Susie Pepper & Mixology delight crowd with a “Night at the Movies”

By Elizabeth Richards

           

The seventh season of Music with a Mission at the North Windham Union Church featured a lively, engaging “Night at the Movies” with Susie Pepper & Mixology on Friday, September 13, 2019.

Though the show included Disney and Pixar tunes, those certainly weren’t the only soundtracks the band drew from. The eclectic mix of songs came from movies that spanned many decades, from classics to recent blockbusters.

Susie Pepper

The group showcased their talents with an incredible range of styles, tackling everything from the jazz standard “As Time Goes By” from “Casablanca”, to Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic”, to Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” from “Armageddon”.

Pepper’s energy and style shifted appropriately with each tune, and it was apparent that she and the band were having a great time throughout the show. At one point, Pepper burst into spontaneous laughter as a young boy in the front row covered his ears when she started to sing “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”.  She paused, then picked up right where she’d left off.

Pepper displayed impressive vocal versatility, keeping songs true to the originals while also incorporating her own style into each song.  From the first song to the last, the show was engaging, lighthearted and fun.

The nonprofit chosen as beneficiary for this concert was Hope Acts, a Portland based organization. According to their mission statement, Hope Acts provides housing, English classes, and other resources to support immigrants in both their transition to life in the area and in achieving their goals for the future. Their vision statement reads, “We envision a community where immigrants are welcomed and empowered socially, emotionally, physically, economically and spiritually.”

Over the course of its seven seasons, the Music With a Mission series has raised more than $65,000 to support the church and community organizations. Their last concert of the season, which features The Bruce Marshall Group, will be held on October 5^th, 2019, and will benefit the Good Shepherd Food Bank. For more information visit www.mwamconcerts.com.