Barbara Vennell

Christmas Prelude Lobster Roll & Chowder Luncheon, Cookie Walk, Greens, Crafts & Raffle Basket – Saturday, December 2, 2017

The First Congregational Chchristmasfairurch of Kennebunkport’s members will again be participating in the area’s annual Christmas Prelude celebration on Sat., December 2nd. The church’s very popular “Lobster Roll & Chowder Luncheon” will be served in the church’s Ober Hall & will run until 1:30p.m. or once sold out. At 9:00a.m. until 1:30p.m., (or once sold out), items, including the church’s cookbook, will be for sale including the popular “Cookie Walk”, “Crafts”, “Vintage”, and “Holiday Greens” tables in the church sanctuary. There will also be one special “Maine Theme” raffle basket.

Table prices and greens prices will be indicated. The Cookie Walk prices are $6.00 per pound of cookies selected. Tickets for the special raffle basket will be: one for $1.00, six for $5.00, and 13 tickets for $10.00. For the luncheon: lobster roll, chowder, and hotdog prices are per item, per serving. Several order options are available, and a beverage is provided. Homemade pie slices will also be available at prices to be posted. Don’t miss out, enjoy the holiday mood and warm up at First Church on a cold day.

In addition to this and other events, the Rev. Jim Henry and First Church members welcome you to attend the weekly Sunday church service which begins at 9:30a.m. All are welcome at First Church.

First Congregational Church is located 1.5 miles south of the Seacoast Trolley Museum where Log Cabin Rd. becomes North St. The church is next to Arundel Cemetery, and the Kennebunkport Historical Society. Directions from Kennebunkport’s Dock Square are Spring St. to a left on Maine St., bear right on North St. and follow North St. to First Congregational Church on the right. For directions or more information, you may call the church office on Tuesdays at (207) 967-3897.

Christmas Concert – Sunday, December 10, 2017 – 3 PM

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The concert program will include Christmas music & Christmas carols with Megan Grassi, violin, Megan’s daughter Sophie Grassi, violin, Monica Bridges, vocalist, and Joyce Painter Rice, organ and piano.

Megan Grassi received her B.A. in Violin Performance from Lawrence University in Wisconsin where she studied with Calvin Wiersma. She also trained at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. In her postgraduate years she studied with Andrew Kohji Taylor, a student of Juilliard’s Dorothy DeLay. Megan was a featured soloist with the Merrimack Valley Orchestra and played at numerous summer chamber music & orchestral festivals including Apple Hill, Kinhaven, & the Pierre Monteux School. She has pedagogical training from institutes at Steven’s Point, Ithaca College, Hartt School, and Concordia. Megan was a member of Boston’s New England Philharmonic & has played & taught in Germany, Italy, & Martha’s Vineyard. Most recently she worked with coach Jodi Hagen, a tenured violinist of the Boston Ballet & Boston Lyric Opera, & a former student of Roman Totenberg. Megan currently divides her time playing with and training talented young musicians of Bowdoin’s Mozart Mentors Orchestra and maintaining a private violin studio in Kennebunkport.

Sophia Grassi began playing the violin at age 3 and is now 11 years old. She has performed as a soloist in local recitals, Ogontz Music Festival and at Phillips Andover. She is currently looking forward to playing Handel’s Messiah for the first time this Christmas as the youngest member of the Mozart Mentors Orchestra.

Vocalist Monica Bridges, soprano, is a member of her church choir. She began singing as a child with her siblings at church. Monica has sung the National Anthem for military and sporting events. She also sings in the Kennebunk Variety Show. Monica currently works for the NH Army National Guard.