Ivy's music helps provide shelter

by Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
A few local residents are in tune with fundraising, with the February 7 Calliope concert to benefit St. Francis House.

West End resident and Beacon Hill business owner Ivy A. Turner of Ivy Associates Inc. Real Estate, will play the cello in a concert to benefit the largest day shelter in New England. Turner will play a movement from the Piano Trio by Boston composer Amy Beach. “This is my first time playing with Calliope,” said Turner.

Other members from the Back Bay and Beacon Hill area participating in this concert include Lillian Enright, Edith Walker, Christina Liu and Marianne Staniunas.
Calliope is a nonprofit volunteer music organization serving the Boston community. Membership includes about 28 singers, more than 20 instrumentalists, and several nonperforming members.

"’Celebrating Women, Celebrating Men" is the theme for this concert, mirroring the work that St. Francis House does - helping men and women get back on their feet so they can make a contribution to their world, their community,” said Music Director Julia O'Toole. “This is the first concert Calliope is holding as a benefit for St. Francis House.”

Each year, Calliope chooses one non-music organization in Boston and the surrounding area for which to do a benefit concert. The program selected for that benefit concert reflects the mission or philosophy of the organization chosen. “The program celebrates men and women who have made great contributions to our world, including writers, composers, performing artists, and sacred and secular figures that are particularly inspirational,” said O’Toole. Featured artists include Mozart, Lewis Carroll, Marian Anderson, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Venus, Emily Dickinson, Virgin Mary, Amy Beach and Louis Armstrong.

A Bose Sound System will be raffled off at the concert, which is at 7:30 p.m. at Old West Church at 131 Cambridge St. Individual tickets, $35 general admission; $25 (students, seniors); $40 premium seating.

The nonprofit, nonsectarian St. Francis House provides food, clothing, daytime shelter, legal help, job skills, housing placement and medical and rehabilitation services for more than 800 men and women every day.

“Last year, we did a benefit for the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, and the program featured Vaughan Williams' ‘Dona Nobis Pacem,’ based on the writings of Walt Whitman, and other similar pieces,” she said.