Archive
Past Concert Series seasons:
The 2021-2022 Season:
Jazz in the Sanctuary
Friday, January 28th at 8:00pm
Songs of Hope and Resilience
New Music by John Kramer
Join us for an evening of music written for this moment; music that will provide calm, joy, wonder, and renewal for your spirit. This music draws from the great wealth of jazz history and style as it charts a course towards the future. A memorable and enriching evening awaits you.
John Kramer, Piano
Rick McLaughlin, Bass
Yoron Israel, Drums
Friday, November 5th at 8:00 p.m.
Music for Piano and String Quartet
Pianist John Kramer and the Resident Musicians of musiConnects present piano quintets of Florence Price and Antonin Dvorak – twin masterworks of epic sweep and romantic yearning. If history and circumstance were different, Price would be the household name, and Dvorak the new discovery. As it stands, both composers speak to us across the decades, with music of wonder and generosity.
The 2020-2021 Season:
Kemp Harris
with Jim Lucchese on percussion and Brian Verrochi on bass
Saturday, April 17th @ 7:00 PM
Download the Concert Flyer Here
This concert is a benefit to support the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry and the Winchester Unitarian Society.
Jazz in the Sanctuary
Saturday, January 30th @ 7:00 PM
This year we celebrate the African American artists who created and nourished this vibrant art form.
Music by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and many other greats.
Join us for a fabulous night of music celebrating 100 years of jazz. Pianist John Kramer, bassist Rick McLaughlin, and drummer Yoron Israel have all performed internationally and teach at Berklee College of Music.
This concert is a benefit to support the Winchester ABC
and the Winchester Unitarian Society.
Saturday, November 14th @ 7:00 PM
A Celebration of African American Composers
John Kramer, Piano
The early 20th century witnessed significant and powerful musical creations from African Americans within the tradition of classical music. Much of this music was unheralded at the time by the white musical establishment but is experiencing a renaissance today. There is a tremendous richness of musical ideas and feeling in this broad body of work and we are delighted to explore part of this repertoire on our Concert Series.
Piano Sonata in e minor (1932) Florence Price (1887-1953)
Three Visions (1936) William Grant Still (1895-1978)
Troubled Waters (c. 1950) Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
Eight Biblical Vignettes (1943) Nathaniel Dett (1882 -1943)
The 2019-2020 Season:
Friday, October 18th, 8 pm
Piano Quartets of Brahms and Kramer
Come hear and delight in the warmth of chamber music in the comfort of our sanctuary. This concert features the dramatic Piano Quartet No. 3 in c minor by the great German composer Johannes Brahms alongside the premiere of a new quartet by Music Director John Kramer.
Julia Cash, Violin
Amelia Hollander Ames, Viola
Sam Ou, Cello
John Kramer, Piano
Friday, January 24th, 8 pm: Jazz in the Sanctuary
This year we are hosting a saxophone summit with three of Boston’s best young players: Lihi Haruvi, Mark Zaleski, and Mike Tucker. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening.
Friday, May 16th, 8 pm: Three Beethoven Sonatas
John Kramer will be playing three sonatas by the great composer Ludvig van Beethoven:
Sonata No. 23 in f minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”
Sonata No. 13 in Eb major, Op. 27 “quasi una fantasia”
Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op 101
These works celebrate Beethoven in his 250th birth year. They also present struggle and strife as well as the ultimate triumph of life.
The 2018-2019 Season:
Friday, November 2nd, 8 pm: Soloists Concert
Come for an extraordinary evening of vocal music featuring selections from opera, musical theater, art song, and jazz. Our four extremely talented soloists have performed with the Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Opera Collaborative, throughout New England, and nationally. We promise you a wonderful evening of song.
Cheryl Medeiros-Nancarrow, Soprano
Kirsten Hart, Soprano
Brendan Buckley, Tenor
Andy Papas, Baritone
John Kramer, Piano
Friday, January 25th, 8 pm: Jazz in the Sanctuary
Every year, Jazz in the Sanctuary brings some of Boston’s best freelance jazz players to Winchester for a fabulous night of music. This year’s theme is Fairy Tales: think Alice in Wonderful, Someday My Prince will Come, Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, and much more.
Friday, March 22nd, 8 pm: Tracy Grammer
Celebrating the release of her new album Low Tide, singer-songwriter Tracy Grammer brings her springwater-clear alto and storytelling charm to our sanctuary.
“Tracy Grammer is a brilliant artist and unique individual. Her voice is distinctive, as is her mastery over the instruments she plays. “- Joan Baez
“One of the finest pure musicians anywhere in folkdom.” – Boston Globe
A Look Back at the 2017-18 Concert Series
Friday, November 10th, 2017, 8 pm:
An Evening of Chamber Music by Johannes Brahms
Katherine Matasy, Clarinet
Sam Ou, Cello
John Kramer, Piano
Clarinet Sonata in Eb Major, Op. 120, No. 2
Cello Sonata in F Major, Op. 99
Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114
Friday, January 26th, 2018, 8 pm:
Jazz in the Sanctuary
Every year, Jazz in the Sanctuary brings some of Boston’s best freelance jazz players to Winchester for a fabulous night of music. This year’s theme is food: think Salt Peanuts, Watermelon Ma, and Scrapple from the Apple.
Friday, March 16th, 2018, 8 pm:
Vance Gilbert
With ten critically acclaimed albums, Vance Gilbert continues to refine his unlikely union of humor, virtuosity, and the unexpected. Whether with classic, original songwriting or ageless interpretations of covers, his is a presentation steeped in deep humanism and bravery, stunning artistry and soul, and contagious, unbridled joy. Vance is now on tour with his brand new CD, “Bad Dog Buffet.”w