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TRYON—On Saturday at 3:30 p.m., the Scholarship Committee of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church hosted a pre-Bastille Day concert fundraiser. 

The fundraiser aimed to raise funds for two students at Camp Henry and one sophomore at USC-Upstate, Richon Carson, whom the Scholarship Committee is currently sponsoring. Carson has twice made the Dean’s list and is about to become a residence counselor in the fall. 

Jay Booker, Richon Carson’s grandmother, spoke about her grandson, saying, “His success has been very rewarding for me and my family. Good Shepherd has been generous, and their scholarship, along with others he applied for and was awarded, has paid for his first year in college.” 

Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national holiday in France, celebrated on 14 July yearly. The fundraiser featured a tasting of homemade tarts, quiches, pâtés, and desserts. It also featured an art show displaying French landscapes, primarily featuring scenes of southern France by local artist Marilyn Owens. 

“My work is representational, oil and acrylic, and I was a bit surprised I had as many pieces from my trips to areas around France as I did with me since I moved here from New York,” Owens said of her paintings. “I painted one on every trip I made to France.” 

Attendees were treated to a musical recital focusing on composers from Jean-Philippe Rameau to Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy, as well as songs immortalized by Édith Piaf and Jacques Brel. Performers included artists Mari Hashimoto, Constance Green, Peter Kutt, Alex Rowland, and accomplished vocalist Sher Harris, known for winning NATS competitions for her soprano voice. Harris sang Jacques Brel’s “Ne Me Quitte Pas” with Hashimoto.

“This is my first performance at Good Shepherd, and I appreciate Cathy Jones, who was my Italian professor last year, for inviting me,” Harris said.

The fundraiser also announced a forthcoming companion class in conversational French with a cooking demo scheduled for Saturday, July 27. This class will review the vocabulary needed for discussing food and one’s preferences concerning the culinary, musical, and visual arts. The cost of the class is $10 for congregants and $15 for the general public, with a $10 discount on the total cost for those attending both the concert and the companion class.

To reserve a place for the companion class, call (828) 329-2217.