Annual Christmas Concert remembers Katharine Dunlop

AMENIA — The annual Smithfield Church Christmas Concert and Tea had been the brainchild of Amenia resident Katharine Dunlop, but with her death earlier this year, church members assembled their talents and presented the event on Saturday, Dec. 3, right on schedule.

Every detail had been looked after with the care that Dunlop would have specified. Musicians were gathered by Rob Murphy, concertmaster for The Smithfield Chamber Orchestra. The music was orchestrated for the 12 musicians over many months by Matt Finley of Pine Plains, director of the orchestra. The silver tea services had been polished. The community was invited using written invitations, posters and ads.

Katharine Dunlop had a vision and a sense of community, inviting folks to enjoy the historic Smithfield Church community. For this year’s concert, as before, the church was filled to capacity.

The concert was hosted by the Bang Family Concert Series, thanks to the generosity of Bill and Mary Ann Bang.

Their daughter, Susan Bang, spoke of the lead-up work. “It took a platoon to fill Katharine’s shoes, paired with a wonderful concert. We have honored her memory.”

“Katharine is gone, and this is her legacy,” said orchestra member Denise Jordan Finley during the tea that following the concert.

Speaking of Dunlop, pastor Douglas Grandgeorge recalled that she was invaluable for the church. She had been baptized, confirmed, and married at Smithfield. “Every time she sold a house, she told the new owners about Smithfield Church,” Grandgeorge said.

Local architect Darlene Riemer recalled coming to Amenia with her husband Robert, “Katharine was the first person I met when we came to Amenia looking for a house. We drove by the church and decided we wanted to live on Smithfield Valley Road, as near as possible to the church.” As it turned out, she said, “We do.”

Town board member Leo Blackman described Dunlop as a “village celebrity, larger than life.”

“Let’s have a really fancy tea party with silver tea service,” was Katharine Dunlop’s idea 19 years ago. And so, the church did, and soon added the feature of a concert to go with the tea.

This year’s concert event opened with Richard Machir’s “Child of the Bells,” music director Finley told the audience, “If you don’t like something, wait about a minute, and we’ll be playing something else.”

Finley had spent months orchestrating each of the 11 pieces to be performed, ranging from classical to jazz to Latin jazz to carols, and to what Finley said might have been a first in church, “Jazz Funk.” There was a rousing encore of “Sleigh Ride.”

Organist Nancy Brown recalled that 19 years ago, Dunlop had asked her to play for the first concert and tea, and Brown assumed that she was being asked to play the entire concert. She declined. In ensuing concert years, she came to understand that the request had been only for a single piece, and so relieved, she became one of the annual performers.

A plaque remembering Katharine Dunlop will be installed in coming weeks. The Christmas Concert and Tea will continue as an annual tradition.

The Reverend Douglas Grandgeorge welcomed the audience to the annual Christmas Concert and Tea at the Smithfield Church in Amenia on Saturday, Dec. 3. Photo by Leila Hawken

The Smithfield Chamber Orchestra, directed by Matt Finley, assembled to perform at the annual Christmas Concert and Tea at The Smithfield Church on Saturday, Dec. 3. Photo by Leila Hawken

The Reverend Douglas Grandgeorge welcomed the audience to the annual Christmas Concert and Tea at the Smithfield Church in Amenia on Saturday, Dec. 3. Photo by Leila Hawken