After a successful first season, we’re excited to announce the return of the Summer Series Musical Event, hosted by our Music Director, Aaron Knodle. This year, the Summer Series is offered during three afternoons of uplifting, inspiring, and joy-filled music, each one uniquely themed.
Looking Back: Highlights from Last Year
Last summer, our sanctuary came alive with the beautiful sound of music from Disney favorites and Broadway sing-alongs to timeless classical and reimagined folk tunes. The talent, the sense of community, and the generosity on display made it truly memorable. For those who were able to attend, you helped make it special.
Highlights from Last Year's Performances:
- <<Link One>>
- <<Link Two>>
2025 Summer Series Lineup
Mark your calendars! Each event begins at 3:00 PM in the Sanctuary:
1. A Celebration of Nature – Sunday, June 1
This concert is a performance of western art music themed around celebrating nature in all its forms. Composers over the ages have drawn inspiration from nature, whether from bird or other animal sounds, the wind, flowers, or other elements of nature, and in an age when climate change is threatening to destroy our planet and natural environment, a celebration of nature feels fitting. This concert will feature Bethany’s beautiful Carlson Memorial pipe organ, piano, flute, voice, recorder, trombone, and guitar.
2. Broadway in Love: From Cautionary Tales to Happily Ever Afters – Sunday, June 29
“Broadway in Love” brings familiar and lesser-known tunes to Bethany, walking the audience through the many different facets and manifestations of love ranging from songs of first, hopeful love, to betrayal and heartbreak, to familial love, and many others. This concert will bring back well-known voices performing a variety of musical theatre composers’ takes on love and longing.
3. Crystal Keys Trio in Concert – Sunday, August 3
The Crystal Keys Trio is a newly formed piano, flute, and clarinet trio based in Crystal Lake, IL, featuring Keith Hulen (clarinet), Cynara Pierzina (flute), and Ayesha Chetty (piano). In the last year, they performed at Encore Music Academy and the Summer Sundays 2024 concert: A Journey Through American Folk Music. They will be performing a range of music both written for this combination of instruments as well as arrangements of music originally intended for other ensembles.
The concerts are free to the public, however, this year, all proceeds from the freewill offering taken at each concert will go to Youth and Family Center of McHenry County (YFC). YFC provides a range of services for youth and families in McHenry county, including youth programs, adult education, bicultural support, and community gardening.
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