Internationally acclaimed accompanist Peter Krasinski returns to the Great Hall this Halloween season for two unique performances featuring live improvised accompaniment to classic black-and-white silent films: Phantom of the Opera and Metropolis. Krasinski will perform on John Hays Hammond Jr.’s original Chickering & Sons piano, filling the soaring acoustics of the Great Hall with an unforgettable blend of history, music, and cinematic magic.
Please join us on Thursday, October 9, at the newly renovated Sawyer Free Library for our annual Byrnes Lecture exploring how cutting-edge genomics is transforming our understanding of ocean life and human health.
The ocean is a source of endless mystery, sustaining life on Earth and inspiring generations of discovery. Within its depths, remarkable creatures hold clues not only to the resilience of marine ecosystems but also to the health and longevity of humans. Yet, as pressures from climate change, overfishing, and pollution intensify, understanding how ocean life survives and adapts has never been more critical.
GMGI researchers are harnessing cutting-edge genomic technologies to illuminate the hidden blueprints of marine life, driving forward new strategies for conservation, and building essential connections between ocean science and human well-being.
Admission to this event is free, but registration is required. Click here to reserve your spot.
Doors for this event open at 5:00pm, with the lecture beginning promptly at 5:30pm.
This is GMGI’s Annual Byrnes Lecture, honoring longtime GMGI and community supporter John Byrnes. As a resident of Cape Ann for over 20 years, he was an integral part of the community, providing advice and generous philanthropic support to GMGI and many other organizations.
Yesterday, Gloucester’s middle school band lit up the O’Maley stage with a joyful, high-energy performance that showed just how transformative music education can be.
Thanks to a recent $10,000 grant from Music Drives Us, the elementary and middle school band programs continue to grow and thrive, serving over 200 4-8th graders at no cost to families.
But with $60,000 still to raise this school year, GEF and GPS need the community’s support to ensure that the opportunity to learn an instrument remains available to every Gloucester student in grades 4-8. Every donation helps!
Read the story in the Gloucester Daily Times here and here
Donate to GEF to support the elementary and middle school bands (and please put “BAND” in the Special Instructions field so we know where to direct your gift!)
Join us in the candlelit Great Hall at Hammond Castle Museum for an extraordinary group reading with Kevin V. Coan, a highly regarded evidential medium with over 35 years of experience. Kevin’s empathetic approach and down-to-earth demeanor have brought comfort and healing to countless individuals, offering profound messages of connection from loved ones who have crossed over.
Enjoy light refreshments as Kevin uses his remarkable ability to interpret messages through photographs of the departed. Witness firsthand the power of his gift to bridge the gap between worlds and provide evidence of the enduring bond with loved ones.
A single printed photograph of those who have passed is needed to help facilitate the possibility of a reading. Learn more and reserve your seats before they’re gone! This event is expected to sell out.
Only a handful of tickets remain!
Museum Member savings apply! Learn more & reserve your seats at: https://bit.ly/FilmNightHCM
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is honored to be presenting Trio Gaia, the graduate piano trio-in-residence at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, in concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, October 10, at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church in Gloucester, MA.
This is the trio’s debut in the Foundation’s 10 years of programming in the 1806 Meetinghouse, a historic landmark on the Gloucester skyline and cited in the National Register of Historic Places.
The award-winning trio’s program, titled “Convergence,” will include works by Nico Muhly, Leoš Janáček and Béla Bartok, concluding with Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E Flat Major. It explores a theme of our times—conflict, both internal and external—and its resolution through music. Grant Houston, Trio Gaia’s violinist and spokesman, said, “This program offers a reflective parallel to today’s world, where divisions and struggles for resolution continue to shape our collective experience, and the search for unity persists despite discord.”
Cellist Yi-Mei Templeton and guest-artist pianist Alexa Stier will be joining Houston. The trio is the Conservatory’s most recent graduate piano trio-in-residence, performing nationally and abroad since 2018, including in Panama and Japan. Trio Gaia won first prize at the WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition in North Carolina and honors at other competitions.
Tickets are available at http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org or at the door. The Meetinghouse is at Middle and Church Streets in Gloucester, The location is most easily found via GPS using the address, 50 Middle Street. Limited parking is available on the Green in front of the church, entered from Middle Street. Access for persons with disabilities is at 10 Church Street.
The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church traces its history to the 1779 founding of the first Universalist church in America, a rebellious congregation that played a timely role in development of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Meetinghouse Foundation is dedicated to the building’s preservation and use for and by the community.
Please join us for the sixth annual Cape Ann Classic Cars on the Green on Saturday September 20th, from 10am to 2pm in front of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, GPS 50 Middle Street, Gloucester. The rain date for the event is on Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm.
This is a delightful free event for the whole family with beautiful classic vintage and special interest cars on display. The audience votes in nine categories for the trophy winners, including the coveted “Best in Show.” A 50/50 raffle will be included to add to the excitement of the event as well as tours of the historic Meetinghouse! If you are interested in showing your classic car, register ($20) at the entrance or in advance (recommended as space is limited) by emailing: c.nazarian@gloucestermeetinghouse.org.
Admission to the public is free but donations to the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation for the ongoing building restoration are greatly appreciated! We hope to see you at this fun filled fall event!
September is Hunger Action Month™, an annual, nationwide campaign by the Feeding America network to raise awareness and encourage action to reduce food insecurity.
The Open Door has partnered with several groups to raise awareness about hunger, and share information on how to help support its mission.
The Open Door distributed 2.35 million pounds of food to 11,893 people through its Food Pantries in 2024, meeting a 30% increase in requests for food assistance in 2024 (on top of a 30% increase in 2023), through 100,774 visits.
Since August 2024, in addition to clients already receiving services, The Open Door has registered 820 new households for services at its Gloucester and Ipswich food pantry locations: An average of 68 new families per month.
HUNGER ACTION MONTH EVENTS:
The Open Door has partnered with several local organizations to raise hunger-awareness this September:
MORE WAYS TO HELP:
Members of the community are also invited to wear orange to raise awareness about local food insecurity this September.
Please join us Friday, September 5, from 6 to 8 pm, for the 2025 season’s final Music on Meetinghouse Green concert at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, at the corner of Middle and Church Streets, Gloucester, as we go out with a bang with the Cape Ann Big Band. This diverse 17-piece big band entertains and delights audiences with danceable music infused with jazz, swing, New Orleans street bands, soul, and rock n’ roll that will take you back in time.
Food service for this event will be Meat & Sweet serving savory meat dishes and baked goods.
Our free summer concerts support partner local nonprofit organizations. This week, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation itself will benefit from the free-will donations that support these partners, helping support preservation of this architectural and historic landmark. The evening also will include a 50/50 raffle as the Foundation celebrates the 10th anniversary of Music on Meetinghouse Green. Along with the nine-concert summer outdoor music series, The Meetinghouse year-around hosts public symposiums on contemporary concerns and offers a variety of concerts and other public programs. Information is on GMF’s website at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org.
Please note that all events are rain or shine, with concerts being moved into the social hall if there is inclement weather!
As part of Gloucester’s Stand Up for Art & Science Initiative, GMGI is excited to host an Open House & Art Unveiling at our research institute on the harbor!
Join us on Tuesday, September 16th, from 5p – 7p to explore our waterfront campus, chat with GMGI scientists about their research, and learn more about their groundbreaking work at the intersection of science and the sea.
This special evening will also feature the unveiling of a temporary sea urchin sculpture by local artist Rebecca Nagle and assisted by Sinikka Nogelo, who will speak about their artistic vision and process.
Guests are invited to join us for light refreshments and experience how art and science come together at GMGI.
Click here to register for this free event!
Cape Ann Community 