Beacon Hill Concerts

BEACON HILL CONCERT SERIES

The Beacon Hill Concerts are a series of summer concerts that take place in a newly-built music hall situated on a beautiful privately-owned property near Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The series aims at providing high-quality classical and semi-classical music to the Pocono region. Now in our third season, with five concerts scheduled for summer, 2010, we are once again bringing outstanding musical artists to this area. Guests are welcome and can make inquiries and reservations by contacting the concert coordinator, Dan Crawford, at 570/421-5748 or 570/476-1308, or e-mail: dcrawford1@unl.edu. There is a suggested donation for each of the concerts.

Note: Due to reports predicting bad weather for February 12, we have moved the AGAVE concert from the Beacon Hill music hall at Barn Rd. to Grace Covenant Church, 523 Fawn Rd, E. Stroudsburg Pa 18301. And we have changed the time of the concert from 6:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Grace Church has plenty of parking, and the parking lot has been cleared and treated for safe passage to the church entrance. 

AGAVE, February 12, 2025, 6:00 pm

AGAVE is a versatile Early Music ensemble, in this concert doing early music from the Americas, “AMERICAN ORIGINALS,” featuring star countertenor Reginald Mobley. You must have reservations to attend this concert. Reservations accepted January 12, 2025. Information about making reservations on this website.

American Originals celebrates the music of black and brown composers from the United States, Mexico, Cuba, and South America. This program of music by brilliant yet underrepresented composers explores how the blending of European, African, and indigenous styles created uniquely American sounds. Among the many treasures of this repertoire are Scott Joplin’s sentimental and heartfelt ‘Bethena,’ a song by Black American guitar virtuoso Justin Holland, two works by the earliest known Cuban classical composer, and a set of songs by the extraordinary Florence B. Price, who seamlessly blended Romantic art song and Spirituals into a sound all her own.

2010 CHRISTMAS CONCERT!

Sunday, December 26, 3:00 p.m.
The Singing Boys of Pennsylvania

Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” & Sacred Christmas Music and Carols
Director: Dr. K. Bernard Schade
464 Beacon Hill Rd., Stroudsburg, PA

On the day after Christmas, Sunday, December 26, at 3:00 p.m., the SINGING BOYS OF PENNSYLVANIA will present their Christmas concert right here at our serene and beautiful music room on Beacon Hill Rd. This well-trained boys choir will do a variety of sacred Christmas music including Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols,” “(Seven) Carols of Many Lands” specially arranged by Kalman Halasz, and “Angels and Shepherds” by Zoltan Kodaly.

The Singing Boys of Pennsylvania has appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and many regional orchestras, as well as Musica Sacra of New York and other chamber groups. They have been featured at Disneyland, Wolf Trap, and international festivals. Dr. K. Bernard Schade founded the choir in 1970 and has been its guiding light through the years as organist, conductor, teacher, and vocal coach with a strong background in Kodaly techniques.
The concert this year is a holiday gift from our family to yours. Come and join us on the 26th for this joyful singing that will draw us back into the true spirit of the Christmas season.

2010 SUMMER SCHEDULE

Saturday, May 15, 3:00 p.m.

CROSSROADS BARBERSHOP QUARTET

Crossroads is the current (2009) international champions of barbershop singing, having won the coveted “gold medal” at last year’s competition in Anaheim. Audiences are mesmerized by their versatility, precision harmonies, sweet leads, effortlessly held chords, and gorgeous arrangements. You will thrill to their rendition of “Lucky Old Sun.” This is an opportunity to experience the best that this distinctively American style of music has to offer. Find out more about Crossroads at http://www.crossroadsquartet.com

Saturday, July 10, 4:00 p.m.
TENET

This New York-based a cappella group of six singers (for our concert)–each of them a soloist in his/her own right–has given a brilliant performance in the past two years in our series, and will do so again with their mix of Renaissance works, madrigals, a Bach motet, folk songs, and spirituals. Jolle Greenleaf, artistic director and leader of the group, has established herself as a specialist in Renaissance and Baroque music. TENET’s performance of Claudio Monteverdi’s collection of sacred music (Moral and Spiritual Forest) last February in New York City was one of the most memorable musical experiences I have ever had. Find out more about Tenet at http://www.tenetnyc.com

Sunday, July 18, 5:00 p.m.
CHIARA STRING QUARTET

These four young instrumentalists (Rebecca Fischer, Julie Yoon, violin, Jonah Sirota, viola, Gregory Beaver, cello) are currently Artists-in-residence at Harvard University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They have played in major venues and festivals in Europe and America and have won more than their share of prestigious awards and prizes. My eyes were opened to the beauty of the Beethoven string quartets when I heard the group perform them this past year. The quartet’s first violinist, Rebecca Fischer, speaks of the “transformative power” of that music in her own experience. An exquisite togetherness in their playing. See the full PROGRAM for the July 18 concert on this web site and discover more about the quartet at http://www.chiaraquartet.net

Saturday, August 21, 4:00 p.m.

New York Polyphony

This four-voice male vocal ensemble has already gained a reputation as one of the finest classical ensembles of a new generation. They deliver a dynamic performance of sacred and secular music in a wide range of styles from simple plainchant to dance-like Renaissance to the rich chromatics of contemporary works. The purity of their sound will transport you into higher realms, as it did for me. View bios and hear selections at http://www.newyorkpolyphony.com

Saturday, August 28, 4:00 p.m.

Christopher Lee (violin), Elisabeth Turchi (soprano), Rebecca Butler (piano)

This talented trio, assembled especially for our concerts, will return to do another rich and varied program of classical and popular selections from Bach to Gershwin to musical and movie classics. Simply put, they won our hearts last summer.
Christopher Lee has played hundreds of solo concerts (with such luminaries as Stokowski, Bernstein, Foss, and Fiedler). One reviewer said: “He draws the listener into the world of each composer and distills a kind of musical essence.” Elisabeth Turchi is a young artist to watch, who has charmed audiences at home and abroad with her stage presence and agile vocal style. For more details, go to http://merynda.com/ChrisLeebio.html, http://www.elisabethturchi.com

DIRECTIONS to 464 Beacon Hill Rd. (E. Stroudsburg 18301):

FROM STROUDSBURG: take 191N (Fifth St.) two miles to Chipperfield Drive, turn left; approx 1 mile take first right, Woods Rd.; 1/2 mile to Beacon Hill Rd., turn right; first driveway on right.

FROM THE LEHIGH VALLEY: Rt. 33 to end (Bartonsville), (33 splits off to the left, from 209, about 4 miles from Bartonsville), right at light (Rt. 611 South), proceed 1/4 mile, first left turn just past traffic light (Wigwam Park Rd.), 2.8 miles, left on Beacon Hill Rd. 1 mile, go past Woods Rd. on right, first driveway on right past Woods Rd.

FROM SCRANTON, WILKES-BARRE: take Interstate 80 East to Bartonsville exit, right at light (Rt. 611S), …continue with Lehigh Valley directions above.

FROM NEW YORK CITY: Interstate 80 across Delaware River into Pennsylvania, second exit in PA (exit 309, Marshalls Creeek), take 447N 2 miles to dead end, turn right, continue on 447N 2 miles to traffic light (Rt. 191S), left, 500 yards over bridge to Hallet Rd., right, across bridge, jog right and immediate left onto Beacon Hill Rd., 1/2 mile up windy hill, second driveway on left at top of hill.