Trinity Church Lawn Concert, “Princeton to Port-au-Prince” to benefit Haitian Classrooms

Posted on 07. May, 2010 by PNN Editor in Arts, Events, Food, Music, News

On Sunday, May 16th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Trinity Church will stage “Princeton to Port-au-Prince”, a rain or shine lawn concert with 100% of the profits to benefit Episcopal Relief and Development’s school rebuilding for Haitian children. On Trinity’s Stockton street front lawn, facing Princeton borough hall and Morven, bring a lawn chair and enjoy a variety of live music and fun activities for families, added with Haitian fare from Trenton’s Mommie Joe’s Caribbean restaurant, all served up with wine, beer (including Jamaican) and lemonade for the kids.

The featured band is DJAZZ~NOU, playing Haitian Compas music (music that is usually accompanied with singing in Haitian Creole); along with 5 + 1 Westminster Winds, a wind quintet with Joy Bechtler, soprano; two bands from Lawrenceville: The Tone Rangers, a rock group that has been playing for twenty-six years; and The Cherrypickers, a bluegrass band. The Haitian dancers are a children’s dance group that is affiliated with the Haitian Center of the Catholic Diocese of Trenton. The wind quintet, whose players teach at the Westminster Conservatory of Music, will play arrangements of three selections from the opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart – the Overture, a Cavatina and the Fandango. Soprano Joy Bechtler will join the quintet to sing songs by Bellini, Refice and di Capua and “O mio babbino caro” from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Puccini.

Haiti is the Episcopal Church’s largest diocese and Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Directing its international aid, Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners have worked to support more than 2,000 school children in Haiti. In partnership with Lutheran World Federation, school tents, which accommodate more than 50 children and teachers, have been distributed in 19 locations. An additional 27 school tents and 33,000 school kits are en route through a partnership with Lutheran World Relief.

But Haitian children need more than tents; they need their schools rebuilt. So Trinity Church, New Jersey’s largest Episcopal parish, organized its first outdoor concert.

“We feel called to help restore education to children in Haiti. It was a natural response to organize a concert… it’s a collaboration between Trinity, entertainers who are donating their time, and concerned individuals and businesses. Our guests attending can expect a little education about the Haitian culture through music, dance and food” stated Ruth Thurmond Scott of Princeton, chair of Trinity’s Outreach Counsel.

Suggested admission is $20 per person, $30 per family. The Haitian food buffet is $10, with a children’s meal of hot dog, chips and unlimited lemonade for $5. If it rains, the concert will be moved into the church and dinner will be served in Pierce Hall. For more information, call (609) 924-2277 or visit www.trinityprinceton.org

5+1 Westminster Winds with soprano Joy Bechtler