Musicians tune up for ‘Spring Tea and Jazz'

Warwick — Composer and pianist Dr. David Crone and tenor saxophonist Frank Petrocelli, both of Warwick, will be featured performers at Christ Church’s “Spring Tea and Jazz” fundraiser. Seatings will be held at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, at the parish hall at 50 South Street in Warwick. Crone and Petrocelli are both seasoned performers, who easily move between the classical and jazz worlds, while also teaching choral music and instrumental music, respectively, at Monroe Woodbury High School. At one time, Crone was the director of artistic education and assistant conductor of the Harlem Boys Choir. He is presently the director of the Pro Arte Chorale in Bergen County, N.J., director of the Community Choral Society of Vernon, N.J., and a composer of vocal and instrumental music. He has prepared choral groups for performances of classical works by Beethoven, Haydn, and Orff, among others, with the New Jersey Symphony. Additionally, Crone has lent his keyboard and conducting talents to the pit orchestras of numerous musical plays in the Warwick schools. He holds an undergraduate degree from Berklee College of Music, a masters degree in conducting from Temple University in Philadelphia, and a doctorate from Seton Hall. Petrocelli, originally of Liberty, holds both a masters and teaching degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. He has performed at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival and Grand Rapids Jazz Festival, and has played in numerous jazz clubs in New York City. He also plays clarinet, flute, and piano, and he teaches saxophone privately. The “Spring Tea and Jazz” will be a feast for all of the senses, as jazz sounds provide a backdrop for the tea itself, an array of handmade classic savories and sweets served in the parish hall tearoom. Community businesses have donated an array of gift certificates, handcrafts, and merchandise, which will be raffled during both seatings. Also, fresh flowers and plants will be available for purchase for Mother’s Day giving. All proceeds will be used to further the work of the church, which includes long standing commitments to local outreach organizations such as Warwick Food pantry, Warwick Meals-on-Wheels, St. Margaret’s Soup Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity in Orange County, and Christ Church Thrift Shop. To reserve tickets, calling 986-1774. Reservations are guaranteed only upon receipt of payment to: Christ Church, 50 South Street, Warwick NY 10990.