BEMIDJI - The Bemidji Area Church Musicians summer recital series has been taking place each summer for the past 28 years - with a continually growing audience.
“Most things reach an apex and decline, this one hasn’t reached an apex yet in 28 years, numbers keep going up,” said Ken Wold, chair of the Bemidji Area Church Musicians.
The summer recital series began in 1988, with the idea to have an audience sit down and listen to church musicians.
“One of the organists at one of the churches said ‘When I’m playing the organ, everyone is walking into the church or walking out of church or taking up the offering, I would like them to sit down and listen,’” Wold said.
The 2015 summer series includes 13 concerts, traveling to different local churches each week.
“Each of the churches has their musicians, so we say ‘Who at your church is willing to do a recital,’ and so that’s the way it works,” Wold said.
At each concert, a free-will donation is collected, which is used to support the scholarship program for music students from the Bemidji area, which Hannah Allen and Kayla Hewitt received in 2014.
“We have been able to give out $5,000 a year from these offerings, which seems astounding when people come in and drop a $1, but sometimes people put in $10 or $100,” Wold said.
Each scholarship recipient performs a concert during the following year.
Hewitt, a sophomore studying math education at Bethel University, performed this past Wednesday, playing the euphonium, an instrument she recently took up.
“I actually tried out for the Bethel band and didn’t make it because there was too many trumpets, so I actually emailed the band professor asking what else I could join because I love music so much that I couldn’t imagine not being in band, so he offered me to pick up the euphonium because they need euphonium players,” she said.
She performed during the 2014 recital series and was encouraged to apply for the scholarship.
“I was little bit surprised because it sounded like more music majors get it and I wasn’t really expecting it because I’m not going into music,” Hewitt said.
Allen, a sophomore vocal major at Concordia College, had heard of the opportunities available through the organization from friends who received scholarships in the past.
“Singing was something I always wanted to do since I watched the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ when I was 9 years old and Concordia is a little expensive, so the scholarship has helped me pay for both voice lessons and piano lessons,” Allen said.
The 2015 summer recital series has three more recitals at noon Wednesdays through August. Up next is Wayne Hoff, organ; Carol L. Johnson, piano and Jennifer Johnson on Aug. 12 at Aardahl Lutheran Church. The Turtle Island Ensemble, including Sarah Carlson, Andrew Ronnevik, Jon Romer and Bob Madeson, on Aug. 19 at First Lutheran Church. Jennifer (Paquette) Ellis, on piano, will conclude the summer recital series on Aug. 26 at Calvary Lutheran Church. A lunch follows each of the recitals.
