Venues

St. Paul Lutheran Church

1123 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

St. Paul Lutheran Church is located at 1123 Washington Street in Lanesville, a historic village within Gloucester, Massachusetts. Situated between granite quarries and Ipswich Bay, this charming church has served the Cape Ann community for over 100 years, with roots deeply connected to the Finnish quarryworkers who settled in the area during the 19th century.

History and Architecture

St. Paul's history is closely intertwined with that of Finnish quarryworkers who came to Lanesville in the 1800s. The first Finnish Lutheran congregation in the area began in Rockport on April 3, 1893, known as the "Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Rockport, Pigeon Cove, and Lanesville," with services conducted entirely in Finnish. The original Lanesville Lutheran Church dates to March 1891 and met in a smaller chapel on nearby Norseman Avenue, where a reed-type pump organ provided musical accompaniment.

In 1940, the Lanesville congregation purchased the current church building—a structure with a fascinating history of its own. The building dates from 1876, when it began life as a Universalist church. Between its origins in 1876 and its conversion to St. Paul, the building served various purposes including a gymnasium and community meeting hall. At one point, lightning struck the abandoned building. The church was consecrated as St. Paul Lutheran Church in 1941, marking a new chapter for both the building and the congregation.

For the first decade in their current location (1941-1951), services were still offered in Finnish. Starting in 1951, St. Paul began offering services in both Finnish and English, eventually transitioning to English-language services. Some of the church's eldest members still recall learning Luther's Small Catechism in Finnish, though they themselves were primarily English speakers. Today, St. Paul services the communities of Rockport and Gloucester with a diverse congregation that maintains a continued strong Finnish presence.

Acoustics and Accessibility

The historic 19th-century building, with its traditional church architecture and intimate setting, provides wonderful acoustics for musical performances. The structure's age and thoughtful design create a warm, resonant sound that enhances chamber music concerts and other musical events. Musicians performing in the "Musicians Unleashed" series appreciate the venue's authentic character and the way the space allows music to resonate naturally. Like all of the orchestra's performance venues, St. Paul Lutheran Church is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair seating and access available to ensure that all members of the community can enjoy the performances held in this historic Lanesville landmark.

Community Significance

St. Paul Lutheran Church stands as a testament to the rich immigrant heritage of Cape Ann, particularly honoring the Finnish quarryworkers whose determination and faith helped build the community of Lanesville. The church continues to welcome all who wish to worship and experience music in this unique and historically significant space.

Crowell Chapel

Crowell Chapel, 4 Rosedale Avenue, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA

Crowell Chapel is a charming Gothic Revival memorial chapel located at 4 Rosedale Avenue in the center of Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts. Built in 1903, this architectural gem was commissioned by Susan Crowell as a memorial to her brother, Benjamin Franklin Crowell.

Architecture and Features

The chapel showcases classic Gothic Revival architecture, constructed with rose-granite ashlar stonework that gives it a distinctive and elegant appearance. Inside, visitors are greeted by beautiful oak box-ended pews and a stunning stained glass window created by renowned Boston artist Horace Phipps. The intimate space serves as a textbook example of small-scale restoration projects, with recent masonry grouting and HVAC retrofits carefully designed to control humidity for art concerts and performances.

History and Use

Originally used for funeral services when it was completed, the chapel was generously donated to the town of Manchester in 1904. Since then, it has been adapted for a variety of community uses including weddings, recitals, and readings. The chapel stands as a testament to both family legacy and community spirit, continuing to serve Manchester-By-The-Sea for over a century.

Acoustics and Accessibility

The chapel's Gothic Revival design creates exceptional acoustics that make it particularly well-suited for intimate chamber music performances. The rose-granite walls and carefully proportioned interior space produce warm, resonant sound quality that enhances the listening experience for audiences. Musicians appreciate how the natural reverberation of the stone structure allows even the most delicate musical passages to be heard with clarity and beauty. Like all of the orchestra's performance venues, Crowell Chapel is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair seating and access available to ensure that all music lovers in the community can enjoy these special performances.

Cultural Significance

Crowell Chapel has become a beloved local landmark and even made an appearance in the acclaimed 2016 film "Manchester by the Sea." Located within Rosedale Cemetery on School Street, the chapel provides an intimate and acoustically pleasing setting perfect for chamber music performances and other cultural events.

Gloucester UU Church

10 Church Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

The Meetinghouse of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church

The Gloucester Meetinghouse is an architectural masterpiece and historic landmark located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets in downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts. Built in 1806, it stands as the oldest surviving meetinghouse in the city and holds the distinction of being the home of the first Universalist congregation in the United States.

Architecture and Historic Features

This magnificent Federal-style building is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and exemplifies the finest traditions of early 19th-century New England ecclesiastical design. The meetinghouse features several remarkable historic artifacts, including a Paul Revere bell, a Simon Willard clock, and an original charter signed by freed slave Gloster Dalton—treasures that delight history enthusiasts of all ages.

The building's elegant interior retains most of its period architectural features, creating a space that seamlessly blends historic preservation with contemporary cultural use. The Gloucester Meetinghouse is also recognized as one of the first large historic buildings of its type in New England to achieve carbon neutrality, combining the best of preservation and green building practices through its clean-energy initiative TownGreen2025 in collaboration with Reforest the Tropics.

Historical Significance

The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church has a storied history as the first Universalist congregation in the United States, founded in 1779 by the Reverend John Murray and a small group of dissidents from Gloucester's First Parish Church. The congregation played a pivotal role in the fight for religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1786, the congregants sued and won a landmark ruling that they could not be taxed to support a church to which they did not belong—a decision that predated the adoption of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by five years.

Acoustics and Accessibility

The Gloucester Meetinghouse offers an unparalleled large entertainment venue with over 300 seats in world-class acoustics. The Federal-style architecture and carefully proportioned interior space create exceptional sound quality that makes the venue particularly sought after for concerts and musical performances. The elegant design, combined with the building's period features, produces warm, resonant acoustics that enhance every performance, from intimate chamber music to full choral works. Musicians and audiences alike appreciate how the historic space allows both the subtle nuances and powerful crescendos of music to be heard with extraordinary clarity and beauty. Like all of the orchestra's performance venues, the Gloucester Meetinghouse is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair seating and access available to ensure that all members of the community can enjoy the outstanding cultural programming offered in this historic space.

Community Hub

Today, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation—a secular nonprofit organization created in 2015 and modeled after the Old North Foundation in relation to Boston's famous Old North Church—manages large-scale preservation projects for the landmark building as it enters its third century of service. The foundation presents an annual selection of concerts, symposia, and civic events designed to engage and inspire the Cape Ann community, including the popular outdoor summer series Music on Meetinghouse Green.

Manchester Essex RHS

Manchester Essex RHS, 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944

Manchester Essex Regional High School is located at 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts, and serves the communities of Manchester and Essex. The school's 500-seat auditorium provides a wonderful acoustic setting for full orchestra concerts and serves as one of the primary performance venues for the Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra.

The School and Facility

Manchester Essex Regional High School has a rich history dating back to its origins in 1874, when Manchester opened a new high school in an existing building at the top of Bennett Street. The building was expanded multiple times over the decades and was named for Dr. Asa Story, a longtime member of the School Committee.

The current school building was completed in the summer of 2009 as part of a $49 million regional middle and high school project approved by voters from both Essex and Manchester. The new facility, which opened on September 9, 2009, is approximately double the size of its predecessor and features modern educational and performance spaces. The school serves approximately 490 students in grades 6-12.

Performing Arts Programs

Manchester Essex Regional High School has strong performing arts programs that make excellent use of the auditorium facilities. The school's band program has grown from 30 to 80 students over the years and performs at numerous school and community events. The chorus program, under the direction of Donna O'Neill=, expanded from 10 to 50 students within four years and includes the specialized Sound Waves ensemble, which has performed at prestigious venues including the North Shore Music Theater and Boston University.

Acoustics and Accessibility

The 500-seat auditorium at Manchester Essex Regional High School provides a wonderful acoustic setting specifically designed to showcase full orchestra performances. The modern facility, completed as part of the 2009 school construction project, features contemporary design elements that create excellent sound quality for both performers and audiences. The space allows the full dynamic range of an orchestra to be heard with clarity, from the most delicate string passages to powerful full-ensemble crescendos. Like all of the orchestra's performance venues, the Manchester Essex Regional High School auditorium is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair seating and access available throughout the facility to ensure that all members of the community can enjoy the orchestra's concerts in this excellent venue.

Ipswich High School

Ipswich High School, 134 High Street, Ipswich, MA 01938

The Dolan Performing Arts Center (commonly referred to as the Dolan PAC) is located at Ipswich High School, 130 High Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts. The 600-seat auditorium is part of a modern middle/high school facility that opened in September 2000, built at a cost of $31.9 million. Since 2018, the Dolan Center has served as one of the two main venues for the Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra's full orchestra concerts.

History and Namesake

The performing arts center is named after John F. "Jack" Dolan (1922-2013), a distinguished Ipswich resident who served in the Massachusetts State Legislature for eighteen years and was a pioneering advocate for conservation in Massachusetts. During his tenure as State Representative beginning in 1957, Dolan filed the bill that became the Conservation Commission Act, enabling communities throughout Massachusetts to create conservation commissions to protect natural resources.

Dolan was a World War II Navy veteran who served on the transport vessel USS Pastores and later as a gun crew captain on the USS Chicago. After the war, he returned to Ipswich where he married Lucy Eustace and entered local politics, eventually serving nine consecutive terms in the Massachusetts Legislature. Beyond his political career, Dolan was also a local historian who wrote a series of historical articles for the Ipswich Chronicle in the 1990s.

The Facility

The performing arts center was described as "an exciting part of the new facility" when voters approved the new middle/high school project in 1996. The Dolan PAC has been in operation since the building opened and serves as a venue for school concerts, plays, musicals, ensemble performances, school committee meetings, and occasional town meetings.

Acoustics and Accessibility

The 600-seat Gerald Dolan Performing Arts Center provides a wonderful acoustic setting specifically designed for full orchestra performances and theatrical productions. As a modern facility completed in 2000, the auditorium features contemporary design elements and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems that create excellent acoustics for both performers and audiences. The venue's careful engineering allows the full dynamic range of orchestral music to be heard with exceptional clarity, from delicate solo passages to the powerful sound of the complete ensemble. The Dolan PAC's technical capabilities include professional sound and video systems, sophisticated lighting, and versatile staging options that can accommodate everything from intimate chamber music to large-scale theatrical productions. Like all of the orchestra's performance venues, the Gerald Dolan Performing Arts Center is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair seating and access available throughout the facility to ensure that all members of the community can enjoy the diverse artistic programming presented in this excellent venue named for one of Ipswich's most distinguished public servants.