St. James Epsicopal Church Celebrates 175th Anniversary with Carrie Newcomer Concert in Dexter

The congregation of will be celebrating its 175th anniversary with a special concert featuring Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer on June 23.

Newcomer will be making her first southeast Michigan appearance since the release of her latest CD, "Everything is Everywhere" in 2011. The album is a collaboration between Newcomer and famed Indian musicians Amjad, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan, with proceeds from sales benefiting the Interfaith Hunger Initiative.

"We're very excited to bring Carrie to Dexter," pastor Carol Mader said. "Her music is very spiritual but not overtly religious. The songs speak to our day, with a lot of longing for meaning, justice and love."

After releasing 13 albums, touring with Alison Krauss and Union Station, and being named one of the 50 most influential folk musicians in the past 50 years, Newcomer continues to turn heads in the music world.

"She's the kind of artist whose music makes you stop, think and then say, 'that is so true'" the Dallas Morning News wrote in a press release.

"Often, a lot of what I write about is finding something sacred in an ordinary day. We live such busy lives that it’s very easy to not be present in our own life. We’re all so busy, but then when we’re here in the present moment, that’s when your life happens. That’s when I see miracles. That’s when the story happens," Newcomer said. "You can’t write about a story if you’ve missed it because you were too busy."

Mader, a longtime friend of Newcomer's, said the church congregation wanted to do something special to recognize its anniversary while also hosting a public event for families affected by the .

"It's been three months since the tornado hit Dexter, and people are slowly make their way back home. This concert will give families an evening to relax and take their minds off of their troubles," Mader said.

The two-hour public concert will take place at the Dexter Performing Arts Center inside . Tickets are $20 and can be purchased via PayPal on the church's website, www.stjamesdexter.org, or reservations can be made by contacting the church at 734-426-8247.

Mader said students and anyone who can not afford a ticket can attend the concert for free.

"We're not going to be turning anyone away," she said.

The church is asking attendees bring a canned food item to donate to Faith in Action. Newcomer will be available to sign copies of her album after the concert. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.carrienewcomer.com.