Bethany Art Series begins Sunday

Musical talent is a precious gift which can inspire, engage, and entertain. Bethany Lutheran Church will feature the exceptional musical talents of Casey Nielsen and Christy Bennett at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave. in Crystal Lake.

Casey Nielsen began studying classical guitar at age 13 with Roosevelt University professor Paul Henry. Discovering a love for jazz music, he began separate lessons with Chicago jazz guitarist Neal Alger. Casey received his bachelor's degree in jazz studies from Northern Illinois University where he studied extensively with internationally renowned guitarist Fareed Haque. In 2008, he was selected to participate in Northwestern University's master class with guitarist David Russell. Lapis Trio was formed in 2014 and includes Mike Harmon on bass and Bob Garrett on percussion. Casey has performed at solo and chamber music concerts and makes a living teaching and performing throughout North America.

Christy Bennett is a Chicago freelance musician. As a jazz singer, she performs solo and with groups specializing in original compositions and jazz standards. As an educator, Christy has taught voice and piano at the Academy of Music and Art and is director of education at Accessible Contemporary Music in Chicago's Ravenswood area.

The Oct. 23 program will feature music from several different eras in two parts.

The first half of the program are songs Casey did not write, but wishes he had. He arranged them for soprano and guitar: Andre Previn (b. 1929) piece "Soft People" is from his 1995 opera, "A Streetcar Named Desire"; "Trois Melodies" was composed in Paris, 1930, by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992); Igor Stravinsky wrote "Berceuses du Chat" ("Cat Lullabies") in 1915 for contralto and three clarinets; Poulenc (1899-1963) composed "Fleurs" from the song cycle "Francailles Pour Rire," composed in 1940; "Little Four Paws" is from "Five Songs for Contralto," written in 1960 by John Cage (1912-1992); Cage also composed "Three Early Songs" in 1933; Rufus Wainright (b. 1973) composed "Vibrate" in 2003.

The second half of the program was composed from 2011-2016 by Casey Nielsen and will be performed by The Lapis Trio. Songs include "Scatological Humor," "Hymn" and "Clave."

Information on the performers can be found at www.CaseyNielsen.com and www.ChristyBennett.com.

Bethany Lutheran Church is a community of faith committed to gathering people together for renewal and service. Located at 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave., the congregation has a global mission with a downtown Crystal Lake center. Bethany Arts Series presents several musical programs each year to inspire, comfort, entertain and engage the community. The concert is hosted by the church with a free will collection. A brief reception will follow the concert with the performers.

For information, visit www.BethanyCL.com or www.facebook.com/BethanyLutheranCL.