Past Free Concerts 

Description of Events – All are Free

Highlights from Thirteenth Season
Winter 2007 & Spring 2008

The Chalice Bronze Handbell Choir

Chalice Bronze Handbell Choir
Chalice Bronze Handbell Choir
(CLICK on picture for enlarged view)
The Chalice Bronze Handbell Choir performed on December 7, 2007 at the Kansas City Museum Holiday Open House.

The Chalice Bronze is one of five handbell choirs from Raytown Christian Church, whose handbell program was organized in 1971.  They have rung with the Kansas City Symphony and for national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference, the Association of Disciple’s Musicians, the International Handbell Exploration, the General Assembly of the Disciples of Christ, and the National Evangelism Association.  They enjoy caroling at Hallmark’s Crown Center and on the Country Club Plaza.

The Raytown Christian handbell program is directed by Suanne Comfort, a retired elementary music teacher in the Raytown schools.  She is a life member of the Music Educators National Conference, is president of the Greater Kansas City chapter of Chorister’s Guild, and was local liaison for the national conference of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers in Kansas City in 1997.  She is Director of Music at the church.
 
Highlight from Twelfth Season
Winter 2006 & Spring 2007

Mariah Wind Trio provided special music in collaboration with literary readings on March 24, 2007.

The Mariah Wind Trio (left to right) is comprised of Nancy Clark, flute; Elena Lence Talley, clarinet; and Jodie Lin, bassoon.  The Mariah Winds are noted for their flair for programming from Bach and Mozart to tangos and cutting-edge premieres.  The trio has performed at the International Double Reed Society and International Clarinet Society conventions and Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium.

  

Membership • Concerts • Tourism
Logo of Neighborhood Tourist Development FundWe are fortunate to have the assistance of the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund in the amount of $6,000 for the 2006-2007 season to help produce and market the concerts.  Members are still desperately needed to help fund the full series.  $6000 does not go as far as you would think.  See the membership form on Membership Page of this web site and JOIN.

Remembering Tenth & Eleventh Seasons’ Highlights


Tango Lorca -- CLICK for enlarged view.
CLICK on picture
for enlargement

A major event occurred on Sunday March 12, 2006 when Tango Lorca performed at The Kansas City Museum.  Merge old world tango aesthetics with a sinuous texture of Jazz, flamenco and classical music and you have the immediately distinctive sound of Tango Lorca
( www.tangolorca.com ).  While evoking an undoubtedly Argentine sentiment with classics from the “Golden Age”, they also create new, innovative works with a timeless sense of Beauty.

These concerts are offered free to the public as an outreach to the community and an effort to bring quality entertainment into our neighborhood.  Originally sponsored by the congregation of Independence Boulevard Christian Church, the concerts are now part of the Historic Northeast Cultural Arts Commission.  Financial support for the concerts comes from donations.

At the completion of the 2004 tenth season of Free Concerts, it was a good time to look back at where we have been in our seventy-plus concert presentations since 1995.

The bulk of the concerts presented have shown off the crown jewel of Independence Boulevard Christian Church, the beautiful and impressive Casavant pipe organ, in many exciting and different ways.  There were fifty-three presentations—some of the artists appearing more than once.  Two performances of major works were mounted, under the direction of Dr. Jim Snyder, featuring large choir, soloists and orchestra.  In the ‘unique’ category there were:

  • a pianist,

  • a poet,

  • carillonneurs,

  • a harpist,

  • handbell choirs,

  • an accordion orchestra,

  • woodwind ensembles,

  • a ragtime group,

  • a dixieland group,

  • blue-grass groups,

  • three brass ensembles,

  • three jazz ensembles and

  • three big bands.

If that doesn't seem like enough, we also hosted twelve vocal soloists, six string soloists and ensembles, AND … six different area community choruses (in addition to the Independence Boulevard Christian Church choir’s two appearances with the major works performances).

It’s time once again to raise the necessary funds to enable continuation of these well received community events.  Please be generous with your tax exempt gifts to H.N.E.C.A.C. in the amounts of $10, $25, $50, $100, $250 etc.  You may just send them to:

  Historic Northeast Cultural Arts Commission
PO Box 17626,
Kansas City, Missouri 64123.

Thank you for the past and thank you in advance for the future!

Any donations you wish to make to help encourage and promote the arts in our community are always welcomed.

Please make checks payable to:

HNECAC (Historic NorthEast Cutural Arts Commission),
PO Box 17626, Kansas City, Missouri 64123.

All donations are fully tax deductible.

Sponsors:
HNEFCS #X – Historic NorthEast FREE Concert Series
HNECAC – Historic NorthEast Cultural Arts Commission
MPF – Music Performance Fund
IBCC – Independence Boulevard Christian Church

For information, contact:
(816) 321-0016  or  (816) 765-1721