Charlestones Christmas Cheer at CAC
Holiday joy and a bit of levity will be on stage for the last concert of 2020 at the Cultural Arts Center Sunday, Dec. 20. The Charlestones, an a cappella quartet, will present an 80-minute concert beginning at 5:00 p.m.
The performance will include sacred and familiar carols, jazzy Yuletide songs of the 40s and 50s, and end with modern Christmas pop.
The Charlestones will bring their trademark humor and sing “Tree’s on Fire” to the tune of “Ring of Fire” and “Under the Mistletoe” sung to the tune of “Under the Boardwalk.”
Concert organizer John Craig is delighted the quartet is making their third straight Christmas appearance at the newly renovated and expanded Cultural Arts Center.
“The Charlestones are always a hit,” he said. “Their Christmas program is a delightful blend of carols and secular seasonal favorites and they always include new or not so familiar works that broaden our horizons.”
He is also especially pleased to have them back this year in a concert hall that was silent for nine months due to COVID. He believes The Charlestones will bring some much-needed medicine.
“This group is witty and highly spirited, and they clearly have a good time performing,” Craig said. “Their energy is infectious, and it spills over to the audience. Concert attendees can expect a good time.”
The Charlestones founder, Todd Monsell, is grateful to be performing for a live audience.
“Lancaster Cultural Arts Center is one of our favorite places to sing due to its outstanding acoustics,” Monsell said. “Even without microphones, the exposed brick interior allows our voices to reverberate throughout the space, creating almost a surround-sound effect for the audience.”
Monsell said the quartet is looking forward to experiencing the renovations.
“The Cultural Arts Center is such a wonderful cultural space for the region,” he said.
The Charlestones were founded in 2014 in Charleston at the St. John’s Lutheran Church where Monsell serves as the director of music. Their repertoire includes broadway musicals, hymns, country, jazz, pop and patriotic tunes.
Monsell sings bass. The other members are Brink Norton, tenor; William Purcell, lead; and Stephen Spaulding, baritone.
Craig has been pleased with the attendance at the concerts since its reopening last month.
“This will be the fourth concert at the CAC since we reopened,” he said. “The concerts are being well attended, and it is good to see people enjoying live music again.”
Craig said reactions to the modern renovations of the 158-year-old church have been positive and all are pleased with how well the old architecture blends with the new.
People who have visited the newly renovated Cultural Arts Center have told him it’s a joy to walk into the contemporary lobby with its curving, floor-to-celing windows offering a full view of the exterior of the old church.
The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Olde Presbyterian Church on West Gay Street which was built in 1862.. It was the first brick Church building in Lancaster County. The French Gothic Revival style architecture features an arch in the pulpit, a three-sided balcony, and breathtaking stained glass windows, some reaching nearly 20 feet high.
The expanded CAC makes social distancing possible and comfortable. COVID restrictions will cut the 120 capacity in half. Only 60 seats are available. This concert sold out last week. Craig encourages those interested in future concerts to purchase their tickets early, $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Masks are required.
The 2020–21 concert series has more than a dozen performances scheduled through September 2021.
The concerts are co-sponsored by the Lancaster County Society for Historical Preservation, the Lancaster County Council of the Arts and the Craig Farm Historic Preservation Foundation.
Tickets can be purchased by phone (803)285–7451 or online https://www.cognitoforms.com/LancasterCountyCouncilOfTheArts1/LancasterCulturalArtsCenterTicketing.
For more information, follow the Charlestones on Facebook or visit their website: http://thecharlestones.com.
Continued funding needs
The recent renovations came with a price tag of $1.4 million. It included two additions — a lobby out front and a green room in the back for performers. This transformed the Old Presbyterian Church into a modern cultural arts center. The project required a public/private partnership that included the city of Lancaster, state arts funds, local foundations and the county, along with local businesses and 500 individual donors.
Last decade, the sanctuary was renovated at the cost of $800,000, bringing the renovation total price to $2.2 million.
Craig said all ticket proceeds for concerts at the CAC will go to help cover the operating costs of the facility.
“So in purchasing tickets, people are not only buying a good musical experience, but also contributing to a good cause,” he said.
Craig said the community has been supportive in helping the CAC reach its zero debt goal.
Contributions during the grand opening and donations from GiveLocalLancaster brought in $54,000. Craig said that leaves a debt of nearly $100,000 but he trusts “more angels will come forward.”
After making this statement last week, Craig sent an email just hours later saying an anonymous donor had just made a very generous donation.
“Such news is music to our ears,” he said.
Originally published at http://spilledinkabovethefold.wordpress.com on December 21, 2020.
