UUCB Concerts for a Cause announces the lineup for this season’s concert series featuring performances hosted by the UU Church of Brunswick as a part of the church’s commitment to the arts and to supporting the important work of local non-profits. Each performing group is chosen for its musicianship, appeal to a variety of audiences, popularity, and cost versus expected income. The concerts are meant to encourage the community to come together in celebration of music and giving back. Over the course of the 10 years that the church has been hosting concerts, more than $40,000 has been raised for 12 local charities.

The 2024-25 season will include folk, jazz, blues, Celtic, and choral singing. This season’s charities receiving 100% of the profits from the concert are Brunswick Area Teen Center and Maine Family Planning. All concerts are at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. For further details about the concerts, go to https://www.uubrunswick.org/events/.

Upcoming Concerts

Pousette-Dart DUO – Friday, Sept. 20

The first concert of the series will be the Pousette-Dart Duo (Jon Pousette-Dart and Jim Chapdelaine), formerly of the folk-rock group Pousette-Dart Band.

Pousette-Dart Band was a mainstay of album radio in the 70’s and a favorite on the college circuit, becoming one of the busiest touring groups in the US working with such acts as The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, The Eagles, James Taylor, and The J. Geils Band. They released four albums of harmony-filled, country-tinged folk-rock, and got plenty of radio play with songs including “Amnesia,” “What Can I Say,” and “Freezing Hot.” As a duo, they perform decades of music from the Capitol years up to the latest solo releases.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $10 Students/Children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/pousette.

Sally Rogers & Claudia Schmidt – Saturday, Oct. 19

For decades, Sally and Claudia have been playing at prestigious folk venues around the world and were regulars on Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion.” They are well-known for beautiful harmonies, dulcimer & guitar duets, and a wide repertoire of originals and traditional songs.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $10 students/children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/sallyrogers.

Novel Jazz Septet – Saturday, Nov. 23

Novel Jazz Septet, one of Maine’s premiere jazz groups, is now in their 20th year of keeping the musical legacy of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn alive and swinging. The band embarked on a project to go through the massive archives at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as well as the Strayhorn Collection at the Library of Congress. finding compositions by Ellington and Strayhorn, transcribing some lesser-known gems for the band and reinterpreting them with a 21st century sound.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $10 for students/children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/noveljazz7.

David Mallett – Saturday, Jan. 11

Maine’s own singer-songwriter David Mallet is one of America’s true troubadours. In a career that spans four decades, Mallett has recorded 17 albums and has performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across the US, Canada and Europe. He has appeared on numerous broadcasts, including National Public Radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” Known for his carefully written, poetic offerings, his body of work has provided material for more than 150 artists, including Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, John Denver and even the Muppets, and his “Garden Song” has become an American folk classic.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $10 Students/Children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/mallett.

Women in Harmony – Saturday, March 15

Women in Harmony is a Portland-based chorus of 60 women’s voices, which has been singing for social justice for over 20 years. It is a diverse group of gay and straight, musically sophisticated and musically untrained women who unite in song and a spirit of fairness. Women in Harmony is dedicated both to musical excellence and social justice.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 Students/Children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/womenharmony.

Guy Davis – Saturday, April 12

Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author, and songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address, the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, and $10 for students/children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/guydavis.

House of Hamill – Saturday, May 17

The upcycled Celtic folk trio, House of Hamill, features Brian Buchanan and Rose Baldino of the Celtic folk-rock band Enter the Haggis. They are both accomplished traditional fiddle players and classical violinists, with over 25 years of writing and performance experience between them. They write unusual new fiddle tunes and exciting, unpredictable original songs while breathing new life into traditional and contemporary songs. A third full-time member, Caroline Browning, recently joined the duo, playing bass, mandolin, and vocals. Their music occupies a space between traditional Irish and sophisticated indie folk.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, and $10 for students/children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/house.

Susan Werner – Saturday, June 14

Susan Werner is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who has built a reputation as one of the country’s most compelling live performers. She has been playing to sold-out audiences across the country for 27 years. Renowned as a charismatic performer, she’s known above all for challenging herself to conquer new styles every few years. She writes ambitious concept albums with subject matter and sounds to match. She has produced 18 albums of songs that effortlessly slide between folk/rock, jazz, Tin Pan Alley to gospel, country, and pop, all delivered with sassy wit and classic Midwestern charm.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $10 Students/Children and are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/swerner.