Musical Duo to Offer Family Concert November 13

On Sunday, November 13, there will be music and more at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 537 Bolton Street, Marlboro as the inaugural “Performance at St. Stephen” takes place with a concert by Pastor Ed and Ruth Voosen.  The presenters predict a “casual and relaxing” afternoon for the whole family, offering mostly familiar folk songs, show tunes, country favorites, and possibly a sing-along to engage the audience.
     Some of the audience will undoubtedly be engaged by the pre concert activity — the afternoon program begins at 3 pm with an Ice Cream Buffet.
    The Voosens bring not only their voices — he is a baritone and she is a soprano — but also a variety of instruments, from flute to banjo to traditional guitar to a 12-string guitar, as well as interesting history. 
    There is no fee for the concert, but donations are welcome.  A free will offering will be taken to help fund St. Stephen teens who will attend the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans.
    This versatile couple has been making beautiful music together for decades. Ed and Ruth  met at Wagner College, each coming in with a love of music, and married two years later. 
— As a member of the band, The Capitals, as a teen, Ed appeared twice on TV on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour.
— Ruth played the flute in bands and orchestras including All State Band, and sang first soprano in the Wagner College Choir.
— Ed founded and directed the Pinecrest Folk Choir, which recorded two albums and toured the eastern US.  Ruth sang in the choir.
— Together, they have gone on more than 100 cruises, with Pastor Ed as the Protestant chaplain. During those trips, Ruth enjoys playing hymns on flute with Ed on guitar. In addition to cruises, the Voosens have organized and led trips to Israel, Scandinavia, and Germany.
    Ed Voosen was educated at Princeton University and the New York Theological Seminary. Ordained by the Lutheran Church, he served congregations in Brooklyn, NY and Auburn, MA, and retired in 2010. Ruth earned a BS in nursing at Wagner College and is a registered nurse. She has worked in a psychiatric unit in Brooklyn, has been a college health nurse at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and served as a nursery school teacher. The Voosens have three children and seven grandchildren.
    For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com  or the church’s Facebook page. Saint Stephen is a member of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.elca.org) . The church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, inviting people of every gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, or class. Parishioners come from Marlborough, Hudson, Berlin, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Stow, and Bolton
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