The Community Music Project will be hosting a concert this weekend to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Submitted photo

Celebrations for America’s upcoming 250th birthday are being held nationwide as the day comes nearer, and locally the Community Music Project is set to host a special concert with 1700s based music coming up this weekend.

The concert is set to take place at SS Peter and Paul Church, 508 Cherry Street, on Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m. Featuring the CMP Chorale and Chautauqua Chamber Singers, the program will include a selection of early American choral works, highlighting the diverse musical traditions that shaped the country’s cultural beginnings. The concert is free and open to the public.

Joe Braeger, CMP general manager, said the nonprofit wanted to hold this concert to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The CMP Chorale did a concert in the fall, featuring about 80 singers from all over Chautauqua County, and featuring mainly New York State composers, with the plan to do the May concert.

“It seems to be a big deal all over the country, and we thought we would jump on the bandwagon to celebrate,” Braeger said.

Alongside the CMP Chorale and Chautauqua Chamber Singers, Dennis Webster will also be doing some narration, which Braeger said they are calling “A Historical Journey Through American Music.”

“I called Dennis Webster and we had copied some script pointing out some historical facts about composers and lyricists and music that was sung in the 1700s and 1800s,” Braeger said. “So, it’s kind of like a little history lesson supported with music.”

Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution have also been invited and will be in attendance, welcoming audience members while dressed in their Revolutionary War period outfits.

The Community Music Project has a number of followers and patrons that come to support them, but besides them, Braeger said people who are interested in choral music, and free concerts should be interested in coming. He added that the concert is free but CMP also accepts donations and free will offerings.

“It’s uplifting,” Braeger said. “It’s a wonderful space, Ss. Peter and Paul, for a concert and it will be a feel good moment, it really will. I think it will take you mentally, historically back to what music sounded like 250 years ago or more.”

CMP has been in existence for around 40 years, and in that time Braeger said they have been providing music to the Jamestown community, drawing the community together, and supporting the arts in Chautauqua County. Additionally, he said the CMP Chorale and Chamber Singers give people an outlet to come out and meet with people with similar interests and hone their skills. The concerts are not so much about singing, he said, but rather about being with people who are like-minded and enjoy doing what they are doing. There is also no audition to join, and anyone can come sing.

“The Community Music Project works very hard at providing music to the community, providing an ensemble or group that challenges each singer in some way, to give each singer a sense of fulfillment and learning,” Braeger said. “I think the concert will hopefully transport the listeners to what music was back in the 1700s and 1800s. We get so used to listening to sounds now that these will be very different sounds.”

Many of the words and lyrics will be political in nature, as Braeger said music was used as a rallying cry during the Revolutionary War.

Braeger encouraged anyone interested in joining the Community Music Project to find more information on their website, cmpsings.com. Anyone is welcome with no pressure or audition or payment as it is free to sing and attend. The group is on hiatus for the summer and continues again in August, with a concert probably around November. Anyone interested can email Braeger at jbraeger@communitymusicproject.com.