TGIF, May 17, 5:30pm

This Friday Travis Bregier directs our own Chancel Bell Choir in lively music by Bob Burroughs, Cynthia Dobrinski, Kevin McChesney, Mary McCleary, Margaret Tucker, David Beatty and Joel Raney. Doors to the sanctuary open at 5:15pm and the concert begins at 5:30pm. The concert is free with donations accepted.

Program

Festival Theme by Bob Burroughs

Melody in F by Cynthia Dobrinski

English Folk Songs, Suite 3 by Ralph Vaughan Williams, arr. Kevin McChesney

Ballade in C Minor by Mary G. McCleary

Resonance and Reflection by Margaret R. Tucker

Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2 by Johannes Brahms, arr. David Beatty

Promised Land Calypso arr. Joel Raney

First Presbyterian Church Bell Choir

Our Chancel Bell Choir musicians are Jeannie Bowman, Leslie Hancock, Campbell Martin, Sally Shockey, Judy Montano, Barb Hutchison, David Beatty, Darrell Bowman, Barry Rochelle, and Bill Humphreys.

The Bell Choir has a long tradition at the church.  In the 1950s, a hand bell sales representative visited the pastor of the church, the Reverend Kenneth Keeler, who had previously heard a performance of bell ringers at a national church meeting.  With two octaves of bells acquired, the first bell choir, Youth Ringers, was formed and was considered part of the youth ministry.  Its members became a source of future members of the church’s Chancel Choir.  During the tenure of the Reverend Robert Boshen in the 1950s, Mary Boshen often related that Robert Boshen asked her to marry him because of her service as a bell choir director in California.  In 1987, Linda Raney formed the Bell Choir.  Today the group has no age restrictions and is open to all, under the direction of Travis Bregier, Assistant Choir Director.

Travis Bregier, teacher, conductor, and baritone, earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in vocal performance at North Dakota State University, presenting three recitals and appearing in operas with roles including Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus), The Learned Judge (Trial by Jury), and Quince (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). In addition to being the Assistant Choir Director at First Presbyterian, he is a music mentor in the Santa Fe Public Schools through Dream Big (Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival), Performance Santa Fe, and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, and he teaches voice and piano at The Candyman: Strings & Things. He regularly performs musical theater roles with Tri-M Productions and has appeared with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico, Chanticleer (Performance Santa Fe), and Opera Southwest.