On Sunday, July 12 at 6 PM, Music, Gettysburg! will present a concert entitled “Elsie Singmaster: One Author, Two Locations,” to support the documentary film being made about Elsie Singmaster Lewars. While admission is free, every penny of the offering received will go to support this project to shine a light on one of Gettysburg’s most famous residents.
In the early to mid-20th century Elsie Singmaster Lewars was one of the most popular and honored authors in America. A Gettysburg resident and community force, her novels and short stories appeared in literary journals, popular magazines, newspapers, and anthologies. Her subjects ranged from Pennsylvania German life to the Civil War to American history, and her intended audiences included children, young adults, and grown-ups. From her home on Seminary Ridge, she led the development of the Adams County Library System and the Adams County Chapter of the Red Cross, and contributed to the life and growth of Gettysburg Seminary, of which her father was president.
Now there will be a major documentary film about her life and work. Produced by honored Gettysburg film-makers Jake Boritt and Leah Bordatto, it is being spearheaded and based on the scholarship of Susan Hill, who has been researching Singmaster for decades. The documentary, supported by the Macungie Historical Society and the Adams County Historical Society, will be filmed in Gettysburg and Macungie and will include scenes in her homes and selections from her writings.
To make this filming possible, the benefit concert will be held in the Gettysburg chapel of United Lutheran Seminary, just across the street from the house she lived in for most of her adult life, now the president’s residence. The concert will include narrative, printed quotations from articles and letters, and music inspired by her life and work. Performers include baritone Wayne Hill, soprano Susan Hochmiller, violinist Ryan Kozack, organist Jonathan Noel and an ensemble of several talented young Adams County singers.
More information about the concert is available at www.musicgettysburg.org or by writing info@musicgettysburg.org