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Welcome to the source of our Space for Grace Concerts here at First Christian, Wilson.
Composed of primarily two Noonday Series,
this collection of concerts is meant to provide a space for
​departure, meditation and renewal. 

The Sounds of Summer Series are Noonday concerts
scheduled during the summer months.  2023 is the 5th year of this series.

The Advent Series, will be in it's 14th year in 2023, is an intimate series of
noonday concerts every Wednesday during Advent.
These feature both secular and sacred melodies of Christmas! 

Music for Hope began in 2012 with support of musicians across the Wilson community and beyond.  Our 2023 concert will be the 13th Annual Music for Hope concert with 100% of the donations going towards Hope Station.  

All concerts are free and open to all. 
Continue down to view our upcoming concerts, join our email list
and view those who have supported the series!

If you wish to give to this series, we welcome such donations! 
If you have already given, we are deeply grateful.
Click the button below and in the 'memo' line, please designate "Music Series". 

Give to the Series

Upcoming Concerts

2023 Sounds of Summer Series

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Wednesday, June 28  |  Dexter Ruffin, pianist

 

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Wednesday, July 12 | Robert Morehead, organist

Robert L. Morehead, CAGO is the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Wilson, NC and is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. Robert began his organ studies in Germany and counts Tassilo Schlenther, Anita Greenlee, W. Robert Morrison, and Stephen C. Williams among his instructors.  For over thirty years, Robert has held Director of Music positions in churches in the United States and in Germany including most recently Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Vienna, VA.  Robert received his MM in Music History from West Chester University and his BM in Organ Performance with a Piano Teaching Certificate from Malone University. He has also earned a research award for his work on Ralph Vaughan Williams’ agnosticism and is a specialist in the organ jazz music of Dr. Joe Utterback. Robert also holds four certifications:  A Piano Teaching Certificate from Malone University, The Service Playing and Colleague certificate from the American Guild of Organists and The Leistungsnachweis (D-Schein) from the Evangelische Kirche in Germany.  He was also conductor of the Washington Saengerbund and has released four CDs:  From Mendelssohn to Morehead (2008); Faith Musings (2009); Christmas Piano Improvisations (2014) and Jubellation (2016). He has also recorded the complete organ works of Antonin Dvořák. Recently, Robert has finished recording organ arrangements of African-American spirituals by Dr. Joe Utterback and is looking to release this recording later this year. Robert is happily married to his wife Miranda and considers his two children, Kieren (12 years old) and Lauryn (6 years old) a blessing. (www.rmorehead.com.)

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Wednesday, July 26 | Matthew Joyner, tenor
Matthew Young, pianist

Matthew Joyner is the Director of Choirs at Ralph L. Fike High School where he teaches mixed chorus and the Fike Vocal Ensemble.

He graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from East Carolina University where he studied voice under John Kramar and Daniel Shirley, and choral methods under Andrea VanDeusen. There he was a member of the world-renowned choir, the ECU Chamber Singers (James Franklin, director), and an active member in the ECU Opera Theatre.  He has sung under major clinicians such as Simon Carrington and John Rutter, and also performed the roles of Lord Tolloller in Arthur Sullivan's Iolanthe and Mr. Erlansen in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.  Joyner is also a sought after tenor soloist and keyboardist for church services and recitals, most recently singing the solo in Camille Saint-Saën's Oratorio de Noël and giving several recitals in the Wilson area. 

Mr. Joyner is active as a thespian and music director. He made his Wilson theater debut as the Doctor/Escapologist in 2019's summer musical, Matilda: The Musical, and has music directed both ACT for Youth and Playhouse of Wilson’s productions including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: The Musical (October 2019), A Little Princess: The Musical (February 2020) and SpongeBob: The Musical (October 2021).

Mr. Joyner is an active member of NAfME (National Association for Music Education), NCMEA (North Carolina Music Educator's Association), ACDA (American Choral Director's Association), and Pi Kappa Lambda Honors Society.

Mr. Joyner resides in Wilson with his amazing wife, Andrea, and two wiley cats, Kiai Sunshine and Koda Jo.

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Matthew Young is the pianist and music associate at First Baptist Church in his hometown of Rocky Mount, NC. Matthew is also the pianist for the Tar River Chorus as well as Carolina Choral Artists.
Matthew received a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance from East Carolina University under the guidance of Dr. Keiko Sekino and Kwan Yi. There he also received a minor in voice from John Kramar, and sang in multiple choral ensembles. In addition, he received a Master’s (Pi Kappa Lambda Honors) in Collaborative Piano from East Carolina under the direction of Dr. Catherine Garner, where he also gained experience as an accompanist for various 
departments within the school of music. During his time at East Carolina, Matthew has played for piano area recitals, solo recitals, voice lessons, voice studios and recitals, organ studio, instrumental lessons, instrumental studios and recitals, conducting classes, the opera scenes program, ECU chamber singers, and the ECU collegiate chorale. He has also been involved with the Collaborative Piano Institute where he played for singers from the Cincinnati Conservatory, University of Michigan, and the Metropolitan Opera.
In addition to his work as a church musician, Matthew is an active freelance pianist in Rocky Mount and the surrounding area- playing for multiple voice competitions and recitals. He teaches piano lessons at FBCRM where he maintains a growing piano studio, and has been a member of the Rocky Mount Piano Teacher’s Association since 2021.

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Wednesday, August 9 | Vonda Darr, harp

Vonda Darr is currently the principal classical harpist for the North Carolina Symphony. She has been the principal harpist for the Augusta Symphony Orchestra in Georgia since 1993 and was principal harpist for the Augusta Opera for twelve years. She performs as substitute principal and second harp for the Nashville Symphony. She is a session harpist and is a part of the Nashville Recording Orchestra. She was the principal harpist for the Brevard Music Center Orchestra in 2021. As part of the NC Symphony, Vonda participated in the inaugural SHIFT Festival for American Orchestras, performing in both the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institution. As an orchestral musician, she has performed with musicians including Art Garfunkel, LeAnn Rimes, Ronnie Milsap, Amy Grant, Matthew Morrison, and Olivia Newton-John. She has also performed on the national tours of Broadway’s The King and I, My Fair Lady, and Weird Al Yankovic’s Strings Attached tour.
Vonda is an active chamber and solo recitalist. She performs as Duo Venandi with flutist Wendy Cohen, as the Vega Harp Duo with harpist Carolyn Munford, and is a founding member of the Lyra Vivace Chamber Ensemble. The Vega Harp Duo performed the world premiere of Miguel del Aguila’s Submerged for Two Harps in 2021. They commissioned the work Echoes from the South by Martin David Jones, with a world premiere performance at the American Harp Society national conference in 2022. Vonda performed with LACE (Living Art Collective Ensemble) at the National Gallery of Art in DC, has performed on the North Carolina Symphony Manning Chamber Series, and has been a frequent guest artist with Chamber Music Charleston. Vonda has also presented concerts for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and for the American Harp Society National Conference. Vonda also loves performing pop and rock music and experimenting with effects pedals.
Vonda is the inventor of Pocket Harp Pedals, which is available in both a physical device form and an app. It is an interactive harp pedal chart, which is a universally used marking for pedal harpists. The product was launched in 2022.
Ms. Darr has recorded two solo harp CD's, Prayers Without Words and Hear the Angels: A Christmas Collection. Duo Venandi's debut CD Fantasie has been featured nationally on public radio through Classical 24.

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Wednesday, August 23 | Caleb Skinner, tenor
Zackery Ross, pianist

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Friday, August 25 | Music for Hope

In 2012, an impromptu concert popped up to bring awareness to Hope Station.  Focusing on the needs of homelessness and hunger in Wilson, 11 years later the Wilson community still looks forward to this annual event.  Not only do those attending the concert mark it down every year, but those musicians who participate equally look forward to this reunion.  Our 2022 concert raised $4,500 for Hope Station.  

Contributors

Our deepest gratitude is extended to all who have helped sustain
these concerts through their generous donations. 
​This series is continued solely on this gifts!
Listed below are for the fiscal year January 2022-December 2022. 

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Contributors

Anonymous 
in honor of Casey Childers

S. Barnes
in memory of Mary M. Dortch

​Otto Baron

Joanna Carraway

Allan Daniell
in honor of Libby Daniell

Monica Elliott
in memory of Charles Eric Elliott
​in honor of Charlie Parker

Anna Hardison
​
Clifford B. Harwood Jr. 
in memory of Helen A. Harwood

Julia Keville
in honor of Casey Childers

Carol Ludwig

​Michelle Paxton

Linwood Perry
in honor of grandchildren

Henry Skinner 
​in honor of Linda Walling

Tommy & Phyllis Snipes
in memory of Jewell & Hunter Fanney

Becky Stott

Bobbie & Ray Warenda 
in memory of Dan Hensley
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Supporters

​Barbara Brinson
​
Morgan and Kathy Daughety 

Wayne DuBois 
​in honor of America's War Veterans

Connie Farris
in memory of Alma & J.D. Barnes and Fletcher Barnes

Patsy Ferrell
in honor of Casey Childers

Forest Hills Baptist Church Prime Timers Fellowship
​
Jane Gardner
in memory of Bill Bussey 

Kelley Garris 
in honor of the First Baptist Sanctuary Choir

​Skip & Linda Hanson

Melanize Mauze
​in memory of Betty McCain

Todd & Denise Stinagle
in honor of Payne, Nora & Amoret Stinagle

Roger Z. Thurman
in memory of Buren Williford & Dixie Altizen Thomas
in honor of Peggy W. Thurman

Sheila Wiggins & De Hardison
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Benefactors

Jim & Melody Bell

​Rusty Benton

Jamie & Renae Brame 

​Todd Brame

Pat Campbell

Ralph & Sue Dail

​John & Annette Glover

David & Tish Scott
in honor of Casey Childers
​
Gary & Linda Walling
in honor of Casey Childers

Phil & Sue Winstead
​in honor of Helen Batts

Larry & Joyce Wolfe

Donors

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Mary Louise Gray
in honor of Beulah Koulouris

Sustainers

Keith & Sherry Brenner
​
Dan Shingleton