After three years of hosting concerts, the North Windham Union Church has raised about $20,000 for charity.
As part of its mission to raise money for charity, the North Windham Union Church will host the “Rhythm Future Quartet,” the dynamic gypsy jazz group, for the 23rd installment of its Music with a Mission series Saturday evening.
The group’s name is inspired by Django Reinhardt’s song, “Rhythm Futur,” a modernist piece composed in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The quartet, which tours southern Maine and New England, features Greg Loughman on bass, Jason Anick on violin and Vinny Raniolo and Olli Soikelli on guitars.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m., with the box office opening at 6:15 p.m. Tickets, which will be sold at the door, are $10 for children, students, and seniors, and $12 for adults.
Saturday’s concert marks the beginning of the series’ third year, according to Rick Nickerson, the church’s minister of music.
“It’s a community concert series that we do at the church, and the intent of the organization is not only to present great concerts but also to give back to the community,” Nickerson said.
As with every show in the series, a portion of the proceeds from Saturday’s concert will go to a community organization of the performers’ choice. In this case, the Rhythm Future Quartet chose to donate money to Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the local fuel assistance program, which has been the recipient of Music With a Mission concert proceeds five times before.
According to Jim McBride, the chairman of the Music With a Mission committee, the series has raised about $12,000 for various nonprofits, as well as more than $8,000 for the church. The series has provided money to Special Olympics Maine, Habitat for Humanity, the Lewiston Fire Relief Fund, and others.
The series started after the church hosted Ithacappella, the Ithaca College a cappella group, according to Nickerson.
“There was an energy in the church that we hadn’t felt in a while and we just took it as our springboard,” Nickerson said.
Since then attendance for each show has been about 150, with some shows, such as the Windham Chamber Singers’ performance, pulling in a crowd of 300. Other performers have included Jonathan Edwards, Don Campbell, the Squid Jiggers, and the Downeasters Barbershop Chorus.
“It’s a very mixed, very eclectic grouping,” Nickerson said. “We have a little bit everything. We’ve had barbershop, some choral groups, bluegrass, folk music, some Dixieland jazz.”
McBridge said he was impressed when he saw the Rhythm Future Quartet perform in Saco recently.
“It’s very fast paced,” he said. “They are incredibly talented. It’s mesmerizing.”
The concert series has donated about $2,500 so far to Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
“They’ve chosen us on several occasions, which we’re very pleased with,” said Bill Diamond, one of the directors of the fuel fund and a state senator. “They know that every dollar goes to fuel purchase.”
He said the donations will help cover the costs of fuel during this winter, which has seen high demand.
“We had a cold winter as you know and we’re still having a few people call, which is not unusual especially given April’s colder weather than usual,” Diamond said. “We know that last year we had 101 families we helped, this year about halfway through we were just about on that same number.”
Rhythm Future Quartet, featuring Jason Anick on violin, Olli Soikkeli and Vinny Raniolo on guitar and Greg Loughman on bass, is set to play at the North Windham Union Church on Saturday, April 11.Courtesy photo
The volunteer members of the Music with a Mission committee have organized 23 concerts since early 2013 at the North Windham Union Church. From left are Jim McBride, Linda and Richard Nickerson, Ruth and Michael Kepron, Gail and Bruce Small, Brittany Anderson and Chick Marks. A portion of each concert’s proceeds is donated toward nonprofits such as Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors, which will receive a donation following this Saturday’s performance by the Rhythm Future Quartet. Courtesy photo
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