Steinway Sundays
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Childcare will be provided for the remaining 2020 season! Info coming soon on season 3!
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Steinway Sundays provide a glorious and joyous event series to support our programs and ministries. From its beginning, our church has supported vibrant musical performance. Generations of church members and church friends have sung in our choir for our Sunday services and for other special community events under the expert leadership of Wallace Van Lier, Paul Homer (who retired after 50 years in July 2019), and now Andrew Van Varick. The Sunday service anthems encompass classical, contemporary, spiritual, and popular faith-inspired selections. Accompaniment and instrumental selections are performed on a sensational Skinner organ. Community recitals are regularly heard in our Parlor.
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Central Park’s hosting of Krista Seddon’s second season of Steinway Sundays continues and broadens this rich musical tradition and commitment. In Season I, scores of people were introduced in our beautiful Parlor to this unique series of piano jazz performance and detailed historic and personal commentary. Krista was a great friend of, and collaborator with, Marian McPartland, whose Piano Jazz series was the longest running series on National Public Radio.
Season II, Impressionism in Jazz, promises to be another thrilling musical opportunity with seven performance/lecture events by Krista commencing September 29. Central Park is proud to further integrate with the Buffalo and WNY community through this series, as we also host each week a rich and deep collection of community helping activities. Clara’s Closet, housed in our church basement for over 20 years, has been the primary source of free clothing for new immigrants, especially those joining our community through local refugee resettlement agencies. Many groups supportive of people with substance abuse problems meet here. Our church is a welcoming, inclusive congregation. In addition to Steinway Sundays, we hope you will participate in our other church programs, as well as Sunday church services at 10:30 AM.
Season II, Impressionism in Jazz, promises to be another thrilling musical opportunity with seven performance/lecture events by Krista commencing September 29. Central Park is proud to further integrate with the Buffalo and WNY community through this series, as we also host each week a rich and deep collection of community helping activities. Clara’s Closet, housed in our church basement for over 20 years, has been the primary source of free clothing for new immigrants, especially those joining our community through local refugee resettlement agencies. Many groups supportive of people with substance abuse problems meet here. Our church is a welcoming, inclusive congregation. In addition to Steinway Sundays, we hope you will participate in our other church programs, as well as Sunday church services at 10:30 AM.
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Central Park has the honor of hosting Steinway artist, Krista Seddon, an accomplished pianist, composer, and lecturer. Her current lecture performance tour, Impressionism In Jazz, explores the dynamic cross-pollination among jazz and modern classical artists George Gershwin, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Duke Ellington, Marian McPartland, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and others. The resulting combustion of sound and inspiration changed the world of music forever and reverberates to this day.
Concert Schedule at Central Park Complex
Performances are hosted in the Parlor Room on Sundays at 2:00 PM. A "Meet the Artist" reception with refreshments follows each performance. Please scroll down to find out how to purchase tickets and to learn the detail for each concert. Our church is a welcoming, inclusive congregation. In addition to Steinway Sundays, we hope you will come to our Sunday church services at 10:30 am. Please see our web site for our rich variety of group opportunities, such as our choir, weekly Bible study, support groups, and Sunday School. We hope to see you at our church for Season II of this terrific musical series. |
Please join us for Steinway Sundays, Season II
Impressionism in Jazz
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Ticket cost per concert is $35 each.
Package of 7 tickets is $30 each for a total purchase price of $210. More than 1 ticket can be used at a time. |
Tickets may be purchased the day of the concert prior to 2:00 PM or in advance by PayPal or mail.
Checks payable to Central Park UMC may be mailed to Central Park UMC, 216 Beard Ave, Buffalo, NY 14214. Please provide a note indicating the concert dates you plan to attend and write "Steinway Sunday" in the memo field. Thank you!! Prepaid tickets will be awaiting you at the sign-in table the day of the event before the concert begins. |
Steinway Sunday Concerts
September 29, 2019, 2:00 PM Central Park Complex Parlor
When Ravel Came to Harlem
“At first glance, George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel might seem to occupy two different musical worlds, yet they both shared a passion for jazz,” said Louise Burton, Classical Lite. In 1928, Ravel toured America. The jazz clubs of Harlem would leave a lasting impression on him and his music. Ravel urged Americans to take jazz seriously: “Personally, I find jazz most interesting: The rhythms, the way the melodies are handled. I have heard some of George Gershwin’s works and find them most intriguing.” Join us as we step into this time in America. Hear the fascinating stories and incredible music of some of the giants of classical music and jazz who inspired one another in ways that changed the musical landscape forever.
When Ravel Came to Harlem
“At first glance, George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel might seem to occupy two different musical worlds, yet they both shared a passion for jazz,” said Louise Burton, Classical Lite. In 1928, Ravel toured America. The jazz clubs of Harlem would leave a lasting impression on him and his music. Ravel urged Americans to take jazz seriously: “Personally, I find jazz most interesting: The rhythms, the way the melodies are handled. I have heard some of George Gershwin’s works and find them most intriguing.” Join us as we step into this time in America. Hear the fascinating stories and incredible music of some of the giants of classical music and jazz who inspired one another in ways that changed the musical landscape forever.
October 20, 2019, 2:00 PM Central Park Complex Parlor
Chopin, the Impressionist
Frederick Chopin’s music epitomized the romantic ideal of the 19th Century. Yet, Chopin pushed the boundaries that would eventually lead to the Impressionist movement in music. When you think of Impressionism—the use of light—mixing and blending of tonal colors—these are the elements that laid the foundation for Debussy’s quest for a new sound. It was not a one-way street. The modern classical composers were inspired by jazz and the jazz composers were inspired by the Impressionists. Krista will show us what that sounds like. Be prepared for a concert like no other.
Chopin, the Impressionist
Frederick Chopin’s music epitomized the romantic ideal of the 19th Century. Yet, Chopin pushed the boundaries that would eventually lead to the Impressionist movement in music. When you think of Impressionism—the use of light—mixing and blending of tonal colors—these are the elements that laid the foundation for Debussy’s quest for a new sound. It was not a one-way street. The modern classical composers were inspired by jazz and the jazz composers were inspired by the Impressionists. Krista will show us what that sounds like. Be prepared for a concert like no other.
November 10, 2019, 2:00 PM Central Park Complex Parlor
The Season of Peace: Bach to Morricone
Musicians across time have created special music to celebrate the Season of Peace. They transport us from our busy lives and stir up memories and emotions that collapse time and space. Music is like an index system to the times of our lives. A song can take us to a moment in time where we remember what we were wearing, the scent of a flower or tree, every detail and somehow all of that is encapsulated in a single song. Krista will treat us to some of the most gorgeous music of the Season of Peace—from Chestnuts Roasting to Gabriel’s Oboe. Come join us.
The Season of Peace: Bach to Morricone
Musicians across time have created special music to celebrate the Season of Peace. They transport us from our busy lives and stir up memories and emotions that collapse time and space. Music is like an index system to the times of our lives. A song can take us to a moment in time where we remember what we were wearing, the scent of a flower or tree, every detail and somehow all of that is encapsulated in a single song. Krista will treat us to some of the most gorgeous music of the Season of Peace—from Chestnuts Roasting to Gabriel’s Oboe. Come join us.
February 23, 2020, 2:00 PM Central Park Complex Parlor
Kind of Blue: Davis, Evans, and Debussy
A musical composition is a sound painting. In “Kind of Blue,” we will learn how both classical and jazz composers work their magic with tonal colors, movement, and light. “I love music passionately, and because I love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth, an open-air art, boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art,” Claude Debussy.
Kind of Blue: Davis, Evans, and Debussy
A musical composition is a sound painting. In “Kind of Blue,” we will learn how both classical and jazz composers work their magic with tonal colors, movement, and light. “I love music passionately, and because I love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth, an open-air art, boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art,” Claude Debussy.
April 26, 2020 Central Park Complex Parlor - Postponed until July 19
Gershwin’s Americanization of European Music
Classical music is European in origin. Around the turn of the century, European immigrants fertilized American popular and symphonic music. In 1924, George Gershwin brought jazz into the concert hall with Rhapsody in Blue. At the same time, Aaron Copland, Darius Milhaud, and the classical modernists were hybridizing their compositions with elements of jazz. Krista will paint a picture of the Americanization of European music with sounds from Gershwin to Bernstein.
Gershwin’s Americanization of European Music
Classical music is European in origin. Around the turn of the century, European immigrants fertilized American popular and symphonic music. In 1924, George Gershwin brought jazz into the concert hall with Rhapsody in Blue. At the same time, Aaron Copland, Darius Milhaud, and the classical modernists were hybridizing their compositions with elements of jazz. Krista will paint a picture of the Americanization of European music with sounds from Gershwin to Bernstein.
May 31st, 2020, 2:00 PM Central Park Complex Parlor
Nights in the Gardens of Sound: Exotic Influences in Jazz
“At first glance, George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel might seem to occupy two different musical worlds, yet they both shared a passion for jazz,” said Louise Burton, Classical Lite. In 1928, Ravel toured America. The jazz clubs of Harlem would leave a lasting impression on him and his music. Ravel urged Americans to take jazz seriously: “Personally, I find jazz most interesting: The rhythms, the way the melodies are handled. I have heard some of George Gershwin’s works and find them most intriguing.” Join us as we step into this time in America. Hear the fascinating stories and incredible music of some of the giants of classical music and jazz who inspired one another in ways that changed the musical landscape forever.
Nights in the Gardens of Sound: Exotic Influences in Jazz
“At first glance, George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel might seem to occupy two different musical worlds, yet they both shared a passion for jazz,” said Louise Burton, Classical Lite. In 1928, Ravel toured America. The jazz clubs of Harlem would leave a lasting impression on him and his music. Ravel urged Americans to take jazz seriously: “Personally, I find jazz most interesting: The rhythms, the way the melodies are handled. I have heard some of George Gershwin’s works and find them most intriguing.” Join us as we step into this time in America. Hear the fascinating stories and incredible music of some of the giants of classical music and jazz who inspired one another in ways that changed the musical landscape forever.
June 14th, 2020, 2:00 PM Central Park Complex Parlor
The State Department Tours: Jazz & Diplomacy
“America’s secret weapon is a blue note in a minor key,” proclaimed the New York Times in 1956. The Jazz Ambassadors Program, also known as the State Department Tours, started out as an experiment in cultural diplomacy at the height of the Cold War era. Jazz was a symbol of freedom and democracy. The USA sent musicians like Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck behind the Iron Curtain. In Poland, audiences were used to Soviet-approved culture like ballet and opera. After the Soviet takeover following World War II, Jazz was forbidden from the airwaves. Brubeck’s performances were the first opportunity for Pols to hear jazz played live. Come and hear the stories of these remarkable ambassadors and the music that represented the American dream.
The State Department Tours: Jazz & Diplomacy
“America’s secret weapon is a blue note in a minor key,” proclaimed the New York Times in 1956. The Jazz Ambassadors Program, also known as the State Department Tours, started out as an experiment in cultural diplomacy at the height of the Cold War era. Jazz was a symbol of freedom and democracy. The USA sent musicians like Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck behind the Iron Curtain. In Poland, audiences were used to Soviet-approved culture like ballet and opera. After the Soviet takeover following World War II, Jazz was forbidden from the airwaves. Brubeck’s performances were the first opportunity for Pols to hear jazz played live. Come and hear the stories of these remarkable ambassadors and the music that represented the American dream.
