Smithfield Church’s annual pops concert draws a crowd
The Smithfield Chamber Orchestra performed its third annual spring pops concert on Saturday, May 27, attracting an ever-expanding audience. 
Photo by Leila Hawken

Smithfield Church’s annual pops concert draws a crowd

AMENIA —  The Smithfield Chamber Orchestra performed a rousing free concert at the Smithfield Church on Saturday, May 27, attracting a sizable audience to hear an eclectic variety of musical styles. The annual spring pops concert was sponsored by the Bang Family Concert Series.

Concert director Matt Finley prepared a varied program to showcase the talents of the 12-member orchestra, including piano, winds, brass, strings and percussion players. The repertoire included pop, jazz and classical works, movie tunes and even some original contemporary jazz offered by pianist Larry Ham.

“This is where to be today,” said the Rev. Douglas Grandgeorge, pastor of the Smithfield Church, as he welcomed the audience. “This is going to be fun.”

“Everything will be short, between two or three minutes in length,” said Finley, so that the ambitious repertoire would fit into just an hour. The hour flew on the musical wings of Latin jazz, movie themes, syncopation, show music, and original compositions.

The next concert in the Bang Family Series will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, and will feature the return visit of Kent Tritle, conductor and director of music as well as organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He will be playing the Smithfield Church’s tracker organ.

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LJMN Media, publisher of The Lakeville Journal (first published in 1897) and The Millerton News (first published in 1932) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization.

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