Free Summer Concert Series
The grounds of Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center will again resonate with the sound of a wonderful variety of music this summer. Gather your family and friends, grab a blanket or low-profile beach chairs, and make your way to our pavilion for this lively concert series. You are welcome to bring your own beverages and snacks to enjoy throughout the evening. Our grounds are magnificent, so come early to enjoy our walking paths or recenter yourself with a journey through our labyrinth.
These concerts are FREE to attend and no registration is required.
Thursday, June 27, 2024 – 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. – Sam Moffett and Friends
This show will be a combination of jazz standards, both modern and classic, as well as a few originals. Playing will be Sam Moffett on woodwinds, Michael Carabello on piano, Preston Murphy on bass, and Sarah DiMiceli on drums.
Thursday, July 18, 2024 – 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. – Dave Kenna
This evening of acoustic music, featuring plenty of original tunes, will leave you brimming with love and peace. Take the time to unwind and connect as you spread love, peace, and hope with your friends and neighbors.
Thursday, August 8, 2024 - 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. – Sam Moffet and Friends
This concert will feature mostly original music that delves into pop-rock and jazz fusion styles. Playing will be Sam Moffett on saxophone, Tony Davis on guitar, Andrew Wilcox on piano, and Sarah DiMiceli on drums.
Special Fundraiser for Haiti
Thursday, August 22, 2023 – 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. – Holy Family Music Ministers
Free-will offerings will be collected for Fr. Rick and the St. Luke’s Foundation in Haiti. The music will include classical, popular, and Broadway music and will be a wonderful chance to experience the great talent of some of Holy Family’s music ministers.
About our musicians
Sam Moffett
Born in West Hartford, CT, Sam Moffett has been working in professional music for over 15 years. Sam studied Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston (’16) and Music Theory at the Hartt School (’20). Sam currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at the Unitarian Society of Hartford, and has been a member of Holy Family’s music ministry for the last 12 years. Being a student of jazz for his entire life, Sam is incredibly grateful to Holy Family for the opportunity to help organize this concert series at Holy Family.
Dave Kenna
Dave Kenna’s musical journey spans fifty years, first on the family organ, from the family organ to the trombone (much to his mother’s delight), and finally to the guitar (to his mother’s chagrin). During the summer of 1982, Dave fell in love for the first and last time while discovering the true beauty of a well-written love song: one that could transform a fleeting moment into a lifetime memory. Though his formal music studies led him briefly to the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam (Renee Fleming’s alma mater), Dave’s true calling in Political Science beckoned. Nevertheless, he continued to compose love songs, extending his heartfelt tunes to his three children and even strangers. Now in retirement, Dave eagerly seizes every opportunity to share his music, including performances at Bradley Airport (every Thursday from 11:30 to 1:30) and Holy Family.
Holy Family Music Ministers
Whether we find ourselves on the brightest mountain tops or the darkest valleys of life's journey, sacred music lifts us in our struggles and gives voice to our joy. At Holy Family, music calms the anxious heart and awakens the soul to peace. Under the direction of master composer and arranger, Fr. David Cinquegrani, the music ministry includes a choir of 100 voices, handbell choir, children's' choir, chamber choir, and orchestra. The group performing on August 22 is just a small sample of the talent that we are blessed to have as part of our music ministry