Day of Music

Enjoy an afternoon of music this fall! The Ephrata Cloister Associates will present its annual Day of Music from 1:00PM to 3:00PM on Sunday, October 11, on the grounds of Historic Ephrata Cloister.

At 1:00pm, Phyllis Sands will perform Classical Piano in the Visitor Center Auditorium.

Phyllis Sands grew up in Sinking Spring and started piano at 3 years old. Played for Sunday School in 2nd grade and played for church wedding at 9 years old. Graduated from West Chester U with Music Ed degree and masters equivalency from Performing Arts of Philadelphia. Taught at Wilson for 22 years and now teaches part time at Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Ephrata. Organist at St. JOHN S Reformed Sinking Spring and Peace UCC in Denver.

At 2:00pm, The Ephrata Cloister Chorus will perform in one of the community’s most recently revitalized spaces, the Amphitheater, filling the site with voices as it was centuries ago. In the event of inclement weather, the Ephrata Cloister Chorus performance will be moved to the 1741 Meetinghouse, the Saal.

The Day of Music concert by the Ephrata Cloister Chorus will include compositions composed here at the Cloister, a Pennsylvania Dutch song about the Germans arriving in Baltimore in the colonial era, a “fun” song “Schpinn, Schpinn” which is about a mother and daughter and a task that the mother wants for her daughter to do. They will also have several pieces of other communities of early America such as the Shakers, and the Moravians. There will be a time of audience participation using hymns found in the hymnal published in 1852 for the Snow Hill Community (sister to the Ephrata Cloister) and used in the final years of the Ephrata community.

These musical performances invite audiences to enjoy the rich musical legacy of the 18th century featuring original compositions by members of the historic Ephrata community as well as selections from other early American musical traditions, European classical works, and global musical traditions.

During this event, visitors are welcome to walk around the grounds, listen to the musical performances, and shop at the Shady Nook Barn, the Museum Store at Ephrata Cloister. Seating on-site is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair and arrive early for the best seating options. This event is rain or shine.

Join us for this special musical event celebrating the enduring legacy of music at Ephrata Cloister!