Join us is Dover, New Hampshire, for our 20th Anniversary Celebration!

S  U  N  D  A  Y   •    O C T O B E R     2  6 ,   2  0  2  5   •   6  P M

Performing

Mark Hayes, Conductor & Pianist
INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN ARRANGER & COMPOSER
Mark Hayes was raised in a creative musical environment, beginning piano lessons at age ten and developing his improvisational skills at an early age. He earned a B.M. in piano performance, magna cum laude, from Baylor University. During his college years his dream of becoming a composer and arranger was born and nurtured. Now an internationally known writer, conductor, and concert pianist, his career has blossomed into international tours to Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa and Canada.

Hayes’ music is found in the music libraries of churches and universities around the world. His compositions and arrangements are known for their unique American sound, drawing from such diverse musical styles such as gospel, jazz, pop, folk and classical. Mr. Hayes’ personal catalog, totaling over 2,000 published works, includes work for solo voice, solo piano, multiple pianos, orchestra, jazz combo, small instrumental ensembles, and choruses of all kinds. He is honored to have his music regularly featured at ACDA, MENC and Chorus America conventions. Hayes is regularly commissioned by churches, universities, children’s choruses, and community choruses to write original choral works. The Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale, under the direction of Charles Bruffy, has recorded Hayes’ large works for chorus and orchestra. (more)

The Venue

First Parish Church
218 Central Ave, Dover, NH 03820
(603) 742-5664

Ours is the oldest parish in New Hampshire and is one of the oldest in the country. The Parish was gathered in 1633. For years it was the only church in Dover, serving as a meeting place for town, public and religious gatherings and was supported by general taxation.

Early settlers built our first meetinghouse at Dover Point in 1634, not far from the Spaulding Turnpike exchange for Dover and Durham. A Small well-cared-for plot of land on Dover Point Road is owned by the church and marked as the location of our second meeting house, built in 1654.

In 1762 our church was incorporated as a parish, distinct from town affairs. The present building on Central Ave is the fifth meetinghouse for First Parish Church.

Since 1829, this building has been the "home" of the First Parish family... a center in and from which people of all faiths and needs have been both givers and receivers of compassion and service, warmly and freely extended in Christ's name.
In recognition of its treasured history and simple New England beauty, this building appears in the National Register of Historic Places.

Preserving and adding to the heritage of First Parish Church is a responsibility entrusted to the Historical Committee. Members of this committee will welcome your questions about long-ago or more recent church history.​​ (Read more here)

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