100th anniversary CONCERT SERIES

In 2005 Portsmouth celebrated the centennial of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty which ended the Russo-Japanese War and earned President Theodore Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize. The Portsmouth Peace Treaty Anniversary Committee (PPTAC) celebrated the historic role local people played as citizen diplomats during the peace conference. The PPTAC methodology for celebrating the 100th anniversary – creating a timeline of events of the Summer of 1905 based on local newspaper accounts, diaries and memorabilia collections – energized a vast array of participants to commemorate the Treaty in their own unique ways. The timeline revealed a truth not recognized previously – the effectiveness of citizen diplomacy in sustaining the negotiations through breakdowns and impasses that seemed insurmountable. This insight proved inspirational.
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The 15-week series of free Sunday concerts presented by Seacoast choral groups and individual musicians were all hosted by the Portsmouth Men's Chorus. The venues were chosen for their associations with the events of summer 1905.  Concert performances included: 

• • July 10: Seacoast Community Chorus, First Congregational Church, Eliot ME, Jul 10
  • July 17: Kelly Hathorne, flute/Angel Band; First Congregational Church, Kittery Point ME, Jul 17
  • July 24: Chorus Boston (Japanese language), North Church of Portsmouth, Jul 24
  • July 31: Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, The Music Hall, Jul 31
  • August 7: Japanese Musical Artists, South Church (Unitarian Universalist), Portsmouth, Aug 7
  • August 14: Catherine York Knowlton, piano; St. John's Episcopal, Aug 14
  • August 21: Larry Simon and Jazz Friends, Portsmouth Methodist Church, Aug 21
  • August 28: New Hope Baptist Church Gospel Choir, New Castle Congregational Church, Aug 28
  • September 4: Nevers Band, Service of Peace re-enactment, Christ Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, Sep 4
  • September 11: Massed Choir, Portsmouth High School Auditorium, Sep 11
  • September 18: York First Parish Congregational Church Men's Choir, Women's City Club, Sep 18
  • September 25: John Perrault & Friends, United Methodist Church, Eliot ME, Sep 25
  • October 2: Amare Cantare/Opus 39, Green Acre Baha'i Conference Center, Oct 2
  • October 9: ARC Trio, Rye Congregational Church, Oct 9
  • October 16: Portsmouth Men's Chorus/Portsmouth Women's Chorus, South Church (Unitarian Universalist), Oct 16

​The concert series was made possible thanks to The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation,  Portsmouth Ministerium, The Women's City Club and:
Benefactors
Ahlgren,Perrault & Turner PA
Centrix Bank & Trust  
Consul General of Japan in Boston 
Foreign Motors of Durham, Inc. 
Kensington Stobart Gallery 
McLane Law Firm   
Mulhern & Scott, PLLC  
John & Sharon Osborne  
Pax World Funds   
Synergetics Worldwide, Inc. 
Robinson Boesch Sennott & Aeschliman, PA    
Mr. & Mrs. Cyrus B. Sweet III

Patrons
Liberty Mutual Group  
New England Homes, Inc.
Terrie Harman and Tom McCarron 
M. Christine Dwyer & Michael Huxtable
Jeffrey & Elisabeth Robinson 
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Taylor

Backers
Buyer's Brokers of the Seacoast 
Law Offices of Justin C. Caramagno, P.A.
Jim & Gail Carolan  
Ray Cornils
Lois Fonda   
Ganz Law Office
The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Golledge 
Eric & Constance Johannessen
Allen Lurvey    
Bob & Nancy Merriman  
Murphy Auction & Realty  
Dennis Paul Robillard, Inc.  
Jean Sawtelle   
Mr. & Mrs. David Sanderson  
Mr. & Mrs. John Butler Smith 
Gerry S. Weidema   
The Woodland Group  
Woodland Professional Associates

Friends
Susan Anderson   
John & Irene Bush
Suzanne & Richard Garrison 
Ann H. Graf
Jaci and Otto Grotte  
Lyle & Phyllis Harman
Bob Haft    
Shel & Elaine Krasker  
Helen & Richard Kruppa  
The McCurdy Family  
Nita Messina   
Money Law Offices, PLLC
Ethel Mundy   
Susan Rakaseder
John Robinson & Lis Anderson 
Judy Ringer
Tom Roy   
David A. Taylor
Heather & Len Thomsen  
Matthew Tufts
Jody White