Musical menagerie
It’s a concert for everyone – from classical music aficionados and fans of folk to families, grassroots activists and even the homeless on the streets.
Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ will open its doors to the entire community Sunday for a one-of-kind show with a little bit of everything: classical guitar, 18th-century Irish and Scottish tunes, a children’s chorus, contemporary folk music, lesbians drumming on 10-gallon plastic buckets and anti-war songs sung by angry grandmas.
The audience likely will be just as eclectic as the music. For the last two weeks, church members have passed out fliers not only to their families and friends, but also to their downtown neighbors. Everyone, including the panhandlers under the nearby bridge, has been invited to come.
“It’s a neighborly sort of gathering that builds on people getting to know each other,” said the Rev. Andy CastroLang, Westminster’s pastor. “This city has a wide range of taste and our neighborhood is full of all kinds of folks, so we wanted this to reflect the nature of who we are.”
The annual concert, known as “Manna,” is a fundraiser to benefit Second Harvest Inland Northwest and Mid-City Concerns Meals on Wheels. Guests are asked to donate money and cans of food to help the two non-profits, but those who can’t afford the suggested donation are still welcome to attend.
Manna was strictly a classical music affair when it was first launched four years ago. Now, it’s a mix of different genres and performers thanks to organizers, including Carlos Alden, a member of Westminster and a well-known figure in the region’s folk music scene.
“We’re serving a diverse population so it’s musically diverse,” said Alden, who also belongs to an acoustic band known as the Celtic Nots. “… It’s like the Ed Sullivan variety show.”
Manna is also the place to hear local musicians while supporting a good cause, organizers say.
Hosted by KXLY’s Mark Peterson, this year’s concert features: Laddie Ray Melvin, a songwriter with a “Willie Nelson style;” the Giant Ass Drum Corps, a group of rhythmic women who often perform at gay pride parades; the Spokane Area Children’s Chorus; Consort Bon Accord, a Celtic band; Sandpoint guitarist Leon Atkinson; and the Raging Grannies, a gaggle of grandmas who sing peace songs while dancing around in feathered boas, flowery hats and comfy sneakers.
“Some performers have a bit of social consciousness,” Alden said. “We like that because this is about consciousness-raising.”
The event is certainly not for stuffy types, said CastroLang, acknowledging the humor and subversive undertones present in some of the acts.
“Let’s have a little fun and let’s have some laughs,” she said. “Loving your neighbor, after all, should be a celebration.”
Reach reporter Virginia de Leon at (509) 459-5312 or virginiad@spokesman.com.