Recently restored Brown Chapel at Oak Hill will host the first event for the Newburyport Chamber Festival on Saturday, June 21.
Once used for funeral services it was long out of use until the recent restoration. This 60-seat Greek-style temple is one of Newburyport’s five granite buildings and an architectural gem. Make plans to attend an event or offer to volunteer.
The Festival, founded in 2002 by Artistic Director David Yang and Newburyport resident Jane Niebling, runs this August after the opening event in June.
A weeklong series of classical chamber music events has grown from three musicians and three concerts to twelve artists, thirteen events and six venues. Originally sponsored by St. Paul’s Church in Newburyport the Festival now functions as an independent not-for-profit organization.
Their mission is to become an integral part of the culture and life of Newburyport and the surrounding area by providing a series of high caliber and stimulating musical events.
These concerts are designed to encourage a sense of shared experience and ownership for the community.
In their words…..”A live concert is fundamentally different from a recording. By fostering an awareness of the music-making process and an appreciation of the exceptional architectural spaces available in Newburyport and by providing ample opportunities for casual interaction between artists and residents, we seek to nurture a community of music lovers of all ages while exploring the unique possibilities of live classical chamber music.”
Venues are selected for their smaller size which encourages an intimate communion with musician and audience.
The Chamber’s first venue was the 1863 granite Neo-Gothic St. Anna’s Chapel on the campus of St. Paul’s church. With no stage and with seating in the round the 90-seat chapel provides the degree of intimacy for which chamber music was originally intended. Since then the larger St. Paul’s Church was added as the principal venue, while including other eclectic spaces, both public and private, indoors and out, historic and modern, which are available in the greater Newburport community.
The week in August will include events at: St. Anna’s Chapel, St. Paul’s Church, The Custom House Maritime Museum, Brown Chapel at Oak Hill, First Parish Church, Newbury , The Carriage House off High Street and the Newburyport Public Library.
Visit the Chamber website and see this summer’s schedule