Tag Archives: Christ Church

Little Rock Look Back: MacArthur Returns….to Little Rock

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General MacArthur and Mayor Remmel

General MacArthur and Mayor Remmel

On Sunday, March 23, 1952, General Douglas MacArthur made his only post-infancy visit to Little Rock. He had previously been scheduled to visit Mississippi, and Little Rock Mayor Pratt Remmel had persuaded him to add a visit to Little Rock to the agenda. The fact that Little Rock now had a Republican mayor had apparently piqued the General’s interest.

General MacArthur, accompanied by his wife and son as well as several journalists and members of his military retinue, arrived at Little Rock Airport at 10:40 am. He was met by a delegation of civic leaders including Mayor Remmel. Alderman James Griffey made welcoming remarks on behalf of the city. Then the General and Mayor boarded an open car and led a motorcade from the airport to downtown.

The motorcade’s destination was Christ Episcopal Church at Capitol and Scott streets. It was at this church that MacArthur had been baptized as an infant. The delegation was greeted by the Episcopal Bishop R. Bland Mitchell, Rector J. Hodge Alves, and Rector Emeritus W. P. Witsell. (While he had been Rector, Dr. Witsell had garnered national attention by issuing an Easter blessing to Gen. MacArthur as he had been evacuating the Philippines at the height of World War II.) In order to gain admittance to the church that morning, church members and guests had to have tickets.

Following the worship service, the General and his party went to three events in the park named in his honor. The first was a tour of the Museum of Natural History (now the Museum of Discovery and located in the River Market; the current tenant of the building is the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History), which was located in the building in which the General had been born. After the tour, he spoke at a dedication of a small rose garden adjacent to the museum. It was sponsored by the Little Rock City Beautiful Commission and the Garden Clubs of Greater Little Rock.

Though every stop of the General’s visit had featured crowds, the largest was at the third location in MacArthur Park. A crowd of several thousand greeted the General as he spoke from the Foster Bandshell in the park’s southwest corner. Chamber of Commerce president Richard C. Butler (brother-in-law of Mayor Remmel) was the master of ceremonies. Following an invocation by Methodist Bishop Paul Martin, the only other speaker was the General. In his remarks he spoke of his Southern heritage and of his appreciation for the support of the citizens of Little Rock over the years.

Several gifts were bestowed upon the MacArthurs at the ceremony. The City of Little Rock presented Mrs. MacArthur with an engraved silver serving tray.

Following the events in MacArthur Park, the family retired for a brief respite to the Hotel Marion. They then attended a luncheon buffet in their honor at the home of Howard and Elsie Stebbins on Edgehill Road. The General and Mrs. MacArthur circulated through the house greeting guests and then eschewed a special table in favor of balancing their plates on their laps and sitting in wingback chairs. Meanwhile Arthur MacArthur stayed upstairs and discussed stamp collecting and other hobbies with the Stebbins’ two teenage sons.

Following the luncheon, the MacArthur party went back to the airport and by 4:00pm, the plane was in the air.

Though this visit was coming at the end of a whirlwind of activities, by all accounts, the General and Mrs. MacArthur were very gracious and accommodating. The General was being mentioned as a potential GOP candidate for President, but purposefully steered clear of any political comments in his remarks. He and Mrs. MacArthur dutifully posed for photos not only for the media but also for amateur photographers. At lunch, the General even asked a Gazettephotographer to take a photo of him with his Little Rock Police motorcycle escorts so that they could have a souvenir of the visit.

Kevin Kerby returns to The Undercroft tonight

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kevinkerbyBack by popular demand!  Kevin Kerby plays at one of Little Rock’s newest music venues when he performs tonight at The Undercroft. It is located on Capital Avenue just east of Scott Street, in the undercroft of Christ Church.

The concert starts at 8 p.m. The cover charge is $10 at the door. The space is on the campus of Christ Church; the entrance is through the sidewalk-level red door on Capitol Avenue east of Scott Street.

Kerby has long been one of those songwriters about town who has consistently created great music. It’s a streak that stretches back to before his days in Ho-Hum, and includes time in Ho-Hum, Mulehead — with its four albums of Arkansas rock — and other bands. Following the end of Mulehead, Kerby wrote and recorded two solo albums. First came The Secret Lives of All Night Radios, and then, picking up backing band Battery, Beautiful & Bright.

Little Rock Look Back: The first steps to Little Rock government

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LR sealLittle Rock started functioning as the capitol of Arkansas in June 1821. But by 1825 the settlement know as Little Rock was little more than a loosely defined group of structures. One hundred and eighty-nine years ago today, on October 27, 1825,Territorial Governor George Izard signed legislation which started establishing a framework for Little Rock to function as a city.

It established that Little Rock citizens could elect a board of trustees to decide matters. Those trustees would choose one of their own to be a presiding officer. Though Little Rock would not be officially incorporated until 1831, this was the first step towards incorporation. The first trustees, elected for 1826, were Robert Crittenden, Joseph Henderson, Nicholas Peay, Bernard Smith and Isaac Watkins. Smith was chosen to be the presiding officer.

Crittenden had been largely responsible for the relocation of the capitol to Little Rock, where he owned a lot of land. He was a major political force in Arkansas politics during the territorial days. Watkins was a nephew of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He had established the first tavern in Little Rock in 1821 and later he first mill in 1826. He was murdered in 1827 and the perpetrator was never captured.

Peay bought the tavern from Watkins in 1826 and continued in the tavern and hotel business the rest of his life. He later served on the Little Rock City Council and was acting mayor. His son Gordon Neill Peay served as Mayor of Little Rock. The Peay family also cofounded Worthen Bank and Christ Episcopal Church. Nicholas Peay’s great-great grandson Joseph B. Hurst, Sr. served on the Little Rock City Board from 1967 to 1970. Mr. Hurst’s daughter-in-law, Stacy, is currently on the City Board.

Tonight at the Undercroft – the one the only – the Bonnie Montgomery

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Bonnie MBonnie Montgomery plays at one of Little Rock’s newest music venues when they perform tonight at The Undercroft. It is located on Capital Avenue just east of Scott Street, in the undercroft of Christ Church.

​Arkansas born and bred Bonnie Montgomery is a classically trained composer and opera singer by day and country queen by night. Bringing her raucous spin on traditional southern music to honky-tonks throughout the U.S. and Europe, Bonnie’s catalog hails from a place where outlaw country saddles up with Americana and folk.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. The cover charge is $5 at the door. The space is on the campus of Christ Church; the entrance is through the sidewalk-level red door on Capitol Avenue east of Scott Street.

For information about the new performance space The Undercroft, contact Rev. Scott Walters at Christ Church at swalters@christchurchlr.org or 501-375-2342.

 

Farm to Church Gala Celebrates History and Looks to Future

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FarmtoChurchThere is no doubt that Little Rock’s cultural scene is brightened by the explosion in culinary artists over the past decade or so.  Many of these talented chefs, farmers and foodies are often partnering with museums, theatres, galleries and concert venues to promote healthy eating and an enhanced culinary experience.
Saturday, September 13, there is another example of this.  This time they are partnered with not only a historic structure, but with an outreach program to promote healthier habits.  As part of its year-long celebration of 175 years in downtown Little Rock, Christ Church is hosting a fundraising gala benefiting one of its newest ministries. Green Groceries is a Christ Church fresh food ministry serving low-income neighbors in need.
The event will feature extraordinary fare prepared by renowned chefs Lee Richardson, formerly of Ashley’s; Matt Bell, South on Main; Brandon Brown, Hillcrest Artisan Meats; and Justin Patterson, Southern Gourmasian.  In addition there will be offerings from Loblolly Ice Cream, Green Cuisine, Geek Eats, and Rock Town Distillery.
Saturday, September 13, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Bowen Hall at Christ Church.  Reservations are $100, available now at the church and online at christchurchlr.org

Dublin Guitar Quartet today at 3:30 at Christ Church

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DublinGuitarQuartetDescribed as a “quartet with a difference” by the Irish Times, the Dublin Guitar Quartet is a one-of-a-kind classical guitar ensemble that occupies a unique space in the wider chamber music world. It is the first classical guitar quartet devoted to new music. Since its formation at the Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama, DGQ has worked to expand the limited repertoire by commissioning new works and adapting modern masterpieces from outside of the guitar repertoire. Audiences can expect an explosive, entertaining, and completely novel concert experience.

With the help of eight and eleven-string guitars the quartet has created an original catalogue of arrangements by composers such Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Arvo Part, and Gyorgy Ligeti. DGQ’s work has brought the attention of some of the world’s leading composers. Recent activity includes a forthcoming release on Philip Glass’s Orange Mountain Music label, and a new 25-minute commission by New York’s Michael Gordon. The ensemble is also included on a recent recording performing Arvo Part’s Summa. The quartet worked with the composer in making the arrangement and received guidance during the recording process. The arrangement will be published by the composer’s own publisher Universal Edition.

In 2010 the quartet were involved in a very special performance of Repentance for cello, guitar trio and double bass by celebrated Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. The composer was present as they joined the amazing Russian cellist Ivan Monighetti in a concert in St. Peter’s Church, Drogheda. DGQ’s recording of this work was released on the LCMS label in March 2012. In 2008, the quartet was honored to share the stage with legendary American composer Philip Glass in St. Patrick’s Cathederal, Dundalk. After hearing the quartet’s arrangements of two of his string quartets, the composer described them as “quite beautiful.” In 2010, DGQ performed the entire set of Philip Glass quartets to great acclaim.

Other performance highlights include the opening concert at the inaugural Guitar Festival of Ireland in 2004, which included performances by John Williams and Louis Stewart. In 2004, the premiere of Four Guitars by internationally acclaimed composer Kevin Volans was broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, Ireland’s leading classical music and arts radio station. A premiere of Tilt by Donnacha Dennehy at the National Concert Hall as part of the 2006 Dublin Electronic Arts Festival (D.E.A.F.) was also broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM.

Dublin Guitar Quartet has been successful in bringing new music to new audiences. It has played alongside rock groups such as The Redneck Manifesto (Dublin) and Final Fantasy (Canada); performing in venues such as Vicar St., Whelan’s of Wexford Street, Project Arts Centre, Crawdaddy, and the Roisin Dubh in Galway. The quartet was also invited to perform at the Crash Ensemble’s ten-year anniversary concert in 2010.

The DGQ are also developing the electric side of the guitar quartet repertoire with works like Nagoya Guitars and Electric Counterpoint by Steve Reich, and a forthcoming commission for electric guitar quartet by Michael Gordon.

The Dublin Guitar Quartet is supported by Music Network and the Arts Council of Ireland.

Tickets are $15, $10 for students.

The concert starts at 3:30pm at Christ Episcopal Church, Scott and Capital Streets in downtown Little Rock.

Tonight at The Undercroft – Kent & Beci Coffey

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undercroftKent & Beci Coffey play at one of Little Rock’s newest music venues when they perform tonight at The Undercroft. It is located on Capital Avenue just east of Scott Street, in the undercroft of Christ Church.

Kent & Beci are talented musicians and vocalists equally at home with bluegrass and the blues.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. The cover charge is $5 at the door. The space is on the campus of Christ Church; the entrance is through the sidewalk-level red door on Capitol Avenue east of Scott Street.

For information about the new performance space The Undercroft, contact Rev. Scott Walters at Christ Church at swalters@christchurchlr.org or 501-375-2342.