Reading the title, you might be tempted to just turn to the next article, but please before you turn away, at least allow me to introduce you to the West St Ame. Zion Church.
To help with their failing roof, the members of the church are planning to hold a benefit concert at the Carlisle Theatre on November 11 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. (Yet they start opening their doors starting at 6:30 PM and seats fill up at a first come, first serve basis.) Plus, they’re selling tickets for $20, but they are $21 if you are buying them online.
Yes, I know that it’s on a Saturday night and you probably have other important things to do such as finishing the paper that’s due in less than 48 hours or even attending a college party. Unlike the college party and even the college paper, this is a one-time opportunity to see what this church has to offer to its community members outside of church services. It’s not only a place of worship, but also a place of unity.
If you do attend the benefit concert, which I highly recommend, you will see a medley of musical performances. Whenever I was at home, I would always be playing the piano during my spare time, so personally I cannot wait to hear Russ Ward to play the piano. On the site, with the link provided below, it mentioned that he is supposed to be a phenomenal piano player and that he will be playing selections from Enya, Vangelis, The Who, Radiohead, and Metallica. I’ve never heard any of their music, but I am sure that Russ will bring those artists justice with his talented piano playing skills.
However, Russ’ piano performance is not the only one during the benefit concert; come to the benefit concert and you will hear Tony Anacan and Jean Marie Antoinette perform sets with their guitars. Even though I don’t know the difference between bass and guitar, I am still excited to see them perform at the Carlisle Theater. Come and listen to Ayonna Hodge-Barnes and Thomas Gumby sing and I guarantee that you will not disappointed by how much power and talent support their voices. There will even be dancing performed by REACH and Briana Hazel, so fellow dancers feel free to tap your feet to their rhythm and maybe even talk to them following their performances.
After reading the previous paragraphs, you’re probably wondering to yourself Why should I care if a church I don’t even attend gets the ax? Let me tell you why you should care about this church. Even though I am a Hindu, I am still going to attend the concert because as part of the volunteer session during Extended Orientation, my orientation group and I had the chance to see this church. Even though the visit ended on a sour note (that was later resolved through a meeting between Donna Bickford and the church pastors), I don’t believe that the church has seen the end of its glory days. In fact, I personally believe that even with its 200-year old history, it’s starting to see another period of its glory days. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean that it has to be demolished and if it is to be demolished, what could possibly take the place of the house of God, the house of worship?
But then again, the choice is ultimately yours. I can’t force everyone who resides in Carlisle to attend the benefit concert (although if I could, I would). However, what I can do is raise awareness about the problem they are facing and how they plan to solve it. So, please do attend the concert. I’ll admit that the tickets are a bit pricey however, once you see what the church has to offer, you won’t regret the decision you made to purchase the tickets. Remember though that you can buy them either online or at the door. I hope that after reading this article, I was able to persuade at least one more person to attend the benefit concert happening at the Carlisle Theater on November 11 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. If you’re going to attend it, I can’t wait to see you there!