Our Shared American Heritage in Music and Verse - In a time of painful division, may we as a nation find healing through the arts, and remember our foundational commitments to liberty and justice for all people, freedom of speech, and care for those in need. This concert event celebrating our cultural heritage will take place
November 16, 2025 – 3 p.m. at First Parish Church (Congregational) at 10 Central St Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Music and poetry by American authors is featured. Included is music by Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Florence Price, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Randall Thompson. Poetry by Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, Walt Whitman, and Maya Angelou will be read. Vocal and  instrumental performers include Paul Knox, Katherine Schofield, Rebecca Shrimpton, and Herman Weiss, plus
chorus. This is a community event and admission is free.