AUBURN—Concerts for a Cause, the new fundraising concert series at the First Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist in Auburn, will host legendary singer-songwriter David Mallett at its next performance at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 3. The concert, which will also raise funds for the local youth charity New Beginnings, will be held in the church’s sanctuary.
Concerts for a Cause is a new concert concept begun in the autumn of 2016 at the church to bring special concerts to the L/A community while raising money for area charities. The concerts are produced by local musician and church choir director Dave Rowe with a lot of help from a committee of church members.
Rowe is proud to host David Mallett in the series. “David has always been one of my favorite songwriters. Some kids look up to Superman, Batman and Robin, or any other number of ‘super heros’ as kids. For me, David Mallett was one of those ‘heros’. My late dad, Tom Rowe, introduced me to his music on long car rides to his own gigs with Schooner Fare, and I just fell in love with David’s imagery and his unique way with putting words and music together. He has the stunning ability to paint pictures with his songwriting—something I’ve always tried to emulate with my own writing, but never quite mastered as he has. He is a gift to us here in Maine.”
Named one of the most memorable “Mainers”—along with Marshall Dodge, Andrew Wyeth, E.B. White, Stephen King, Edna St. Vincent Millay—Mallett’s songs are filled with passion, evocative imagery, and a sense of the inevitable passage of time. The struggle of the common man and the loss of American towns and landscapes are the subject of many of his songs.
In a career spanning four decades, Mallett has recorded 14 albums, had several hundred covers of his songs, including the American folk classic “Garden Song (Inch by Inch, Row by Row),” and performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across the U.S., Canada and Europe. He has appeared on numerous broadcasts, including National Public Radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” Known for his carefully written, poetic offerings, his body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, John Denver and the Muppets.
New Beginnings, which will receive funds from this concert, is a local charity that has served runaway and homeless youth and Maine families in crisis since 1980. Their complete continuum of services provides an essential “safety net” for young people in Maine who do not have stable family support and are at risk of homelessness. Each year, New Beginnings provides 700 children, teens, and adults with opportunities for the safety, connection, and growth.
For tickets or more information about this David Mallett concert and other Concerts for a Cause, visit <http://www.uuconcerts.org> or call the church at 207-783-0461.
