LEWISTON — Trinity Church in Lewiston, long known for providing creative programs that benefit the city, has announced its newest effort – a series of concerts to be held monthly every second Saturday, in the beautiful and acoustically wonderful sanctuary of the church. The series, an eclectic collection of blues, country, jazz, folk, classical and avant-garde experimental music, will offer something for everyone throughout the year.

Mary Murphy, well known locally as an accomplished and energizing performer, will kick off the new series with a concert of blues and country music on Saturday, Sept. 14. Winner of state and international music awards, Murphy, a Maine native, is a singer-songwriter and indie recording artist who sings to your soul with a variety of music while accompanying herself on several instruments.

Also opening this first concert evening will be Lewiston native Danny Rand who has been playing contemporary, classical, sacred and jazz music on the cello for 15 years. He enjoys showing audiences that the cello, a classical instrument, isn’t just for classical music. Rand has performed with many orchestras over the years, including the Androscoggin Valley Community Orchestra, the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, the Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra and most recently the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra.

After a few successful trial concerts arranged by Denise Dill last year, a planning team of Dill, Greg Boardman, Fran Szostek and Klara Tammany decided to continue with a regular monthly series. The planning team named the new venue “The Room at Trinity” and describes it as “Lewiston’s newest neighborhood art and performance center, a heavenly place for community creativity.”

“You will be amazed at both the space and the sound it generates,” said Boardman of his experience performing at the new venue last December.

Singer-songwriter Dill, formerly of Lewiston, who has also performed in the space, said, “It is a gift for both the performer and the audience to experience art and music there. What better use is there for a sanctuary, than to offer it to the entire community?”

Other headlining artists scheduled for the 2013-14 season include cellist Benjamin Noyes, bassist-composer Chris Sprague and dancer Shana Bloomstein, who creatively combine cello and lap top music, with some dancing.

The Gawler and Boardman Families will offer a seasonally themed program of folk music in December. January will bring The Marty Lang Trio with rock and jazz covers. Carl Dimow and Jim Lyden are planned for February with a mix of folk, blues, jazz, and klezmer music. An evening of jazz is set for March with John Smedley and the Three Point Trio. April will feature an avant-garde show with Mystic Out-Bop Review followed by the electronic wizardry of Andrea Pensado in May.

All concerts will begin at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be offered at intermission. A donation for each concert is suggested at $10, with 20 percent of the income going toward Trinity’s effort at making its worship space available for community events such as the concert series. The remaining income will go to the performers. Trinity is at 247 Bates St., corner of Spruce St. across from the Lewiston City Park.

Spots are available for opening acts by local singer-songwriters, poets, storytellers and other artists. To offer your talents as an opener this year, or as a performer in next year’s series,  submit an application through www.theroomtrinity.wordpress.com. You can also follow the series progress on the group’s Facebook page.

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