Welsh Hymn Festival celebrates music, heritage

Welsh Hymn Festival celebrates music, heritage

NILES — The 82nd Niles Gymanfa Ganu (Welsh Hymn Festival) will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in McKinley Memorial Auditorium, 40 S. Main St. The public is invited to this free event.

The festival celebrates the heritage and music of Wales. Traditional Welsh hymns are sung in both English and Welsh.

Musical director is Geraint Wilkes, who was born in Wales and now lives in Milwaukee. The Shenango Valley Chorale will perform a number of selections, accompanied by Tina Grieg. Featured soloist will be Megan Elizabeth Morris of Austin, Texas, formerly of Youngstown. Morris was silver medalist at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 2006. Accompanists will be Sally Sampson of Deerfield and Jane Bartholomew of Hermitage, Pa.

After the choral presentation and singing, a traditional Te Bach (small tea) will be held.

Cellist, pianist plan concert at church

YOUNGSTOWN — Cellist Vit Fiala and pianist Amy Vinisko will perform music by Brahms, Faure, Ravel, Rachmaninov and Sibelius at a 2 p.m. concert Sunday in St. Patrick Church on Oak Hill Avenue.

Fiala, a Franciscan friar originally from Czechoslovakia, trained at the Conservatory of Prague and studied cello with renowned European cellist M. Apolin. Donations will be accepted to benefit the Franciscans.

For information, call St. Patrick Church rectory, (330) 743-1109, or the office of the Shrine of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, (330) 799-1888.

Heritage Day includes craft demonstrations

MESOPOTAMIA — The annual Mesopotamia Fall Heritage Day will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Mesopotamia Commons, Route 534. Admission is free.

Artisans in traditional Amish and Yankee crafts will demonstrate their skills, and crafters in period costume will give demonstrations, including soap making, quilting, rag rug weaving, basket weaving, apple butter cooking, candle making, leather working and spinning. A quilt will be raffled.

Foods will include homemade ice cream, apple butter, candy apples, Amish baked goods and an Amish lunch stand. Old-time cars will also be displayed.

Sister Jean the Ragtime Queen will perform ragtime on the piano, accompanied by several washboard players who get children to participate. In the afternoon, an 1800s-style hymn sing will be held in a nearby church.

For more information, contact Ridgeview Farm at (440) 693-4000 or Eli Miller at (440) 693-4448. Information can also be found at Mespo.com.