blessed to sing at the First Parish UU in Lexington where she has had opportunities to sing music of dizzying variety under the leadership of Rip Jackson. Julia has found her niche in creating original thematically organized programs. She performs as a guest soloist throughout the USA and was a featured artist at the 2019 Assisi Music Festival in Italy.


Natural Rhythms Concert

Sep 7, 2019
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Natural Rhythms

With Elise Witt, Terry Garthwaite and Becky Reardon

Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Free Will Offering

Imagine Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Annie Ross and Edith Piaf taking a turn from Barbara Kingsolver and Dr. Seuss and you’ll have some idea of these mad and moving musical adventures! Whether it’s a plaintive cry for families at the border, a polyrhythmic improvisation on the physics of sound, an anthem to the preservation of wild rivers and oceans, or a musical ride on the love train, Terry, Becky & Elise cook from the minute they hit the stage. Bringing three radically different voices to the blend, their voices find each other in that mysterious world of harmony in diversity. The trio’s concerts are also famous for getting the audience singing, and even self-professed “non-singers” find themselves part of an Impromptu Glorious Chorus. Elise Witt, who has sung with Bobby McFerrin, along with Terry Garthwaite and Becky Reardon, will also collaborate with Rip Jackson and the First Parish sanctuary choir during part of the concert. A free will offering will be taken to defray concert costs. For more information call the church at 781-862-8200 or visit www.fplex.org.

The amazing vocal trio Natural Rhythms consists of 3 dynamic singer/instrumentalists. Becky Reardon’s voice is familiar to the millions of people who heard her sing on the Charlie Brown TV specials (Charles Schultz called her his favorite singer!). Becky’s songs and rounds are treasured for their ability to move singers and listeners to ancient places of pleasure and healing. Terry Garthwaite is an internationally known singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and teacher and has shared the stage with BB King, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Allen Ginsberg, Santana, Rosalie Sorrels, and many others. Elise Witt is a singer, composer, musical ambassador, and community activist and has sung with Bobby McFerrin. She has been a cultural ambassador to South Africa, Italy, Nicaragua, Switzerland, China, and Bosnia.


Vivaldi's "Gloria" - Spring Concert

Apr 7, 2019
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Vivaldi’s Gloria on period instruments

Vocal and orchestral music by Bach, Handel, Hertel, Purcell and Vivaldi

Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 3:30 PM – Freewill Offering

First Parish in Lexington

7 Harrington Rd., Lexington, MA

 

First Parish in Lexington will present a concert of Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria and other vocal and orchestral music on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 3:30 PM. The concert will feature the First Parish sanctuary choir, soloists, guest singers, and a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments directed by harpsichordist Rip Jackson with Christina Day Martinson as concert master. Vivaldi’s Concerto for 4 Violins and Concerto for 2 Violins, Johann Hertel’s Concerto for Oboe and Trumpet and arias by Handel, Purcell and Bach will also be presented at the concert.

Hearing baroque music with period instruments is a very special experience. The members of the orchestra will perform on original instruments of the eighteenth century or on reproductions of them. The stringed instruments use predominantly gut strings and are fitted with sound posts and bridges which are thinner than those on their modern counterparts. These aspects, along with the lighter Baroque bows, produce a more articulate sound. Baroque woodwinds are equipped with a minimal number of keys whereby chromatics are achieved with different combinations of fingerings. The baroque trumpet (natural trumpet) is valveless and has a sweet, pure tone. The low pitch (A-415 Hz.) enhances the dark sound of these instruments, which blend in a manner quite different than that heard in a modern symphony orchestra. The harpsichord and positive organ are built in the style of 18th century instruments and tuned in an 18th century unequal temperament. The orchestra and vocalists will also perform a Concerto Grosso by Corelli, arias by Handel and a double violin concerto by Vivaldi. A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the music program at First Parish.


Austin Burns in Concert

Jan 27, 2019
3:30 pm

Come celebrate the New Year and your Scottish heritage with New England’s premier tenor, Austin Burns and special guest Allison Flanagan. Settle in for a rollicking night dedicated to Scotland’s beloved poet Robert Burns who first discovered and transcribed the ultimate New Year’s song, “Auld Lang Syne!” Sets will include songs about the beautiful countryside, wild men like Burns himself, some toe tappers, and sweet ballads. The arrangements featured are by Maureen McMullan (professor at Berklee), Arthur Foote, Franz Haydn, and Austin Burns. What is Burns Night? Burns night is an annual tradition celebrated around the world with various events throughout the month of January to celebrate the birth of Robert Burns (January 25). It is a celebration of Scottish heritage where participants are encouraged to read poems by Robert Burns and other authors. The poems are often of a lighter nature and can contain salty language on rather bawdy subjects. The celebrations also include a salute to the haggis (a savory meat pudding) listening to a bagpiper, dressing in kilts, dancing, and of course plenty of drinking. To truly celebrate Burns night I need you to come prepared to have a good time. All are optionally encouraged to wear kilts, tartan colors and dancing shoes!

 

Austin Burns is a tenor, arranger, and composer known for his themed programs and conversational performance style. His expanding repertoire includes Scottish songs, Irish songs, Neapolitan songs, songs from the Gilded Age, A Three Tenors Tribute Concert, and many more. Austin performs throughout New England at various historic homes and social clubs. Notable performances include concerts at Marble House in Newport R.I., Hamilton House in South Berwick ME., and Eustis House in Milton MA. Austin has also performed at The Harvard Club, The St. Botolph Club, and the Boston Public Library. There will be a freewill offering to defray expenses. For more information, visit www.fplex.org or call 781-862-8200.


Solstice Service

Dec 21, 2018
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

On Friday, December 21, First Parish in Lexington will present our first Winter Solstice Experience. With music and candles, dancing and darkness, we will experience the quiet of the longest night, and welcome the sun as we wait for her return. This will be a worship service exploring earth-centered imagery, with an invitation to cherish the darkness.

Led by Rev. Anne Mason and Music Director Rip Jackson, the service will include Skyloom Inter-generational Dancers as well as music by Katie Runde, sax and clarinet, and Marybeth McCaffrey, soprano. Also participating will be Lisa Maria Steinberg, Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry, and First Parish members Amy Johnson and Elisabeth Jas. Our special guest will be Alberto Taxo, an indigenous Ecuadoran shaman.

The Winter Solstice Experience is free and open to the public. First Parish is located at 7 Harrington Rd, Lexington. Parking is in the rear of the church.



Fall Concert: Jams for Justice

Nov 4, 2018
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

First Parish in Lexington will present a concert of Gospel and Broadway music on Sunday, November 4, at 3:30 PM. The concert will feature the First Parish sanctuary and children’s choirs and soloists, guest singers, and a 10-piece jazz band performing solo and choral Gospel music and selections from Broadway including GodspellLes Misérables, and Oliver. The concert, titled Jams for Justice, will take a free Will offering with 100% of the proceeds to benefit LexRAP (The Lexington Refugee Assistance Program). LexRAP is a Lexington-based non-profit organization focused on making Lexington a welcoming place for refugees and helping them directly.

7 Harrington Road, Lexington, MA
Open to the public. Admission is free.
A free-will offering will benefit the Lexington Refugee Assistance Program
Wheelchair access via elevator at rear entrance.

Graphic is “Jazz Makers 1” by Eric Waugh. Used with the artist’s permission.