43
Hallewell headlines benefit concert for The Banquet in Salem
By LINDA M. LINONIS
salem
Will “Butch” Hallewell will headline a benefit concert July 12 for The Banquet in Salem.
Hallewell is a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where the Rev. Connie Sassanella is pastor. She is president of the board of The Banquet in Salem.
Hallewell, a singer/songwriter, often entertains during the community meals.
His free concert planned from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Salem Memorial Waterworth Park on Superior Avenue will be a mix of country/western, love and patriotic music. Concert rain date is Aug. 16.
Donations will be accepted at the concert and also may be sent to The Banquet in Salem or to P.O. Box 792, Salem, OH 44460.
Last year, Hallewell’s benefit concert raised $3,000. Pastor Connie said those proceeds covered the cost of six banquets, providing meals to about 200 people at each. The concert is the prelude to the celebration of the 10th year of The Banquet in Salem, which begins this year and continues into 2014.
Hallewell is no stranger to “church” music. For much of his life, he attended Bethel Lutheran Church in Boardman, where his mother, Mary Hallewell, was organist for more than 45 years.
He is minister of music at Holy Trinity and lends a musical note to a vacation Bible school offered by Holy Trinity and Emmanuel Lutheran churches and St. Paul Catholic Church.
Hallewell is a self-taught guitarist; he’s been playing about seven years. Music was his salvation during what he described as a “midlife crisis” when he turned 50 last year. “It was my outlet to get over it,” he said.
He traveled across America to Washington state to visit his daughter, Hannah Fast. Hallewell’s discovery of Montana “as my favorite state” resulted in the country-beat tune, “Back to Montana.”
He is a self-proclaimed “huge fan of all things western.” And that means the western United States, western music and old-time country and western music. “We were raised on John Denver music, and I grew to love it,” he said.
At Holy Trinity, he’s part of a praise band, which he said “started on its own.” Young musicians are Chloe Kyser on bass; guitarists Halle and Abie Cochran and Daniel Mikol and drummer Jacob Mikol.
Hallewell said the praise band helps instill the idea of “outreach” in young participants. And, he said, it gives them experience playing for an audience.
He said he’s motivated by his faith to present the concert to benefit The Banquet. “It’s my philosophy ... to be a church ... you have to reach out,” he said. He said study of the Gospel gives the directive to help people.