By Connie Ballenger
After canceling its 2020 concert season and one event during its 2021 season due to the coronavirus, the 2022 Glen Mar Summer Concert Series is back in full swing with two free concerts this year.
The first will be the return of the Quantico Marine Corps Brass Band and Jazz Combo. Their one-hour show is scheduled for Friday, June 17, 2022, at 7:00 pm in the Spirit Center.
The Quantico Marine Corps Brass Band and Jazz Combo performed jazz, contemporary, acoustic, blues, dance, swing, and pop music to a crowd of 420 people in the Spirit Center on August 8, 2019. Folks from all generations raved about their entertainment. (The photograph is from the band’s last performance in the Spirit Center.)
Ayreheart, a progressive folk trio, will perform on the Spirit Center stage on Friday, August 12, 2022, at 7:00 pm. This group, founded by lutenist Ronn McFarlane in 2010, will play Ronn’s original music, as well as Renaissance and Celtic songs. The name McFarlane may ring a bell to longtime Glen Mar folks because Ronn’s parents, W. Lee and Mary McFarlane, were charter members of this church. Ronn recalls attending here until he went away to college at the age of 17.
The other Ayreheart trio members are Willard Morris who plays bass, violin and colascione (a bass cousin of the lute) and percussionist Mattias Rucht.
Glen Mar Music Director Sophie Hong was the impetus behind this concert series, which started in 2017. In 2021, the series hit an all-time record high of 600 attendees when The U.S. Army Field Band Federal Brass performed outside at Glen Mar.
All concerts in the series are free. Funding comes from sponsors, donations, and grants. The Howard County Arts Council has provided many grants over the years, including one for $4,000 for the 2022 season.
Any individual or organization interested in sponsoring or donating to this year’s series should email the Summer Concert Series Team.
Volunteer Summer Concert Series committee members offer advice on prospective performers and handle some aspects of the events. In addition to Sophie Hong, committee members are Connie Ballenger (director of publicity), Scott Carter, Lois Hildebrand, Patty Hutton, Fred Sadler (executive director), and Susan Straumanis.
See more information about Summer Concert program at Glen Mar Church.
