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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.  2022 is the 4th year of this series.

The Advent Series, in it's 13th year in 2022, is an intimate series of
noonday concerts every Wednesday during Advent.
These feature both secular and sacred melodies of Christmas! 

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

The Sounds of Summer Series
A Noonday Series

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Wednesday, July 13  |  ​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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Click to view Mrs. Darr's Program

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Wednesday, July 27 | ​Timothy Price & Casey Childers
Piano & Organ

We welcome concert coordinator, First Christian Minster of Music/Organist Casey Childers and her colleague, Timothy Price.  Casey has served as the Minister of Music & Organist at First Christian since 2009.   Mrs. Childers and Mr. Price will be sharing a program of works for four-hands on the piano, as well as piano/organ duets.  Many of the works are sacred and are titles such as "My Jesus I Love Thee" and "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name".  The program also includes classical titles such as Chopin's "Raindrop Prelude" and Brahms' "Intermezzo in A Major." 

​ If you want a laugh, you shouldn't miss out on this concert.  Featured works include Liberty Bell march and an argumentative duet on the Inspector Gadget theme! 

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Casey Childers has been serving First Christian since 2007 when she arrived as organist. She served this position while gaining the Masters of Music degree in Organ Performance and Sacred Music from East Carolina University as well as the Colleagues' Certification (CAGO) through the American Guild of Organists. Prior to this she received Bachelor of Music degrees from Appalachian State University in both Music (Clarinet) Performance and Music Education (K-12).  

In time aside from First Christian, Casey serves as accompanist for the Hunt High School Chorus, owns her personal photography business and teaches piano. She has served on the boards of the East Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and the East Carolina Musical Arts Education Foundation. Casey is a member of the American Guild of Organists, Wilson Church Musician's Guild, St. Cecilia Music Club, National Federation of Teachers of Music and Pi Kappa Lambda. She has performed as organist in England, France, Germany and Spain. She loves spending time with her husband, Andrew, sons, Jackson & Phillip, loves yard work and most recently is obsessed with gardening. 

Timothy D. Price, a native of Goldsboro, NC, began studying piano at an early age with Anita Poland, then organ with Marshalle Lewis. He is a graduate of East Carolina University with degrees in Sacred Music and Organ Performance. He studied organ with Janette Fishell, Colin Andrews, and Andrew Scanlon; piano with Henry Doskey and Keiko Sekino; harpsichord with John O'Brien; voice with Louise Toppin; and conducting with Daniel Bara and Al Sturgis. Timothy has traveled throughout New England playing our country's finest instruments, in addition to the organs of many renowned cathedrals in Germany, France, Spain, and England. He has served as the musical director for several churches during his career, as well as for eight Broadway musical productions at Center Stage and StageStruck Theatre companies. Timothy is an experienced handbell ringer and has performed and recorded with The Raleigh Ringers. He earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University in 2017 and currently teaches fourth grade at Hodges Manor Elementary School in Portsmouth, VA.

Click to view the Price/Childers program

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Wednesday, August 10
​Matthew Joyner, tenor
Dexter Ruffin, piano

Mr. Joyner and Mr. Ruffin share a program Barber's "Hermit Songs", works by Hundley, Copland, Scriabin, Cipullo, Johnson and Hogan.  

​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 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.

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Wednesday, August 24
​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.)

His program will consist of works by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, J.S. Bach, Pachelbel, Dvorak, Utterback and Vierne.

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Click to view Mr. Morehead's program

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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Contributor

S. Barnes
in memory of Mary M. Dortch

​Otto Baron

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

​Michelle Paxton

Linwood Perry
in honor of grandchildren

Henry Skinner 
​in honor of Linda Walling

Becky Stott

Bobbie & Ray Warenda 
in memory of Dan Hensley
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Supporter

Jamie & Renae Brame 

Todd Brame 

​Barbara Brinson
​
Morgan and Kathy Daughety 

Wayne DuBois 
​in honor of America's War Veterans

Patsy Ferrell
in honor of Casey Childers

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

​Skip & Linda Hanson

Melanize Mauze

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

Larry & Joyce Wolfe

Benefactor

Jim & Melody Bell
​
​Paul & Betsy Brewer

Gary & Linda Walling
in honor of Casey Childers

Phil & Sue Winstead
​in honor of Helen Batts

Donor

Sustainer

Dan Shingleton