Essex Community Church revives church concerts

ESSEX | Essex Community Church is celebrating a return of their popular church concert programs. Helping revive the event, Essex resident Jim Van Hoven said the church will welcome a trio of performers for a special performance Aug. 20. Essex Concerts Committee had paused their series the past few years, he said. "And we are trying to revive it." The trio of singers and accompanist brings together Mingo Long, Dorothy Dobkowski and Jalmari Vanamo, who will collaborate in a work they've titled "The Great American Songbook," a collection of pop and jazz favorites from Hollywood to Broadway. The three performed at Essex Community Church in 2018 and won a standing ovation. The three artists were invited by friends here to return to the church at the corner of Lake Shore Road and Route 22, near the ferry dock. "They're going to be spending the weekend in Essex and on Sunday, Jalmari will play at our Sunday service," Van Hoven said. The artists each bring well-trained experience from Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Dobkowski is a Brooklyn native turned Jersey girl, and is classically trained by teachers at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Mannes College of Music and private teacher Maria Fattore of Queens. She has performed with the Palame Productions luncheon cabaret and Xavier Company drama group. Among her favorite theatre roles are the nurse in Titus Andronicus with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Grace in Annie with the Montclair Operetta Club; and in original musicals Emmaline and the Archangel, by William D'Andrea. Long is a singer and actor who originally hails from Greensboro, North Carolina. After receiving his Master's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut, he moved to New York City to further his theatrical career. Favorite roles include: Jim in Big River; Poppa in Starlight Express; Andrew Carnes in Oklahoma; Coalhouse in Ragtime; and Delray in Memphis. He has toured with Les Mis, Parade (first national tour) and with several European shows. His off-Broadway shows include Liberty and A Monumental New Musical. Vanamo is a pianist, organist, accompanist, singer, choir and musical director, and a first-generation American born of Finnish heritage. He has had the privilege of performing with the likes of Montserrat Caballe, Placido Domingo, Joseph Flummerfelt and Zubin Metha, and with the New Jersey Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Currently teaching at the Janis E. Dismus Middle School in Englewood, New Jersey, he is the organist and choir director at The First Presbyterian Church of Passaic and Musical Director at Bergen County Players. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, Vanamo has also studied and performed at the Julliard School of Music. Welcoming music back to Essex Community Church, Van Hoven said Vanamo will play the tracker-action pipe organ, which was given to the church in 1990 by Donald Beggs. The church is also looking to rebuild its visiting organist program that also stalled through years of pandemic protocol. The Essex Concerts Committee is reorganizing its work to welcome musicians and song to the Hamlet, Van Hoven said. "This is a start." The Great American Songbook concert at Essex Community Church will be performed on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. All are welcome. Suggested donation is $10. Vanamo will play for the 11 a.m. service on Aug. 21.

Signup for our newsletter

Essex Community Church revives church concerts

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS