Dedication of new piano to be celebrated during St. Colman concert
A celebration concert for the community in honor of the dedication of a new concert piano will be held Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. at St. Colman Parish Center, 219 South North Street, Washington CH 43160.
Craig Jaynes, Music Director of St. Colman Church, will perform, along with Delma Rouleau (former longtime Director of St. Mary Church in Chillicothe), Jeanne Rosendahl (former Choral Director of Washington City High School), Maretta Alden (professional musician for Elegant Entertainment) and Stephen Estep (professional pianist/accompanist).
The program consists primarily of piano duets by a variety of composers (music of Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Dvorak, Debussy, Kabalevsky, Persichetti, Warlock and Lecuona), lasting about an hour. There is no admission charge to the concert.
This free concert is a gift to the community in celebration of the Yamaha Studio Grand piano (5’8”) being donated for use in the St. Colman Parish Center.
Mr. Jaynes said, “We are absolutely dumbstruck by this gift. The piano itself, hand-selected by Mrs. Delma Rouleau, is a truly beautiful instrument and of the perfect size for our community center. The piano and the Parish Center room were just made for each other.
“We are always looking for ways to reach out to the community at large and this will greatly expand our ability to do so. We are working on the development of a Suzuki-style program for introducing keyboard to young students and hope it will become part of many recitals and musical programs to be presented in the future.”
The piano is the gift of Mrs. Linda Litter of Chillicothe in memory of her late husband, Robert Litter, a prominent businessman in the Chillicothe area. The church is also grateful to funds provided by interested St. Colman parishioners assuring the piano’s future upkeep and tuning.
“This new instrument will broaden the possibilities of cultural engagement with the community,” Jaynes said. “Solo and multi-player piano programs, small ensemble and chamber music, and small musical theatre productions will be encouraged to use this facility which is perfect for less formal and more intimate presentations. We are thrilled to be able to share it.”
Free parking for the concert is available in the church lot or on the street.
Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.