Image Courtesy of Dennise Keys
Pittsburgh Symphony Brass
Outside view of Episcopal Memorial Church of Our Father
Interior view of the Foxburg Episcopal Memorial Church of Our Father
At Episcopal Memorial Church of Our Father at 2:00 PM on Sunday afternoon December 11th
Tickets: Adults $20.00 and Students $10.00
Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts is filled with the holiday spirit, and hopes to share it with one and all as Christmas approaches. At 2:00 PM on Sunday afternoon December 11th the sound of trumpets and horns will fill the air over Foxburg, as the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass will perform a premier concert in the beautiful and historic Episcopal Memorial Church of Our Father, overlooking the Allegheny River Valley.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Brass players will provide a marvelous mix of sacred and festive music in the wonderful vaulted wood and stone structure now nearly one hundred and thirty years old. The church was built and dedicated in 1882. It was given to the Foxburg community by the Fox family, in loving memory of deceased members of their family including Sarah Lindley Fox who was only twenty-six.
The church building has gained national recognition as one of the finest examples of architectural design in the region, with its incorporation of native ash wood and sandstone from Pennsylvania and Ohio. It is reported that Mrs. Samuel M. Fox sketched the lines of the church from memory of a church she saw in England. The wooden ceiling is shaped like a nave of a ship with curved rafters descending down to the stone walls. The beautiful stained glass windows created in this country were replicated from the windows in the church in England.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Brass was organized in 1994 by George Vosburgh to feature some of the world's finest orchestral brass musicians playing in a chamber ensemble. With all the players, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the result has been, according to the American Record Guide in reference to their first CD as, "Magnificent, an extended example of first rate playing, with beautiful tone qualities, impeccable intonation, and polished execution."
The ensembles second release, A Christmas Concert, was described by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as “Holiday cheer delivered with virtuoso flair”. After a concert for the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society the Pittsburgh Tribune- Review reported, “Full of brilliance and power, but also stunning in subtle artistic qualities made possible only by masterful control. Three of their recent CD's are created around Christmas themes. Both The Spirit of Christmas and A Song of Christmas again received great reviews and all their recordings can be found on i-Tunes. The ensemble includes George Vosburgh and Neal Berntsen on trumpet, William Caballero, horn, Peter Sullivan, trombone, Murray Crewe, bass trombone, Craig Knox on tuba. They have performed in Italy, Canada, the United States and now in Foxburg.
According to Drew Orient Executive Director of Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts, “This promises to be a wonderful way to feel the spirit and beauty of the Holiday season, and we at ARCA wish to thank Reverend Canon Edward Lowery and the congregation for their support of this special event”.
The church is located on Route 58 just up the hill from the Foxburg Bridge and downtown Foxburg. Over-flow parking will be at the Allegheny Clarion Valley Medical Center with a shuttle service back to the church.
Tickets are available at the door or by calling 412-867-1816. Adults $20.00 and Students $10.00.
Allegheny RiverStone Center For The Arts P.O. Box 215 42 S. Palmer Ave. Foxburg, PA 16036 Contact: Drew Orient - 412-867-1816
Pittsburgh Symphony Brass Ensemble Performs at Foxburg Memorial Church of Our Father 2010 Review
Last year on Saturday afternoon December 11th 2010 Allegheny Riverstone Center for the Arts presented Let the Trumpets Sound in Foxburg's Memorial Church of Our Father. All week previous the concert the weather was snowy and cold with often suspect driving conditions. The afternoon of the concert was bright and the sun provided dry pavement as if all was aligned for this musical moment. The church beautifully accentuated with color drenched poinsettas was full with an appreciative audience. From the first trumpet sound of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble it was clear all could expect a marvelous holiday experience. The program was interspersed with recognized traditional holiday and Christmas music, along with beautiful renditions of not so familiar "Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming", the Welsh "Nativity Carol", and the Polish "Infant Holy". The ensemble members took turns introducing the various music offerings, with Christmas memories and antedotal stories which added to the charm of the afternoon. The space itself enhanced the acoustic resonance. Twelve Days of Christmas cascaded by in a sonorous flourish. At the end after standing ovations and encore, the audience was beaming, with warm sentiments and spirits. Comments to be heard included marvelous, wonderful, and several with out prompting called this Christmas moment magical.