The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Halloween fun at First Presbyterian Church

Submitted information

Area musicians and actors will be performing in a Halloween themed extravaganza titled, “A Little Fright Music” which will be held at The First Presbyterian Church of Van Wert on from 7-8:30 p.m. Sunday, October 31.

“A Little Fright Music” will include more than just macabre melodies. Poetry, acting, costumes and visual arts will also set your spine a shiver. Take in the spooky sights and sounds on Halloween night in the fully decorated gothic sanctuary! Masks, costumes and cosplay are ENCOURAGED so dress up along with the performers and be a part of the eerie action. The sanctuary doors will swing open promptly at 6:15 p.m. before the concert at 7 p.m. for your viewing entertainment.

Organist, Harriet Schaadt will usher the audience into All Hallows Eve 2021, with Bach’s “Toccata” from his Toccata & Fugue in D Minor on the Schanz pipe organ whilst video clips from silent era horror films will be flickering on the screen. Karen Koch will be at the piano keys for a little “Addams Family” themed fun followed by the ensemble, In Spiritu with Jill Jeffrey, Stacy Rife, Seth and Anna Baker, Joe and Mary Ann Falk, Scott Turner, Adam Ries, Dee Fisher, & Sheila Chilcote-Collins performing a ghoulish and amusing medley, “In the Sorcerer’s Hall”.

Many musical “treats” will be offered by several fine instrumentalists from our area: Rod Sroufe and his dreadful double bass accompanied by his son Evan on piano, Cindy Gardner and her venomous violin with Melissa Clay as her accompanist, Seth Baker will be at the spooky Schanz pipe organ and Anna Battle-Baker will be playing her blood curdling bassoon. We might have a couple of “tricks” up our sleeve as well.

Vocal solos and duets from Mary Ann Falk, Dee Fisher, Adam Ries and Sheila Chilcote-Collins will include well-known selections from “Phantom of the Opera”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Anastasia” and several other macabre musical numbers. Musical and theatrical husband and wife team Joe and Mary Ann Falk, will join together to present the poem, “The Vampyre” with Chilcote-Collins narrating.

Benjamin King, actor & David Van Tilburg, pianist, will be performing an Edgar Alan Poe offering along with “Morte” (Death) by piano composer, Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Scott Turner will be performing the truly virtuosic clarinet solo “Bucolique” by Eugene Bozza with Maestro VanTilburg expertly accompanying him on the grand piano.

“I am very excited to produce and be able to share this one of a kind event with our community,” Chilcote-Collins said. “It is a wonderful chance for people to celebrate, participate and enjoy live music and theatre once again in Van Wert. I would like to thank the First Presbyterian Church for being our host and especially, Capital Advisory Services, LLC of Van Wert for being our premiere sponsor. Their generous financial contributions make this event possible.”

Please join us for a truly frighteningly and fabulous evening. This event is free, open to the public and is rated PG.

The First Presbyterian Church is located on the corner of Washington and Crawford Streets in downtown Van Wert and practices all state mandated social distancing guidelines.

POSTED: 10/25/21 at 8:13 pm. FILED UNDER: Church