Concert to feature works by Black composers
“Classically Black,” a concert and talk with Richard Alston, will be held during Black History Month. Romanza’s Collage Series features a variety of professional performers in autumn and winter, as a prelude to the 2024 Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, which begins in May.
Pianist and recitalist Alston will present his show, “Classically Black: Piano Compositions by Composers of African-American Descent.” The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine.
Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased at romanzacollage.com.
P.I. to speak at mystery writers’ meeting
Private Investigator Lynda J. Bergh Herring will speak to The Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime chapter at 11:15 a.m. Feb. 10 in the Friends of the Library Room of the Ponte Vedra Beach Library.
Herring has worked in the investigation industry for 41 years. She graduated from Rio Hondo Police Academy and has bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and psychology, and a master’s degree in public administration. She conducts many types of investigations including background checks, cybercrimes, elder abuse, fraud and more.
The public is invited to attend in person or via Zoom. Future Zoom attendance will be available to paid chapter members only. (Membership is $20 per year.) Zoom registration information is available on the Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime Facebook page.
Go to nefloridasistersincrime.org to register for the meeting.
Grammy winner David Phelps to perform
Multi-Dove and Grammy Award-winning recording artist David Phelps will perform in a special evening of worship and celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, at the Westside Baptist Church, 7775 Herlong Road, Jacksonville. A childhood musical prodigy from Texas, Phelps has become a nationally celebrated vocalist. Perhaps best known as the powerful tenor for the Gaither Vocal Band, Phelps has emerged as a leading voice in Christian music.
He has performed at numerous prestigious venues across the globe, including the White House, New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
For further information, go to davidphelps.com.
Blues artist Jontavious Willis to perform
Every October to June, the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival and the St. Johns Cultural Council co-present “Live From The Waterworks,” a monthly concert series. The series aims to do what the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival does in April: celebrate folk music by showcasing musicians who echo Rogers’ balladry and storytelling.
The next performance will feature Jontavious Willis, with brother-and-sister duo Kelly Goddard and Brian Durham, who go by the stage name They Came From The Same.
Willis is a Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter from rural Georgia, whose unique sound blends his Southern heritage with his deep reverence for traditional blues. His acoustic debut album, “Blue Metamorphosis,” was released in 2016, garnering rave reviews, and he won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge 2018 Award for Best Self-Produced CD. His sophomore album, “Spectacular Class,” was nominated for a Grammy in 2020.
Special guests They Came From The Same will also play at the show and will host a workshop at St. Augustine High School with Trey Brewer's guitar class on Feb. 16.
The show will be held 7-10 p.m. Feb. 17 at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and are available on Eventbrite.
Randy Houser to perform at Concerts For A Cause
Concerts For A Cause, a fundraising concert series, will feature singer-songwriter Randy Houser on May 25 at Tringali Barn at Heritage Farms, 7310 U.S. 1 South, St. Augustine.
Called the “golden-voiced Mississippi native” by Billboard Magazine, Houser is known for his thick and formidable vocals. Before becoming a country music star in his own right, he made a name for himself writing hits for Trace Adkins, Justin Moore and Willie Nelson.
The concert begins at 7 p.m., and gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Chris Shee, owner and operator of Heritage Farms, started Concerts For A Cause in 2021. Inspired by his love for music, he wanted a creative way to raise money for his community.
The series chooses a new charity every concert based on the needs of the community. This concert supports Rethreaded, a nonprofit that provides employment opportunities and support to survivors of human trafficking within Jacksonville.
Previous recipients include Seamark Ranch, St. Augustine Youth Services, Investing in Kids, Alpha-Omega Miracle Home and Builders Care.
Tickets are sold in sets of eight-person pods, which are 10-by-12-foot areas roped off for every group.
To purchase tickets, go to tringalibarn.com/concerts-for-a-cause.
— Compiled by Shaun Ryan
