Mar. 19 ~ Discovering Some of the Amazing Women of Rutland

Cancelled

Carolynn Ranftle of Rutland Historical Society presents, Discovering Some of the Amazing Women in Rutland’s Past.

When: March 19, 2020 @ 2 p.m.

Where: Grace Church Chapel and parlor

AboutIn celebration of Women’s History Month, Fortnightly will be featuring at talk from Rutland Historical Society about the area’s amazing women of the past.  Featured pieces will be: 

  • The recipient of the Bronze Star for her heroics in World War II 
  • An educator who made her start in rented space at the Nickwackett Firehouse 
  • An early Physician who practiced medicine for 34 years 
  • The granddaughter of Julia Dorr who made her mark in the Arts and Crafts Movement design world 
  • A woman who devoted her work to the Rutland Community all of her adult life 
  • And finally, two women who kept secret their careers as prolific children’s authors by writing under nom de plumes: Margaret Warde and John Prescott Earl

Grace Church Chapel, 2 PM As always, tea and sweets will be served in the Parlor after the program. All are welcome! 

For further information or to arrange transportation, call the Church Office (775.4301) 

July 16-18 ~ Shrek the musical

When: July 16 & 17 at 7:30 p.m., July 18 at 2 p.m.  (Tickets on-sale May 1, 2020)
Where: Paramount Theatre, 30 Center St, Rutland, VT 05701
About:  Shrek the Musical is a Co-Production of The Paramount Players and Grace Congregational Church
Director: Eric Mallette
Musical direction: Grace Church music team
Shrek Cast List
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change) and a sidesplitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.“Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek….” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek.Shrek presents a treasure trove of creative opportunities, including costumes, sets, puppets (there is a fire-breathing dragon after all) and more! Irreverently fun for the whole family, Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre.
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Music by Jeanine Tesori. Originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions.Original production directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford.Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com.

Feb. 22 ~ Shetland Night

When: February 22, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Grace Fellowship Hall
(8 Court St., Rutland, VT)  We are located on the corner of Court and West.  For parking, enter our lot from West Street.   Street parking is also available on Court Street.

The handicap entrance may be accessed through the north side portico of Grace Church via the parking lot.  The elevator is located in the central part of the building.

About:  Join us at 5:30 p.m. for a baked potato dinner with all of the toppings followed by a short presentation of pictures and stories from Shetland. Shetland is the UK’s most remote inhabited group of islands, located 200 miles off the North East of Scotland in the stormy North Atlantic, and is famous for its bird watching, knitting, and rich history of ship wrecks.  Following dinner and pictures, international folk music stars, John Kirk and Trish Miller, will lead us in traditional Scottish dancing.

Mar. 8 ~ Joyful Noise Showcase

Come One, Come All!  This year Joyful Noise presents Aladdin!

When: March 8, 2020 at 6 p.m.

Where:  Grace Church Sanctuary

About: Joyful Noise Showcase of Talent

Our youth choir, Joyful Noise, will offer a medley of choruses and solos from Aladdin. The singers will be accompanied by a band of local musicians, and also be joined by choirs from local schools. Please come and support our talented youth, who will be raising money for the HEAL foundation. Refreshments will be available to purchase before and during the performance, which begins at 6 PM.

Support HEAL: Raising Our World One Child at a Time

Auditions for Shrek the Musical

Paramount Players and Grace Congregational Church present Shrek the Musical

When:
Principal Role auditions are by appointment only.

*To express interest in auditioning (and to schedule your principal role audition time) please email Eric at Eric@ParamountVT.org. Time slots (20-minutes) will be made available on a first-come-first-served basis for the following dates:
– Jan. 5, 2-5p.m.
– Jan. 7, 5-7 p.m.
– Jan. 9, 5-7p.m.
– Call backs, Jan. 11, 3-5p.m.

Ensemble Auditions:
– Jan. 11, 2p.m.

Where: Grace Church

About: We are excited to announce the first Paramount Theatre and Grace Congregational Church collaboration! The Paramount Theatre’s Paramount Players, directed by Eric Mallette, and the Grace Congregational Church music department will present the award-winning family show, Shrek the Musical, on July 16, 17 and 18, 2020, at the Paramount Theatre. Auditions are open to all, and will take place at Grace Church on January 5, 7, 9 and 11. Rehearsals will begin on June 7th.

Performance dates: July 16, 17 and 18, 2020

Nov. 3 ~ Songs of Faith for All Saints

Join us on All Saints’ Day for a celebration of lives of those that have died this past year.

When: Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019 at 7 p.m.

Where: Grace Church Sanctuary

About:  Under the direction of Dr Sherrill Blodget, Grace Church Sanctuary Choir and the Castleton University Chorale will offer Gwyneth Walker’s cantata, Songs of Faith, for choir, soloists, organ and brass.  During this time, we will remember those who have died through music, poetry and prayer.

Grace Church 2019 Fall Rummage Sale

Don’t miss out on some great finds!

When:
Thursday, October 3 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday, October 4 from 9 a.m. – Noon (Bag Sale)

Where:  Grace Church Fellowship Hall

We are located on the corner of Court and West.  For parking, enter our lot from
West Street.   Street parking is also available on Court Street.

The handicap entrance may be accessed through the north side portico of Grace Church via the parking lot.  The elevator is located in the central part of the building.


Donations: We will be accepting donations in Fellowship Hall on Monday through Wednesday, September 30-October 2, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. ONLY. We are looking for household items, clothing (cleaned and wearable), small appliances (in good working condition), linens, jewelry, and children’s toys and games. No sharp knives, televisions or microwaves, please!


Set-up and Sales Help Needed!

Set-up help is needed to set up and sort Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 30-October 2.

Sales help is needed on Thursday, October 3 and Friday, October 4.

Clean-up help is needed after the sale on Friday, October 4.

Please look for the sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall. For more information please contact the church office.

Oct. 6 ~ Benefit Concert

All are welcome to attend Grace Church’s 2019 Fall Benefit Concert.  This year, the funds will go to the BROC Community Action Fuel Assistance Fund.

When: October 6 at 4 pm

Where:  Grace Church Sanctuary, 8 Court Street, Rutland,  802-775-4301

About:  Grace Church’s 2019 Fall Benefit Concert will aid the BROC Community Action Fund for fuel assistance.   The choirs of Grace Church, as well as singers and instrumentalists from the region, join forces to raise money for a local charity.

Winner named for 2019 Composition Competition

Michael Sitton, Winner of the 2019 Grace Church Composition Competition

We are pleased to announce that Michael Sitton is the winner of the 2019 Grace Church Composition Competition.   His work, O Emmanuel, for chamber orchestra, choir and soloists will be given its premiere on December 8, 2019 by the Rutland Area Chorus and Festival Orchestra.

O Emmanuel is a choral setting of a litany based on the Advent “O Antiphons,” for mixed choir, with a small solo group employed to sing an unaccompanied recurring refrain.  The piece is a predominantly lyrical setting with a quiet opening and closing and a variety of moods and textures within the setting reflective of each verse in the text. Instrumental support is primarily provided by string ensemble with additional support and added color from organ and timpani; a pair of oboes are featured both as solo instruments and for occasional doubling and obbligato material. While the text clearly ties to the Advent tradition and to Hebrew and Christian scriptures, the content is largely nonsectarian in its thrust and speaks to universal aspirations of hope and longing.

 

Michael Sitton - .jpgMichael Sitton has served since 2009 as Dean of the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, with previous service as Dean of Fine Arts at Eastern New Mexico University, and prior work as a music faculty member at several institutions. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His M.Mus. was earned at the University of Kentucky, and the B. Mus., summa cum laude, from Mars Hill College in his native North Carolina. He also holds the Diplôme de concert from Paris’ Schola Cantorum, where he studied as a Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar of the Fondation des Etats-Unis with pianist Gaby Casadesus, and attended the Conservatoire Américain at Fontainebleau.

Although by training and academic appointment a pianist, Michael Sitton has pursued a lively interest in composition, especially of choral music, during most of his career. A formative experience in this regard was singing under Choirmaster Jerald Hamilton in the Canterbury Choir of the Episcopal Chapel of St. John the Divine at the University of Illinois. His choral compositions have been commissioned and performed by numerous churches and choirs nationwide, including commissions for national conferences of the Association of Anglican Musicians; other honors include numerous ASCAP annual awards. Over thirty of his works have been published by nine different publishers, and have been featured on recordings by preeminent ensembles as well as national radio and television broadcasts. He has had Vermont premieres of choral works at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Burlington and Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier.

He has performed widely as a recital and concerto soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist, and has conducted masterclasses, workshops, and written for publications in piano literature and pedagogy. He has served as a member of the Commission on Accreditation of the National Association of Schools of Music and as one of its Accreditation Visitors, and has engaged in numerous campus, regional, and state initiatives in public and higher education in both New Mexico and New York.

Michael Sitton has announced his plans to retire from service as Dean of The Crane School in the summer of 2020, at which time he will become a full-time resident of Vermont, joining his partner Mark, who is on the staff of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, at their new home in Barre. Although he has been active both as a performer and composer during his administrative appointments, Sitton looks forward, once living full-time in Vermont, to increased activity in both of those musical areas.

For additional information: www.michaelsitton.com.