First Congregational Church - Wauwatosa Announces 2013 Free Concert Series

First Congregational Church, Wauwatosa, is pleased to announce its 2013 “4 O’clocks Concert Series.” Lee Jacobi, long-time music director, has programmed three free concerts for this season. All performances begin at 4:00 pm at First Congregational Church, 1511 Church Street, Wauwatosa, WI.

“The ‘4 O’clocks Concert Series’ has, over the years, featured regional performers of all genres,” said Jacobi. “The 2013 season is no different, offering an exciting, eclectic group of artists. The atmosphere is informal and friendly, and the music is always of the highest caliber. I look forward to greeting you and your friends this season.”

The three concerts, all slated for Sunday performances in the church nave at 4:00 pm, range from keyboard standards, to chamber quartet favorites, and also English boy choir stalwarts. All concerts are free to attend, but donations will be gladly accepted.

“For more than a decade, First Church has presented the ‘4 O’clocks Concert Series,’” said Rev. William S. Trump Jr., Senior Minister. “These free musical presentations are another important way we reach out to our community. Music is a unifying language that can bring diverse cultures together.”

First Congregational Church, Wauwatosa 2013 “4 O’clocks Concert Series”
• March 10, 2013, Kevin Kostick “The Living Room Episodes”
• April 21, 2013, Metropolis Oboe Quartet “Chamber Adventures”
• May 5, 2013, Bel Canto Boy Choirs “Child’s Play”

Kevin Kostick – “The Living Room Episodes”
Sunday, March 10, 2013, 4:00 pm First Congregational Church, Wauwatosa
A local keyboard legend for 20 years, Kevin takes a break from recording a solo project in New York to perform standards in the improvisatory manner that would be heard in his living room - intimate and informal.

Metropolis Oboe Quartet – “Chamber Adventures”
Sunday, April 21, 2013, 4:00 pm First Congregational Church, Wauwatosa
Take an exciting journey through the greatest chamber music of the Classical and Baroque eras in this memorable display of high-caliber performance featuring Deb Stevenson, oboe and English horn; Thomas Yang, violin; Doyle Armbrust, viola; and Steven Houser, cello.

Bel Canto Boy Choirs – “Child’s Play”
Sunday, May 5, 2013 4:00 pm First Congregational Church, Wauwatosa
Bel Canto Boy Choirs, directed by Ellen Shuler, perform Benjamin Britten’s “Friday Afternoons,” a 12-song-cycle of boundless melodic and dramatic invention, John Rutter’s inspirational “Magical Kingdom,” and other works.

First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa is, indeed, Wauwatosa's first church. It was gathered in 1842 by a group of settlers who had come to Wisconsin from New England and New York, bringing their Congregational faith with them. First meeting in homes, the congregation purchased a plot of land covered by a blackberry patch for $50 from Charles Hart in 1853. They began construction of its first sanctuary on the present site of the church, 1511 Church Street, Wauwatosa. It was dedicated on October 27, 1853. A bell was added later, in 1855, which continues to ring out from the steeple to this day. In 1870 a lecture hall was added to the rear (west) of the church. In 1888, the original church building was raised and a "good basement" constructed. A vestibule was added to the front (east side) of the church, and a space was provided for the eventual placement of an organ behind the pulpit. With the end of World War I, construction began on a new structure built on the same site. On May 20-23, 1921 the church dedicated its new sanctuary.

For more information visit http://www.firstchurchtosa.org/4oclocks.htm