Published: July 18, 2008 08:57 am         

Music event will benefit restoration of long-abandoned Garrett church

GRANTSVILLE — The Mount Beulah Restoration Association is sponsoring a bluegrass country gospel music event at Trinity United Church of Christ on Twin Churches Road near New Germany on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Donations will be accepted to benefit the association, an organization formed to undertake the ownership and restoration of the Mount Beulah New Germany United Methodist Church, located along Twin Churches Road. The church was built in 1882.

Food will be available to purchase.

The Working on a Building gathering will feature old mountain music.

Bob Yonke, a watercolor artist and bluegrass entertainer, has assembled groups of vocalists and musicians for the event. A Pittsburgh resident, he spends much of his summer near Deep Creek Lake.

Several prints he donated of the watercolor titled “Country Church” will be raffled. The church has been abandoned for 30 years and needs some major repairs to restore it. Trinity United Church of Christ has donated its facilities for this event.

Entertainers will include:

• David Bittinger, guitarist, 11 a.m. to noon

• Hammers & Strings, Roy Peterman on bass, Scott Rush on fiddle, Chet Roth on guitar and Betty Mattingly playing hammer dulcimer and autoharp, noon to 2 p.m.

• Broken Glass & Rusty Hinges with Pat Skipper, Roger Kitzmiller, Bill Brenneman and Harold Fike, noon to 2 p.m.

• Loretta Hummel, singer/songwriter/guitarist, accompanied by Robert Broadwater, lifetime musician playing fiddle and guitar; Harry Minnick, harmonica; and Bill Nelson, electric guitar and dobro, 2 to 3 p.m.

• Country Gospel Quartet with Dick Miller, guitar/vocals/songwriter; Irv Ullery, guitar/dobro/vocals; Tom Woods, banjo/guitar/fiddle/vocals; Joe DeGiovanni, keyboard/bass/vocals, 3 to 4 p.m.