Arts at the Abbey
A series of artist concerts performed in the Abbey Basilica, Arts at the Abbey provides free cultural opportunities on the Belmont Abbey College campus for students and the community at large. Performers include locally, nationally and internationally recognized artists and ensembles. Previous seasons have included musicians from Germany, Poland, Venezuela, Peru and Australia. Variety is the key element to the series which features programs from classical guitar to flute and harp or 18th century chamber music with voice.
The concerts are supported in part with funds from The Associated Foundation (Belmont, NC) and Gaston Community Foundation with assistance from Sam Stowe of Belmont, and Karen Hite Jacob, organist for the Abbey Basilica and Belmont Abbey College. The concert is open only to Abbey students, faculty and staff.
To be on the mailing list or for more information about The Arts at the Abbey program, please call 704-461-6012 .
Persons wishing to make a contribution to this series can send in a check made payable to “Belmont Abbey College: Arts at the Abbey” and mail it to Karen Hite Jacob, Artists Series Coordinator, BAC, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd, Belmont NC 28012 .
The Abbey Chorus: The Abbey Chorus is the campus choral ensemble made of up students, faculty and other interested persons. The ensemble primarily performs sacred works of the past 500 years but also does a variety of secular music from folksongs to musicals. The chorus is under the direction of Abbey organist Karen Hite Jacob.
Abbey Instrumental Ensemble: The ensemble is a campus group of diverse band and orchestra instruments made up of students, faculty or other interested persons. Under the direction of Samuel P. Stowe, III, they perform two concerts during the academic year and provide music for other campus events.
Abbey Artists in Residence: Carolina Pro Musica, Karen Hite Jacob, founder, director.
Carolina Pro Musica of Charlotte , North Carolina , was established in 1977 to promote music before 1800 with historic instrument copies and in the performance style of the periods. The ensemble has received grants from state and local arts councils in the Carolinas and the National Endowment for the Arts. A Christmas music compact disk was funded by the Service Center of the Hearst Corporation. In the USA, they have performed for consuls general and honorary consuls of Germany , France , Britain and The Netherlands and have performed locally with international artists from Poland , Peru and the United Kingdom. They have offered the American premieres of cantatas by J.A. Hasse, the rediscovered “Gloria” by Handel and a commissioned work by American composer Margaret V. Sandresky. Tours abroad have been to Poland and to London where they performed four programs including music at Handel’s House. The ensemble is currently in the 42nd season of early music concerts in the Charlotte area. They have been artists-in-residence at Belmont Abbey College since 2002.
Carolina Pro Musica
Karen Hite Jacob, director, harpsichord
Rebecca Miller Saunders, soprano
Holly Wright Maurer, viola da gamba, recorder
Edward Ferrell, recorder, traverso, voice
Information: www.carolinapromusica.org