Summer Music Series
Every Sunday during the summer, Gilford Community Church features live music during Sunday Service. Pastor Michael Graham's sermons are inspirational and concise, which enables us to present services that delight, inspire and surprise people of all ages. Have you been to church lately? Join us at 10 am or view our service on our livestream feed.
Upcoming Performances and Brief Musician Biographies
Sunday, August 28, 2022 - GCC's Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir is excited to kick off their next season and will begin with the Old Home Day Choir singing gospel hits throughout the August 28th service! If you're a "foot-tapper" in the congregation and you've got a song in your heart that needs to be let out, there is no better time to join the choir!
Our next rehearsal in preparation for Old Home Day Sunday will be Thursday, August 25th in the Choir Room downstairs, from 6-7pm.
The choir family is always ready to have new members, so please stop by if you want to join the fun!
Email aj.coppola@gmail.com for more details!
The Chancel Choir is excited to kick off their next season and will begin with the Old Home Day Choir singing gospel hits throughout the August 28th service! If you're a "foot-tapper" in the congregation and you've got a song in your heart that needs to be let out, there is no better time to join the choir!
Our next rehearsal in preparation for Old Home Day Sunday will be Thursday, August 25th in the Choir Room downstairs, from 6-7pm.
The choir family is always ready to have new members, so please stop by if you want to join the fun!
Email aj.coppola@gmail.com for more details!
Past Performances and Musician Biographies
Sunday, August 21, 2022 - Leslie McEoy
Leslie is a retired music educator, having taught in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education (Magna cum Laude) from Plymouth State College as well as having completed graduate studies at UMass Lowell. hile at lowell leslie said he trumpet with natalie Paella, Joseph Foley, Richard Givens, and Phil Persson, and at Plymouth State with Dr. Gary Corcoran.
Leslie has been a professional trumpet player for over 45 years and has performed throughout New England and swing/big bands, orchestras, wind ensembles, brass quintets and school musicals. She has had the honor of marching and Veterans and Memorial Day parades in the Boston area and spent many years marching in the St. Patty’s Day Parade in New York City. In 2003, Leslie had the unique opportunity to travel and perform with the PSC Wind Ensemble at the Vienna International School in Austria.
Miss envoy is a former member of the New Hampshire and Massachusetts Music Educators Associations and is presently principal trumpet with the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra. She also plays with the Center Harbor Town Band, Belknap Brass Ensemble and the Boston Fireman’s Band. Being an animal lover is her second passion, so she enjoys spending quality time with her two beloved cats, Coco and Midnite, and they keep her very busy!
Sunday, August 14, 2022 - Alexander Stewart & Matt McGonagle
Alexander Stewart recently completed his first year as music director at Newport High School, where he directs two bands and two choruses. He is also the organist and music director of South Congregational Church in Newport NH, where he directs the senior choir and bell choir, and sings with the folk choir. He plays on a fully restored 1921 three-manual Estey Pipe Organ.
Recent musical engagements include singing bass with the NH Troubadours and the Area Choir, both based out of Newport, and playing trombone with the Claremont All-American Band. Apart from his musical endeavors, Alexander taught Honors Physics last year to wary Newport upperclassmen, and will be the head coach of the Newport High School Cross Country team in the fall.
Alexander received his early musical training under the tutelage of Mrs. Dorothy Touart of Laconia, NH. He was a frequent participant of the Piano Monster Festival at Plymouth State, where he first met Carleen Graff in 1999. Later musical education includes active membership in the bands program at Boston College, and culminates with receiving his master’s degree in Music Education at the University of New Hampshire in 2017. He is a student of Dr. Graff’s and a member of the National Association for Music Educators, the Music Teachers National Association, and the American Guild of Organists.
Matt McGonagle is a proud supporter of the GCC community and is an active member of the music program, both as a soloist and bass in the Chancel Choir. Matt has been a musical and theatrical performer since he was lured into the theatre by his lovely wife, Tamara, and his longtime mentor and friend, Faith Rupert. Matt and Tamara were married at the GCC 21 years ago by James Rupert. It is because of this -- along with the many splendid endeavors taken on by the church -- that GCC will always hold a special place in his heart. "I can't live one day without hearing music, playing it, studying it, or thinking about it." -- Leonard Bernstein.
Sunday, August 7, 2022 - Martha Dolben
Martha Dolben is the daughter of Barbara and Pete Harris. She grew up in Gilford as a member of Gilford Community Church. Martha is an educator, poet, and co-founder of The Guesswork Partners Women’s Studio, Concord, MA. She is Chair of the African Food and Peace Foundation, partnering with innovative Ugandan leaders in their education and development work in rural Uganda. She extends her deep thanks to Gilford Community Church for its generous support of the URDT Girls School and African Rural University for Women in Kagadi, Uganda. She is very grateful for the chance to play the piano in this worship service.
Sunday, July 31 - Paul Warnick, Singer and Guitarist
Paul Warnick, a long time resident of Gilford, NH lives music seven days a week. While his weekends and many weeknights are filled with performance events, his weekdays are dedicated to teaching the musicians of tomorrow. Warnick is a 33 year veteran professional educator, well-respected for his charismatic personality and practical approach to learning. Paul has performed as solo musician and with various bands and ensembles in many of New Hampshire’s premiere concert venues including Bank of NH Pavilion, The Colonial Theater, Palace Theater, Lakeport Opera House, Lebanon Opera House, Blue Ocean Music Hall and many others. Paul has shared the bill with many musical legends including Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Tom Jones, John Sebastian, Hall & Oates, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blues Traveler, The Little River Band and more. Paul and his wife Moira share 4 daughters and 3 grandchildren with whom they love to spend time with.
Sunday, July 24 - Mary Kay Robinson, Flutist
Internationally acclaimed flutist, Mary Kay Robinson has risen to national prominence as a versatile musician, balancing roles as soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, teacher, coach and executive leadership in the arts. She is a frequent guest artist and has toured with the Symphony Orchestras of Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Kansas City, Toledo, Cleveland, Boston, and a regular guest with Portland and Vermont, and Rhode Island Philharmonic.
...“dazzling virtuosity...a hugely talented and exciting soloist” critics heralded of her New York solo debut, where she performed two concerti on two different instrument on the same program. She has been a featured soloist with the Southern Tier Symphony (NY), Cleveland Pops at Severance Hall, the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. She is the Principal Flute of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and founding member of the award winning mixed chamber ensemble, Panorámicos, whose debut CD was hailed as “Top Pick of North America” by Gramophone Magazine.
She enjoys a diverse musical career made up of performing and recording, collaborations with composers, guiding aspiring musicians and a frequent soloist on all instruments in the flute family (piccolo, alto flute, penny whistle and panpipes). She has premiered hundreds of new works and is the winner of solo and chamber music competitions. As the former Chair of the National Flute Association’s Piccolo Committee and founder of the Greater Cleveland Flute Society, she has championed the commissioning of new solo and chamber works for Flute, Piccolo and Alto Flute, and has recorded extensively.
Ms. Robinson has served on the faculties of Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Ithaca College, the University of Akron and Franklin Pierce University, teaching Chamber Music, Flute, Piccolo and Artist as Entrepreneur. Her students include many competition winners and highly distinguished performers; leadership positions include the Bascom Little Fund, Boston Ballet, Music from Angel Fire, and ChamberFest Cleveland.
Sunday, July 17 - Belle Tones, Chris Tompkins with Cindie Graham and Emma Carlson with Carolyn Ames
Chris Tompkins has been coming to Lake Shore Park in NH for summer vacations for over 55 years. He and his wife Peggy have owned the home his parents 1st purchased at LSP since 2005. They commute from their home in Manheim, PA (Lancaster County) where they moved three years ago to be closer to their grandsons. Chris has been singing in his home churches since he was in youth choir and at Gilford Community Church since he was a young adult. Chris & Peggy consider GCC as their NH church family and are always blessed to worship here.
Cindie Graham has been singing as far back as she can remember. She comes from a very musical family: her mother sings and plays piano & the organ, her father sang Tenor, her brothers are also musicians. Some of her favorite memories were getting together with her many cousins, Aunts & Uncles and harmonizing while her mother played the piano. Cindie loves singing for the Gilford Community Church with all the other talented musicians/singers we are blessed to call ours (especially Carolyn Ames & AJ Coppola!)
Emma Carlson is a graduate from Gordon College with a Masters in Music Education. She is a music teacher in Canton, MA, teaching middle school chorus and directing middle and high school music productions in the Canton school system. More importantly, she is the pride and joy of her grandmother, Carolyn Ames.
Sunday, July 10 - Sasha Callahan and Leo Eguchi
Violinist Sasha Callahan has established a vibrant and diverse career as a recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician. She has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia, and is a founding member of Sheffield Chamber Players and the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival. Sasha is passionate about exploring new music alongside masterpieces of the past, and has worked closely with many composers including Osvaldo Golijov, Joan Tower, Gabriela Lena Frank, Evan Ziporyn, Jessie Montgomery, Reena Esmail, Kenji Bunch, Lukas Foss, and Gunther Schuller. She can be heard as a member of the Portland (Maine) Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and New Hampshire Music Festival as well as with the Boston Pops, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Boston Lyric Opera, Odyssey Opera, and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. Sasha has performed on multiple Grammy nominated and award winning albums as well as a recent album of string quartets by Gabriela Lena Frank called Her Own Wings.
Click here to visit her website.
Leo Eguchi is a Boston-based cellist and Sasha's husband. He has been described as “copiously skilled and confident” (New York Times) with performances that were "ravishing" (New Bedford Standard-Times) and "played with passion and vitality" (Boston Music Intellegencer). A native of Michigan, Leo can be heard in myriad chamber music settings, including as cellist and co-founder of the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival and Sheffield Chamber Players. He is principal cellist of the New Bedford Symphony, member of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and plays in the New Hampshire Music Festival and the Portland Symphony with frequent appearances with the Boston Pops. A strong advocate of new music, Leo has worked closely with, and premiered dozens of solo and chamber works, many notable composers such as Jessie Montgomery, Gabriela Lena Frank, Osvaldo Golijov, Reena Esmail, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, George Crumb, Lukas Foss, Joan Tower, Ken Ueno, Yehudi Wyner, and Daniel Bernard Roumain.
Click here to visit his website.
Sunday, July 3 - Tamara McGonagle, Matt McGonagle, and Lyvie Beyrent
Tamara McGonagle is a regular soloist and member of both the Chancel Choir and Belltones II here at the Gilford Community Church. In addition to a vocalist, Tamara has been actively involved on stage as an actress with area theatrical companies such as Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, Winni Players, Little Church Theatre and Square Peg Productions. She lives in Gilford with her husband Matt, with whom she sings with, in and out of church. She appreciates the diverse nature of the GCC community as well as its open and welcoming spirit.
Matt McGonagle is a proud supporter of the GCC community and is an active member of the music program, both as a soloist and bass in the Chancel Choir. Matt has been a musical and theatrical performer since he was lured into the theatre by his lovely wife, Tamara, and his longtime mentor and friend, Faith Rupert. Matt and Tamara were married at the GCC 21 years ago by James Rupert. It is because of this -- along with the many splendid endeavors taken on by the church -- that GCC will always hold a special place in his heart. "I can't live one day without hearing music, playing it, studying it, or thinking about it." -- Leonard Bernstein.
Lyvie Beyrent is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Gilford Middle-High School, where she has taught since 2005. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Music Education in 2004 and from Plymouth State University with a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Education in 2011. In her free time Lyvie enjoys playing woodwinds for musical theatre organizations, assistant coaching the Gilford HS Alpine Ski Team, directing the Gilford Community Band, and being outside as much as possible.
Leslie is a retired music educator, having taught in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education (Magna cum Laude) from Plymouth State College as well as having completed graduate studies at UMass Lowell. hile at lowell leslie said he trumpet with natalie Paella, Joseph Foley, Richard Givens, and Phil Persson, and at Plymouth State with Dr. Gary Corcoran.
Leslie has been a professional trumpet player for over 45 years and has performed throughout New England and swing/big bands, orchestras, wind ensembles, brass quintets and school musicals. She has had the honor of marching and Veterans and Memorial Day parades in the Boston area and spent many years marching in the St. Patty’s Day Parade in New York City. In 2003, Leslie had the unique opportunity to travel and perform with the PSC Wind Ensemble at the Vienna International School in Austria.
Miss envoy is a former member of the New Hampshire and Massachusetts Music Educators Associations and is presently principal trumpet with the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra. She also plays with the Center Harbor Town Band, Belknap Brass Ensemble and the Boston Fireman’s Band. Being an animal lover is her second passion, so she enjoys spending quality time with her two beloved cats, Coco and Midnite, and they keep her very busy!
Sunday, August 14, 2022 - Alexander Stewart & Matt McGonagle
Alexander Stewart recently completed his first year as music director at Newport High School, where he directs two bands and two choruses. He is also the organist and music director of South Congregational Church in Newport NH, where he directs the senior choir and bell choir, and sings with the folk choir. He plays on a fully restored 1921 three-manual Estey Pipe Organ.
Recent musical engagements include singing bass with the NH Troubadours and the Area Choir, both based out of Newport, and playing trombone with the Claremont All-American Band. Apart from his musical endeavors, Alexander taught Honors Physics last year to wary Newport upperclassmen, and will be the head coach of the Newport High School Cross Country team in the fall.
Alexander received his early musical training under the tutelage of Mrs. Dorothy Touart of Laconia, NH. He was a frequent participant of the Piano Monster Festival at Plymouth State, where he first met Carleen Graff in 1999. Later musical education includes active membership in the bands program at Boston College, and culminates with receiving his master’s degree in Music Education at the University of New Hampshire in 2017. He is a student of Dr. Graff’s and a member of the National Association for Music Educators, the Music Teachers National Association, and the American Guild of Organists.
Matt McGonagle is a proud supporter of the GCC community and is an active member of the music program, both as a soloist and bass in the Chancel Choir. Matt has been a musical and theatrical performer since he was lured into the theatre by his lovely wife, Tamara, and his longtime mentor and friend, Faith Rupert. Matt and Tamara were married at the GCC 21 years ago by James Rupert. It is because of this -- along with the many splendid endeavors taken on by the church -- that GCC will always hold a special place in his heart. "I can't live one day without hearing music, playing it, studying it, or thinking about it." -- Leonard Bernstein.
Sunday, August 7, 2022 - Martha Dolben
Martha Dolben is the daughter of Barbara and Pete Harris. She grew up in Gilford as a member of Gilford Community Church. Martha is an educator, poet, and co-founder of The Guesswork Partners Women’s Studio, Concord, MA. She is Chair of the African Food and Peace Foundation, partnering with innovative Ugandan leaders in their education and development work in rural Uganda. She extends her deep thanks to Gilford Community Church for its generous support of the URDT Girls School and African Rural University for Women in Kagadi, Uganda. She is very grateful for the chance to play the piano in this worship service.
Sunday, July 31 - Paul Warnick, Singer and Guitarist
Paul Warnick, a long time resident of Gilford, NH lives music seven days a week. While his weekends and many weeknights are filled with performance events, his weekdays are dedicated to teaching the musicians of tomorrow. Warnick is a 33 year veteran professional educator, well-respected for his charismatic personality and practical approach to learning. Paul has performed as solo musician and with various bands and ensembles in many of New Hampshire’s premiere concert venues including Bank of NH Pavilion, The Colonial Theater, Palace Theater, Lakeport Opera House, Lebanon Opera House, Blue Ocean Music Hall and many others. Paul has shared the bill with many musical legends including Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Tom Jones, John Sebastian, Hall & Oates, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blues Traveler, The Little River Band and more. Paul and his wife Moira share 4 daughters and 3 grandchildren with whom they love to spend time with.
Sunday, July 24 - Mary Kay Robinson, Flutist
Internationally acclaimed flutist, Mary Kay Robinson has risen to national prominence as a versatile musician, balancing roles as soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, teacher, coach and executive leadership in the arts. She is a frequent guest artist and has toured with the Symphony Orchestras of Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Kansas City, Toledo, Cleveland, Boston, and a regular guest with Portland and Vermont, and Rhode Island Philharmonic.
...“dazzling virtuosity...a hugely talented and exciting soloist” critics heralded of her New York solo debut, where she performed two concerti on two different instrument on the same program. She has been a featured soloist with the Southern Tier Symphony (NY), Cleveland Pops at Severance Hall, the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. She is the Principal Flute of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and founding member of the award winning mixed chamber ensemble, Panorámicos, whose debut CD was hailed as “Top Pick of North America” by Gramophone Magazine.
She enjoys a diverse musical career made up of performing and recording, collaborations with composers, guiding aspiring musicians and a frequent soloist on all instruments in the flute family (piccolo, alto flute, penny whistle and panpipes). She has premiered hundreds of new works and is the winner of solo and chamber music competitions. As the former Chair of the National Flute Association’s Piccolo Committee and founder of the Greater Cleveland Flute Society, she has championed the commissioning of new solo and chamber works for Flute, Piccolo and Alto Flute, and has recorded extensively.
Ms. Robinson has served on the faculties of Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Ithaca College, the University of Akron and Franklin Pierce University, teaching Chamber Music, Flute, Piccolo and Artist as Entrepreneur. Her students include many competition winners and highly distinguished performers; leadership positions include the Bascom Little Fund, Boston Ballet, Music from Angel Fire, and ChamberFest Cleveland.
Sunday, July 17 - Belle Tones, Chris Tompkins with Cindie Graham and Emma Carlson with Carolyn Ames
Chris Tompkins has been coming to Lake Shore Park in NH for summer vacations for over 55 years. He and his wife Peggy have owned the home his parents 1st purchased at LSP since 2005. They commute from their home in Manheim, PA (Lancaster County) where they moved three years ago to be closer to their grandsons. Chris has been singing in his home churches since he was in youth choir and at Gilford Community Church since he was a young adult. Chris & Peggy consider GCC as their NH church family and are always blessed to worship here.
Cindie Graham has been singing as far back as she can remember. She comes from a very musical family: her mother sings and plays piano & the organ, her father sang Tenor, her brothers are also musicians. Some of her favorite memories were getting together with her many cousins, Aunts & Uncles and harmonizing while her mother played the piano. Cindie loves singing for the Gilford Community Church with all the other talented musicians/singers we are blessed to call ours (especially Carolyn Ames & AJ Coppola!)
Emma Carlson is a graduate from Gordon College with a Masters in Music Education. She is a music teacher in Canton, MA, teaching middle school chorus and directing middle and high school music productions in the Canton school system. More importantly, she is the pride and joy of her grandmother, Carolyn Ames.
Sunday, July 10 - Sasha Callahan and Leo Eguchi
Violinist Sasha Callahan has established a vibrant and diverse career as a recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician. She has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia, and is a founding member of Sheffield Chamber Players and the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival. Sasha is passionate about exploring new music alongside masterpieces of the past, and has worked closely with many composers including Osvaldo Golijov, Joan Tower, Gabriela Lena Frank, Evan Ziporyn, Jessie Montgomery, Reena Esmail, Kenji Bunch, Lukas Foss, and Gunther Schuller. She can be heard as a member of the Portland (Maine) Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and New Hampshire Music Festival as well as with the Boston Pops, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Boston Lyric Opera, Odyssey Opera, and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. Sasha has performed on multiple Grammy nominated and award winning albums as well as a recent album of string quartets by Gabriela Lena Frank called Her Own Wings.
Click here to visit her website.
Leo Eguchi is a Boston-based cellist and Sasha's husband. He has been described as “copiously skilled and confident” (New York Times) with performances that were "ravishing" (New Bedford Standard-Times) and "played with passion and vitality" (Boston Music Intellegencer). A native of Michigan, Leo can be heard in myriad chamber music settings, including as cellist and co-founder of the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival and Sheffield Chamber Players. He is principal cellist of the New Bedford Symphony, member of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and plays in the New Hampshire Music Festival and the Portland Symphony with frequent appearances with the Boston Pops. A strong advocate of new music, Leo has worked closely with, and premiered dozens of solo and chamber works, many notable composers such as Jessie Montgomery, Gabriela Lena Frank, Osvaldo Golijov, Reena Esmail, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, George Crumb, Lukas Foss, Joan Tower, Ken Ueno, Yehudi Wyner, and Daniel Bernard Roumain.
Click here to visit his website.
Sunday, July 3 - Tamara McGonagle, Matt McGonagle, and Lyvie Beyrent
Tamara McGonagle is a regular soloist and member of both the Chancel Choir and Belltones II here at the Gilford Community Church. In addition to a vocalist, Tamara has been actively involved on stage as an actress with area theatrical companies such as Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, Winni Players, Little Church Theatre and Square Peg Productions. She lives in Gilford with her husband Matt, with whom she sings with, in and out of church. She appreciates the diverse nature of the GCC community as well as its open and welcoming spirit.
Matt McGonagle is a proud supporter of the GCC community and is an active member of the music program, both as a soloist and bass in the Chancel Choir. Matt has been a musical and theatrical performer since he was lured into the theatre by his lovely wife, Tamara, and his longtime mentor and friend, Faith Rupert. Matt and Tamara were married at the GCC 21 years ago by James Rupert. It is because of this -- along with the many splendid endeavors taken on by the church -- that GCC will always hold a special place in his heart. "I can't live one day without hearing music, playing it, studying it, or thinking about it." -- Leonard Bernstein.
Lyvie Beyrent is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Gilford Middle-High School, where she has taught since 2005. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Music Education in 2004 and from Plymouth State University with a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Education in 2011. In her free time Lyvie enjoys playing woodwinds for musical theatre organizations, assistant coaching the Gilford HS Alpine Ski Team, directing the Gilford Community Band, and being outside as much as possible.
