WESTFIELD-The chapel of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church will come alive with an afternoon of sacred, spiritual, and classical music for a unique fundraiser to benefit Girl Scouts in the city.
Heather O’Connor, Lisa Woods, Patricia O’Connor and Morgan O’Connor will be featured in a special concert titled “A Musical Journey” April 29. (Submitted photo)
“A Musical Journey,” slated April 29 at 2 p.m., will feature Patricia O’Connor and her daughters, Heather and Morgan, as well as Lisa Woods from Bella Voce and accompanist Scott Bailey.
“The concert was chosen as one of our many fundraisers as part of a brainstorming session with the girls last fall,” said Patricia O’Connor, who serves as Girl Scout troop leader for Troop 40230 and 40222.
O’Connor noted that fundraisers throughout the year help fund special projects, and this concert in particular, will help defray the cost of an international trip later this year with United Kingdom stops in London including the Pax Lodge, one of the World Centres for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, as well as Stratford, and in Ireland, Killarney and Dublin. The trip is being organized by Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM), based in Holyoke.
“We were trying to find something that could be done with our smaller numbers, would use our collective talents, and would be different than what everyone else was doing,” said Patricia O’Connor, who serves as soloist/cantor at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, as well as section leader for the choir of Edwards Church in Northampton. Also, she is a former soloist with and member of the Springfield Symphony Chorus and the Wilbraham Madrigal Singers, and has performed in several productions with Valley Light Opera, the Westfield Theatre Group, and other community theatre groups.
The trip will have special meaning for Heather and Morgan, who will be accompanied by their mom.
“I’m looking forward to the trip because I have always wanted to travel and I especially like that we are going to Ireland because that is where my ancestors come from,” said Heather O’Connor, a member of Troop 40230.
Morgan O’Connor concurred.
“I’m looking forward to the trip because I’ve never been overseas before so the thought of going to new places is exhiliarating,” said Morgan O’Connor, a member of Troop 40222.
The teens are among 15 girls associated with GSCWM who are participating in the trip along with adult supervisors. Ashley Salvini, a member of Troop 40222, is also planning on joining the teens. Salvini is a sophomore focusing on the culinary program at Westfield Technical Academy.
The first portion of the hourlong concert planned is classic sacred music, including Panis Angelicus and Schubert’s Ave Maria. The spirituals will include traditional African American songs, including This Little Light of Mine, and the classical segment will feature solos and duets from well-known operas including the Marriage of Figaro and Carmen.
For O’Connor’s daughters, the concert has special significance.
“This concert is special to me because I enjoy singing with my mother at home and it means a lot to me to share it with other people,” said Heather O’Connor, a senior at Westfield High School who has been involved in musical theatre productions with the Westfield Theatre Group and the Exit 7 Youth Players. She is active in her parish, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, and has been a member of Girl Scouts since kindergarten and is a Silver Award recipient.
Morgan O’Connor shared a similar sentiment.
“This concert is special to me because I am singing with my mom and my sister,” said Morgan O’Connor, a sophomore in the graphic arts and communication department at Westfield Technical Academy. She too has participated in musical productions with the Westfield Theatre Group and Exit 7 Youth Players, and is an active Senior Girl Scout and a member of the board of directors for GSCWM.
The afternoon event will also feature mezzo-soprano Lisa Woods of Bella Voce and Scott Bailey, a collaborative pianist at Westfield State University, and the music director at the Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Westfield.
“Lisa Woods has fashioned a highly significant career as a soloist in opera, oratorio and recital, having appeared with Berkshire Opera Festival, Greater Worcester Opera, Panopera, Commonwealth Opera, Longwood Opera, Valley Light Opera and the Wilbraham United Players,” said Patricia O’Connor.
A $10 donation will be requested at the door. A reception with refreshments will follow the concert.
Patricia O’Connor is hopeful that area residents will turn out for the afternoon concert to support the Westfield girls who plan to participate in the international trip.
“The concert will be an afternoon of wonderful music and the proceeds are going to support our Girl Scouts,” said O’Connor, adding she has seen an increased focus in the community on the development of the arts. “This is another way for the community to come together and be exposed to this type of music without committing to an expensive, full-length production. I also feel it is important to encourage youth who put so much time and work and heart into sharing their art, which is really a piece of themselves.”
