ORANGE — Echoes of the four lost towns flooded in the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir are coming to area churches in the form of blaring brass instruments.
Two free concerts from the Pioneer Valley Brass will kick off this coming season of the Dana Vespers, a series of musical performances set up by a trust fund of the First Universalist Parish of North Dana in the 1930s.
The first concert is Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Central Congregational Church on South Main Street in Orange at 4 p.m. The second will be the next day at the Montague Community Church at 4 p.m. The two concerts are the 784th and 785th Dana Vespers performances, respectively.
According to Maureen Riendeau, the First Universalist Parish of North Dana was forced to leave town in the 1930s because of the flooding and creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, which now provides drinking water for much of the Boston area. Sisters Catherine Mason and Mary Hale set up the Dana Vespers trust fund to memorialize their church parish — “vespers” means an evening church service of prayer and often song. The fund is still managed by descendants and friends of the parishioners. Along with Dana, Prescott, Enfield and Greenwich were flooded for the reservoir’s creation.
Riendeau said the concerts will showcase holiday music specially arranged for a brass quintet, including songs like “Joy to the World,” “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” “Sleigh Ride” and “All Christians Sing,” though the musical programs are subject to change.
“Musicians in the Pioneer Valley Brass are well known throughout the area, and include Dick Tandy and Curtis Coolidge on trumpet, Jim Engele on horn, Jeri Bannister on trombone and Joe Hoye on tuba,” Riendeau said in a statement.
Other Dana Vespers concerts scheduled are on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the First Parish Unitarian of Hubbardston, and Sunday, Dec. 15 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Greenfield.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.