First formed in 2003 because of their shared passion for the repertoire for the string quartet, the Copeland String Quartet played its first concert at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington Delaware as part of a Delaware Symphony Orchestras Champagne Chamber series.  Their debut piece was Brahms String Quartet No. 1.  Their next concert was at Westminster Presbyterian Church where they performed Haydn’s Opus 76, No. 3, the Kaiser.  More concerts followed as part of the Delaware Symphony’s chamber series in 2005, 2006, and 2007, 2008. 

Local arts supporter, Tatiana Copeland, generously agreed to sponsor a series at the Church of the Holy City featuring the Copeland String Quartet.  Their concerts have delighted listeners with beautiful music.

The quartet was invited to perform at the Schumann Festival of the Marcella Sembrich Museum in Lake George, New York, in 2007.  Dr. Stephen Wogoman, Executive Director of the Allentown Symphony, wrote, the quartet plays as a level of excellence and maturity that is often lacking in new, emerging quartets the Copeland Quartet is a mature, intensely committed, profoundly musical, technically excellent, and, in every way, deeply satisfying string quartet. 

The quartet, through the auspices of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, continues to perform educational outreach concerts for hundreds of Elementary School students each year throughout Delaware and Northern Maryland as part of the DSO String Quintet. These concerts give the quartet a chance to educate and entertain future audiences about classical music while also preparing the children for their annual visit to the Grand Opera House for the DSO Explorer and Lollipop concerts.

The Copeland String Quartet has enjoyed playing chamber concerts for the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and The Allentown Symphony. The quartet was also invited to play concerts at Longwood Gardens as part of the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, the Gloucester County Library in Mullica Hill New Jersey and in nearby venues, including Trinity Episcopal Church and the Downs Cultural Center. The quartet has also enjoyed invitations to play at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, Harford Community College in Maryland, Wesley College in Delaware, Valley Forge Christian College in Pennsylvania, the Music School of Delaware, and at several local fundraising events, including the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Gala, Wilmington First Night and a Meals on Wheels fundraiser at ING Headquarters. The quartet has also performed at the Schwartz Center for the Arts in Dover, Delaware and the Smyrna Opera House.   For more information visit the website http://www.copelandstringquartet.com/cat00038813.html

The 5th Annual Lower Brandywine Storytelling Festival will feature no fewer than seven world-renowned talents in a delightful day-long 'Festival of Stories.' The event offers a morning sampler, an open microphone, an afternoon full of featured ‘tellers, music and an evening storytelling concert.  This fifth-of-its-kind event promotes good, old-fashioned entertainment for people of all ages.  There’s no telling what you might hear.  But you’re sure to enjoy it...and you’ll leave with some new stories of your own.  This is a free program, but seats are limited.   Call 610-202-8892 for more information today, or register online at  www.LBStoryFest.com, or email mwright@LBStoryFest.com for more details.   

·   Bil Lepp - If you’ve never traveled to Halfdollar, West Virginia before, pull up your hip boots and wade on in! But watch out for falling rope-swingers, recreational vehicles without buffalo-proof roofs, relentless armadillos, and, of course, CS&X monster trains.  Bil may be five-time Liar’s Champion of West Virginia, but that won’t appease Officer Hasbrough when Bil and Skeeter find themselves in yet another self-inflicted predicament.   A very funny man, Bil has been telling tales for 15 years.  Frequently a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival, Bil has headlined every Lower Brandywine Storytelling Festival so far.

·  Bill Harley - Two-time Grammy winner Bill Harley.  Bill began singing and storytelling in 1975 while still in college.  His work has influenced a generation of children, parents, performing artists and educators.  Bill's songs are joyous, direct and honest; his stories are filled with the details of daily life – all told and sung from his slightly off-center point of view.  He joined the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence in 2001.  This is his second appearance at Lower Brandywine.

·  Willy Claflin - Willy returns to Lower Brandywine for the fourth time, bringing his own special brand of totally unhinged comedy and musical surprises.   Though he’s no longer allowed to use live crustaceans on-stage, and the fire insurance on his blues ukulele is enough to make Martha Washington blush, he’s sure to have his faithful palmated pal, sidekick, and fan favorite, Maynard Moose on hand for a “Mother Moose Tale” or two.  Willy is frequently a Featured Artist at the National Storytelling Festival.

·  Kim Weitkamp – This is Kim’s second appearance at Lower Brandywine.  A commanding presence with a beautiful singing voice and impeccable comedic timing, Kim’s perfectly-woven, heartwarming childhood stories can quickly careen off into the hilariously outrageous.  She currently serves as President of the Virginia Storytelling Alliance, and is also the founder of the Wrinkles Project, helping to raise awareness of the treasure we have within our “seasoned citizens” and the stories that they have to share.

·  Andy Offutt Irwin - Some people have inner-kids.  Andy Offutt Irwin has an outer-kid.  With a manic Silly Putty voice, astonishing mouth noises, and hilarious stories, he is equal parts mischievous school boy and the Marx Brothers, peppered with a touch of the Southern balladeer.  People are drawn to him like magnets to a refrigerator.  And inside, it's all Mountain Dew and Jolt Cola.  A native of Covington, GA, Andy started out in comedy, but added music and storytelling because he had a lot more to say.  He’s twice been a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival.  This is his second appearance at Lower Brandywine.

·  Ed Stivender  - A Philadelphia native, Shakespearean actor, banjo player, theologian, teacher, juggler, Mummer, & raconteur, Ed Stivender has fabulated his way around the globe telling stories since 1977.  He was inducted into the National Storytelling Circle of Excellence in 1996.  Also a well-known mud miner this is Ed’s fourth Lower Brandywine Festival, where he has also served as emcee.  Oh yes, and he was raised Catholic (Can you tell?)

·  Robert Jones - By age 17, Robert Jones taught himself guitar and harmonica.  He hosted an award-winning radio show in Detroit, and played onstage with BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Dixon, John Hammond, and others.  Robert developed an educational program called ‘Blues for Schools,’ which was later reshaped into ‘American Roots Music in Education.’  Influenced by sacred musicians, Jones continues to present “Holy Blues” to new audiences. He is the recipient of the Blues Foundation’s prestigious ‘Keeping the Blues Alive Educator of the Year’ award. Jones is pastor of the Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. This is his first appearance at Lower Brandywine.

·  Milbre Burch - Internationally-known performer, recording artist, published poet, author, and teacher of her craft, Grammy-nominated Milbre Burch is a storyteller in every sense of the word. In 1991, Milbre created the Theatre of the Spoken Word, a vehicle for solo performances which performed nationally.  Her credits include thirteen recordings, Parent's Choice Awards, a NAPPA Gold Award, Storytelling World Honor, Circle of Excellence Award, and is frequently a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. This is Milbre’s first appearance at Lower Brandywine.

·  Doug Elliott – Whether he’s crooning about catfish, pontificating on possums, extolling the virtues of dandelions, or scatting about…well…scat, Doug Elliott will take you on an unforgettable, cultural tour of North America's back country. He performs a lively collection of traditional tales, ancient legends, inspiring stories, folklore and outrageous personal narratives. He flavors them with regional dialects, harmonica riffs, facts stranger than fiction, and more than a few belly laughs. This is Doug’s second appearance at Lower Brandywine.

·  Slash Coleman - Slash draws much of his material from being raised by an offbeat, creative family. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, Slash Coleman’s inspirational stories and the stories of his childhood reach to the core of Jewish identity.  Slash Coleman is best known for his award-winning PBS special/ storytelling concert “The Neon Man and Me.” This is Slash’s first official appearance at Lower Brandywine (He appeared in our Open Mic in 2009).

·  Danaher & Cloud - Travel with Kate Danaher and Amy Cloud from the green hills of Ireland to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kate performs traditional stories of Irish country life and the Irish American experience. Amy Lou accompanies, bringing Russell County Virginia's autoharp, guitar, banjo, and mountain dulcimer to meet Kate’s County Sligo, Ireland style fiddle.  This is the pair’s fourth year at the Lower Brandywine Festival.

 Also performing: Olivia Merryman, Michael Forestieri, Vicky Town, Sangay Miller, and more!

Snow date Sunday, January 23, 2011  3:00 PM
Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church
101 Kennett Pike
(Rt. 52, across from Winterthur)   
Wilmington, DE  19807 

Pianist and composer Catherine Marie Charlton has actively studied music since age 8, when she practiced so much her parents often had to ask her to stop. Since then, the classically trained pianist has performed in Europe, South America, and throughout the United States. Charlton played her commissioned work "A Dance for Argentina" at the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires, and was the featured artist at the Philadelphia Kimmel Center's First Anniversary Celebration.  She performed at the 2004 NARM industry conference, whose roster of 34 artists included Chick Corea, Tears for Fears, and The Blind Boys of Alabama. Her appearance was one of 15 highlighted in Billboard magazine as a noteworthy conference act.

Charlton was recognized as a Finalist in the 2005 Independent Music Awards, and was named an Individual Artist Fellow three times by the Delaware Division of the Arts, for Solo Recital in 2004 and 2000, and Jazz Performance in 2002. She was a National Arts Laureate of the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society in 1994.  Seven years after its release, her solo piano album River Dawn: Piano Meditations remains one of the best selling New Age albums of all time on CDBaby.com, the web’s largest retailer of independent music.

Charlton’s four albums are broadcast throughout the world, including on Soundscapes on Music Choice digital cable radio, XM Satellite radio's AudioVisions, and Public Radio International's Echoes.  Her albums The Undershore and River Dawn: Piano Meditations both debuted at #3 on the worldwide instrumental music radio charts; in 2001 River Dawn’s debut charted higher than new releases from Grammy winners Kitaro and George Winston. River Dawn was re-released on The Monroe Institute's Hemi-Sync line of music in 2006.  In earlier days of Apple Macintosh computers, you might have been one of the millions with her music on their desktop; she was the only living composer with an example sound file in the first release of QuickTime multimedia software.  For more information and Catherine’s website, visit  http://www.catherinemariecharlton.com/home

Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church
101 Kennett Pike
(Rt. 52, across from Winterthur)   
Wilmington, DE  19807 

The Curtis Institute of Music trains exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level.  One of the world's leading music schools, Curtis provides full-tuition scholarships to all of its students, ensuring that admissions are based solely on artistic promise.  Admission is highly selective, and enrollment is small--currently over 160 students from the United States and twenty foreign countries. A Curtis education is uniquely tailored to the individual student, with personalized attention from a celebrated faculty and unusually frequent performance opportunities. This distinctive "learn by doing" approach to musical training has produced an impressive number of notable artists over the school's 84-year history

Given the school's small size, Curtis alumni have had a disproportionate influence on the musical world. Seventeen percent of the principal chairs in America's top twenty-five orchestras and four music directorships in the top fifty are held by Curtis-trained musicians, and more than sixty alumni have performed with the Metropolitan Opera.

 

Sharon Sakson  "The Healing Power of Dogs"   Tuesday, March 15, 2011    8:00 PM Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church 101 Kennett Pike (Rt. 52, across from Winterthur)    Wilmington, DE  19807

Sharon Sakson is a writer,  journalist, television producer, breeder and dog show judge.  She is a columnist for Dog News magazine. Her new  book is Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs, a look into the many ways canines come to the rescue of their human friends. She is a freelance writer/producer of television programs in New York and has been a Field Producer for NBC Sports, WNBC, ABC National News. She produced programs for Court TV, Food TV and local television stations in Baltimore, Chicago, and San Francisco. She is the author of two Bantam travel guides, and writer of over 100 articles. She was an editor at The Wall Street Journal Newswires. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Writing degree from the New School for Social Research. She is a breeder of champion Whippets and Brussels Griffons under her “Parisfield” kennel prefix. She is an accredited American Kennel Club dog show judge, judging most of the Hound Group and some Working breeds. She has judged internationally in Canada, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Finland and Taiwan.

Church History

The Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest in America and has a very long and interesting history.   Our past is a tribute to the faith of our predecessors, who were determined that this house of God survive and grow.   With God’s help, we have created a welcoming and vibrant church, committed to the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God.

Organized on October 15, 1720 – 56 years before the American Revolution – it came into being only four years after the New Castle Presbytery itself was organized.    The present sanctuary was built in 1860; the beautiful colored glass windows were added in the 1890’s.   In 1992, renovations included an elevator, making the church handicapped-accessible.  The most recent addition includes new office and classroom space as well as a new Allen Custom Heritage Church organ.

Our vision is one of sharing the love of God with all people.   Our doors are always open, and we hope that you will feel the warmth of the people and spirit here at Lower Brandywine.   We cordially invite you and welcome you to join us in worship, service and fellowship!

Hadley Memorial Fund

The Hadley Memorial Fund annually presents a series of cultural and entertainment programs.   The fund was established by Charles C.  Hadley who stated in his will that all programs are to be free.   The fund was augmented by his sister, Irene Hadley Baird, to honor their parents, Theodore D. and Elizabeth A. Hadley.    The Fund is to present “a course of lectures and lighter attractions” to educate and entertain area residents.   The Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Kennett Friends Meeting select members to direct the fund.

Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church

101 Old Kennett Road, Wilmington DE  19807

Across from Winterthur Museum at Rt.  52

www.lowerbrandywine.org

302-658-2326  (phone)          302-658-1861 (fax)