Youths raise $400 for church organ

BANGOR – For a small church in Bangor, the Sunday before Thanksgiving was truly a day to be thankful.

Forest Avenue Congregational Church was alive with music when nine teenagers performed a bit of community service and raised $400 to help the church buy a new organ. Part of the group will follow that with a Dec. 13 performance at Bangor Public Library.

“The concert was a great success and a complete blast,” said Kristyn Murphy, 17, senior at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor. Murphy was asked last summer to organize the fundraiser show for the church.

The show offered a variety of performances and musical styles.

Performers were Alyssa McIntyre and Ben Verrill, Alexander and Gabrielle Price, Mike Lalime, Justin Murphy, Angela Frankland, Kille Branson and Kristyn Murphy.

This Christmas season, some of those musicians will share the stage with Murphy, who encourages people – especially those with young children – to mark their calendars for a special performance at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at Bangor Public Library.

“All musicians are inspired at some point in their lives to start studying an instrument,” Murphy said. “It would be wonderful if we can inspire some of the area’s children, during our library Christmas concert, to do just that.”

Murphy, who has been singing since she was a tot, released her first solo album, “To the Glory of God,” in 2006.

Refreshments will be served.