The Forum @ St. Ann’s presents the second annual summer concert series, this year to benefit St. Ann’s Pop-up Pantry. The Forum is the arts and culture program of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights.

The series of concerts to be held on Thursdays at 6:00 pm, June 10 through September 2, 2021, kicks off next Thursday, June 10, with an event featuring Nora Brown on banjo playing traditional music of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. Young Nora has appeared at the TED Salon, Joe’s Pub, and the Brooklyn Folk Festival, among other spots in NYC, and in venues across the country. Musicologist and filmmaker John Cohen says of Brown, “She sings of experiences way beyond her years, old songs from Appalachian sources and stories that reflect a more difficult way of life.”

At each of our concerts, we will invite guests to make a donation to our food pantry. St. Ann’s Pop-up Pantry was launched one year ago, in June 2020, in response to the increased food insecurity in Brooklyn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In our first weeks in operation, we gave away fewer than 20 bags of groceries per week. The program quickly evolved, and we now consistently give 100 or more bags of non-perishable groceries and fresh produce to our pantry guests weekly. To date, St. Ann’s Pop-up Pantry has provided groceries to feed over 9000 people, and the need shows no sign of stopping.

We could not do this without the generous support of church members and loving neighbors who donate food, funds and many volunteer hours. Concert goers can bring non-perishable food items or make a financial donation to the pantry so that we can maintain our support for our community.

Stay tuned for the whole roster of performers – and come enjoy great music while helping us help others!