Author: chasnaz

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Event 2025

~ chasnaz

GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE, MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. BIRTHDAY EVENT 2025
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation proudly presents its ninth annual
Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday event. It will be held on Monday, January 20th
at 2:00pm in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located at the corner
of Church and Middle Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). An elevator is available
from the side door at 10 Church Street. No charge for admission but freewill
donations are gratefully received. For more information please visit:
www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org


This year’s program will honor Dr. King by featuring the work being done by two
local groups to reckon with history. Afterward, there will be a discussion about
how vernacular history gets written, “how the word is passed.” The program
will open with a recording of Martin Luther King, Jr. reading segments of
“Letters from Birmingham Jail.”


Joe Rukeyser from the Cape Ann Slavery and Abolition Project will present
recent research on abolition. Melissa Dimond of Wellspring House will follow
with that organization’s work on the Freeman Family, the prominent Black
family who called the Wellspring House home for over 100 years. Then Michea
McCaffrey, co-chair of the Gloucester Racial Justice Team, and Dick Prouty,
founder of TownGreen and board member of the Gloucester Meetinghouse
Foundation, will lead a discussion on critical points made by author Clint Smith
in his book How the Word is Passed. (It is not necessary to have read the book.)
The Paul Revere Bell in the Meetinghouse tower will be rung at the end as
people disperse onto the newly restored green.

ABOUT THE GMF: The mission of the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is to preserve the historic
1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, as a civic hub,
entertainment venue and community gathering center. The GMF is a 501(c)(3) corporation modeled on
a similar nonprofit that preserves Boston’s famous Old North Church.

12/29 CAPE ANN BIG BAND and JAMBALAYA HORNS, NEW YEAR’S CONCERT!

~ chasnaz

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation proudly presents the Cape Ann Big
Band with the Jambalaya Horns, plus guest vocalists Katy Geraghty and
Rhiannon Hurst, in a festive New Year’s Concert. The concert is on Sunday
December 29th at 5:00pm in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, on
the green at the corner of Church and Middle Streets. Admission: $30 General,
$10 Students (all ages), Under 12 free. Tickets at the door and online with more
info at: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

Since 2010, the Cape Ann Big Band, conducted by Carlos Menezes, has connected
with local musicians of all ages and backgrounds to inspire, challenge, and
educate. Inspired by the sounds of Jazz, Swing, New Orleans’ street bands, Soul,
and Rock n’ Roll, the Band prides itself in a repertoire without horizons. The
Jambalaya Horns provide added punch, with added Funk, Soul, and Brassy
Second-Lines. They will make you feel like you’re in New Orleans!
This is a great opportunity for the whole family to enjoy the sounds of two of our
community’s most amazing bands and to celebrate the coming New Year in our
historic 1806 Meetinghouse!

Side entrance at 10 Church Street provides a lift/elevator for those who are challenged by stairs. Street parking as well as parking on the green is also available.

Gloucester Meetinghouse Symposium, Saturday, November 16th 2-4:00pm: “U.S. Democracy in Crisis. How did we get here and what can we do about it?”

~ chasnaz

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is proud to present author and journalist Colin Woodard speaking on the future of democracy. His book, “American Nations,” explains how our country’s regional, cultural and ideological differences can be largely explained by patterns set by early settlers, where they emigrated from, and what kind of societies they established.

Woodard will be referencing this work regarding the polarization we have experienced in the last ten years, the threat that holds to democracy, and the rise of groups trending towards authoritarianism. Following Woodard’s presentation, a panel of local educators and activists will join him, discussing ways that our republic, governed by the people, has been threatened and what can be done to preserve it.

● Kerry Herrmann, Rockport Middle School Civics and History Teacher.

● Steve Mott, Professor of Sociology at Massasoit Community College-Brockton Campus, MA.

● Michea McCaffrey, Co-Chair of the Gloucester Racial Justice Team, Gloucester Human Rights Committee Member, Activist

We invite the community to attend this free civic event in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located on the green at the corner of Church & Middle Street (GPS 50 Middle Street). Event parking is available on the Green and also in the parking area behind Trinity Church. An accessible side entrance with an elevator is at 10 Church Street. Please join us for an incredibly relevant and important conversation, no matter what are the results of the current election.

SILENT MOVE EVENT FEATURING ‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND’ and ‘TOLL OF THE SEA’ on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2024 WITH PIPE-ORGAN MAESTRO PETER KRASINSKI

~ chasnaz

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents sonic artist and maestro of the pipe-organ Peter Krasinski accompanying two silent film classics, ALICE IN WONDERLAND (filmed on Cape Ann in 1915!) and the TOLL OF THE SEA (1922) on Saturday, November 2 at 7:30pm at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church on Middle Street. Accessible side entrance at 10 Church Street.

This annual classic silent movie event is great fun for the whole family, presented in collaboration with the Cape Ann Community Cinema.  Maestro Krasinski is world-famous for his brilliant, improvised accompaniment of silent films and will perform on the mighty 1893 Hutchings/Fisk pipe organ in our historic Meetinghouse.

Admission:  $15 General, $5 Students, Under 12 free.  Tickets at the door or online with more info at:  www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

Bring your family, friends and neighbors!

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SPONSORS OF OUR AUTUMN-WINTER-SPRING SERIES!

‘FINDING ARMENIA,’ a film by Nubar Alexanian

~ chasnaz

On Saturday, May 18th at 3:00pm the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation will present the premiere North Shore screening of ‘Finding Armenia’ by noted Gloucester resident, documentary photographer and filmmaker Nubar Alexanian in the sanctuary of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.

The program will include remarks with an audience Q&A with the filmmaker.  After the screening, a reception with the artist will be held in the Church’s historical room for those who may want to support the completion of the film project as donors.

An intimate portrayal of one man’s search for his Armenian identity, Nubar Alexanian’s ‘Finding Armenia’ not only provides a vital history lesson for those unfamiliar with the Armenian Genocide, but also challenges its viewers to grapple with the profound questions that influence all of our identities. What does the healing of inter-generational trauma look like? What does it mean to regain control of our ancestral narratives? How can these narratives be reconciled with a hostile world? And what responsibility do we have to painful histories, even when they are not our own?

Tickets ($13.50 General, under 12 free) are available at the door and in advance online, with more information, at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church is located on the green at 50 Middle Street, at the corner with Church Street.  Note: the green is closed for renovation but the main entrance is open. Please seek parking on the street and in lots nearby. A side entrance with an elevator is located at 10 Church Street.

________________________________________________

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Nubar Alexanian is an acclaimed photojournalist and filmmaker who, for the past 50 years, has worked for magazines in the U.S & Europe including Life Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Fortune, Geo, Time & Newsweek, National Geographic and many others. He’s also produced & directed long and short form videos for organizations and companies such as Bose Corporation, The Conversation Project, MTV and others. Nubar has six books in print, including JAZZ with Wynton Marsalis and Nonfiction Photographs with filmmaker Errol Morris.

Since October 2012 he has been working on a feature documentary film which deals with the powerful legacy of the Armenian genocide and the ways that a century of silence and denial has shaped him and his family. His production company, Walker Creek Media, LLC was created in 2006 and produces short documentary films for non-profit organizations. He is President of the Board of Directors at Atlantic Public Media, Woods Hole, MA and formerly Board Chair at Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, Inc.

Solo exhibitions of his work include the Walker Art Center, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Burden Gallery; the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph and Clark University with prints in private and public museum collections internationally.

BACH BIRTHDAY CONCERT IN THE MEETINGHOUSE, MARCH 21ST!

~ chasnaz

The next event in the 2023-24 Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation Series is the annual Bach Birthday Concert on Thursday, March 21st at 7:30pm. 

It will feature the The Bach Project at Ashmont Hill Chamber Music, under the direction of Andrew Sheranian, performing the Brandenburg Concerto #5, the great Prelude & Fugue in B-minor for organ solo, and the delightfully humorous Coffee Cantata.

March 21st is the actual birthday in 1685 of Johann Sebastian Bach, generally regarded the greatest composer of all time. The pieces being performed represent the pinnacle of Bach’s achievement in secular music of three genres: a dramatic concerto for strings with harpsichord solo; a monumental piece for the pipe organ; and a comical operetta. This piece depicts the story of a stern father concerned about his daughter’s addiction to coffee, a new sensation in Leipzig at the time, his forbidding her marriage unless she stops, and her strategy to get his permission.

The historic 1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, is located on the green at 50 Middle Street where event parking is available.  A side entrance at 10 Church Street offers a lift for persons with disabilities.  For those unable to attend in person the concert will be simulcast and available afterwards on the GMF YouTube channel.

Tickets are available at the door and online, with more information at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

GLOUCESTER’S MLK DAY CELEBRATION IN THE MEETINGHOUSE!!!

~ chasnaz

On Monday January 15th at 2:00pm, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation will present its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration in the sanctuary of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located on the green at the corner of Middle and Church Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). There is an elevator available at the 10 Church Street side entrance for persons with disabilities. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available. Parking is allowed on the green.

Each year we strive to create a singular, thought-provoking and inspiring event to honor Dr. King’s legacy and vision.  Please join us for an exciting afternoon of presentations, music and audience participation.

Program

Mayor Greg Verga, opening address

Renée Graham, Boston Globe associate editor and columnist, keynote speaker with audience Q&A

Michea McCaffery, Gloucester Racial Justice Team Chair, Gloucester survey presentation, conversation with Renée Graham, and audience Q&A

Gordon Michaels vocalist & ensemble, diverse music based on the Black experience

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his own voice via audio recording

Paul Revere bell-ringing in commemoration as we depart the Meetinghouse

For those who cannot attend in person the event will be simulcast on the Gloucester Meetinghouse YouTube channel and will be available there afterwards. More information is available at: http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ NEW YEAR’S CONCERT DECEMBER 29TH

~ chasnaz

Celebrate the beginning of New Year’s weekend on Friday, December 29th at 7:30pm in the historic Gloucester Meetinghouse with the Good Old Salty Jazz Band playing New Orleans Jazz tunes of the holiday season.  This group of legendary local musicians will delight you with their fantastic sound!

Robert Tuffley, cornet & trumpet
John Cameron, piano
Jimmy Favazza, drums
John Hicks guitar & banjo
Dave Sag, bass
Robert Landoni, sax & clarinet
Rikki Razdan, sax & clarinet
Ben Tuck, trombone

Last year’s New Year’s concert in the Meetinghouse sold out, so purchase your seats early!  Light refreshments will be served.  The Meetinghouse is located on the green at the corner of Middle and Church Streets. There is a side entrance with an elevator at 10 Church Street. 

Unable to attend in person? The concert will start at 7:30pm and will be simulcast on the Gloucester Meetinghouse YouTube channel, where it will be available afterwards.

Tickets are available online at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org or at the door by cash, check or credit card.  General seating $30; students $10; children under 12 free.

‘HEAVENLY BAROQUE CHRISTMAS’ MEETINGHOUSE CONCERT ON DECEMBER 7TH

~ chasnaz

The Musicians of the Old Post Road return to Gloucester for their seventh year to perform a program called ‘Heavenly Baroque Christmas.’  The Thursday-evening, candlelit chamber-music concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the historic Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located at the corner of Middle and Church Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street).  A side entrance with an elevator is at 10 Church Street.

‘Heavenly Baroque Christmas’ celebrates the season with celestial works from Spain & New Spain.  The concert features music by Iribarren, Salazar, and others including Zumaya, the first Mexican classical composer of indigenous descent.  The Musicians of the Old Post Road perform on period instruments. They are joined by guests from Ensemble La Fontegara of Mexico and vocal soloists; soprano Adriana Ruiz & mezzo-soprano Hilary Anne Walker.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org or at the door by cash, check or credit card. Preferred seating: $50; general seating $35; students $10; children under 12 free.

Treat yourself, friends and family to a merry little Thursday night concert of gorgeous Baroque music for strings, flute, harpsichord and voice; something that you won’t find anywhere else, a seasonal delight to the ear and a balm for the soul.

ENJOY THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS IN THE MEETINGHOUSE!!!

‘REFUSING TO PAY,’ GLOUCESTER’S ROLE IN THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE AND BUILDING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN AMERICA, NOVEMBER 18TH AT 2:00PM IN THE HISTORIC 1806 MEETINGHOUSE AT 50 MIDDLE STREET

~ chasnaz

This three-part program was specially created for Gloucester’s 400th Anniversary Celebration to share the story of how the Rev. John Murray and Gloucester Universalists in the 1780s set the key New England precedents for the Constitutional separation of church and state and promise of religious liberty throughout the country.

The opening segment is a video made for this occasion that tells the story about how Murray’s followers refused to pay Gloucester taxes in 1782 to support the town’s church system. Their valuables were seized so they had to sue the state to get them back. They won a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in 1786 that said “a free populace cannot be taxed to support a state church.”

Rev. Murray was in close contact with John Adams and other Founders, so this news traveled quickly to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, providing an important precedent the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…’

The second segment features a monologue the Rev. John Murray, acted by Charles Nazarian, who magically returns to the Meetinghouse, sharing details about what happened around the famous court case. He will also explain how they also won a counter suit, brought by Gloucester Congregationalists, which eventually compelled the Massachusetts legislature to legally recognize diverse churches as well as Jewish synagogues.

The third segment will feature a panel discussion about why the guarantee of religious liberty matters as much today as it did in 1787 and how it remains an essential pillar of our democracy in this period of corrosive politics and culture wars seeking to deny freedom to minorities based upon religious beliefs. The audience will be invited to participate in Q&A with the panel.

A reception with light refreshments will follow at the Sargent House Museum, featuring the engraved silver pitcher that was confiscated from the home of Epes Sargent in 1782 to pay taxes to support the town’s Congregational Church’s expenses.  The museum is the elegant home of Judith Sargent Murray and her husband the Rev. John Murray, featuring exquisite family portraits, furnishings and possessions.

EVENT INFORMATION:  The event is free and open to the public.  The Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, is at the corner of Middle and Church Streets, GPS: 50 Middle Street.  An accessible side entrance with an elevator is located at 10 Church Street.  The Sargent House Museum is located at 49 Middle Street.  For more information please visit: http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

CREDITS:  This event was jointly produced by the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation, the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, and the Sargent House Museum. The video was created by Heather Atwood of 1623 Studios with Jon Brysh of New Leaf Productions. Screening and projection is being provided by the Cape Ann Community Cinema.  This presentation for the Gloucester 400th Celebration will be live-streamed on Channel 6 and will also be later available on YouTube.