The Palace Cultural Arts Association will present the Bluegrass-Gospel band GRAIL at the Marion Palace Theatre May Pavilion on Friday, October 26 at 8:00 pm. What started as an occasional song at a local Marion, Ohio church has evolved into the band GRAIL, and the group carries on the tradition of Bluegrass and Gospel music.
GRAIL presents an acoustic instrumentation and tight harmonies that define Bluegrass and Gospel music. Micky Bloomfield (bass,vocals), Craig Schertzer (guitar, vocals), Bruce Seckel (guitar, vocals), and Vern Sizemore (banjo, vocals) make up GRAIL, and welcome you to join the growing family of GRAIL Bluegrass fans.
Bruce Seckel, guitarist for the group, explained the roots of GRAIL.
“It was only supposed to be an occasional song at church. The new pastor was trying hard to move the WASPish congregation beyond its traditional comfort zone. As a Black Jamaican, with a stereotypical Caribbean accent, he had some advantages right from the start,” explained Seckel. “He wanted something different than traditional hymns. He pestered us, three childhood friends and the fourth a friend because of similar age and love of music. The pastor kept pushing us to tap that love of music. I’m not sure he really had our music in mind, but in January of 2006, what would become the band GRAIL, debuted at the worship service. We belted out several Bluegrass-Gospel numbers, and I think to everyone’s surprise, they were well received.”
More people heard the band over the next few months and the band was invited to perform at other venues. GRAIL’s song repertoire has evolved to a dual emphasis on good Bluegrass and Gospel and has proven to be a popular mix.
The Bluegrass genre fits the group perfectly. Vern Sizemore is an accomplished banjo player. Mickey Bloomfield and Bruce Seckel cut their teeth on Bluegrass music. Craig Schertzer is a recent convert to Bluegrass but is an experienced singer drawn to the beauty and harmony of the music. GRAIL works hard to infuse their love of this music in every performance.
GRAIL’s songs are an interpretation of the traditional sounds of the American bred music.
“Bluegrass, in general, attempts to reproduce the hauntingly beautiful sounds of nature and incorporates these sounds, which evoke an inexplicable, visceral response in the listener. These are the sounds familiar to hard working people in a pastoral setting. Bluegrass music documents their everyday experiences – that faith in friends, family and God are the only insulation to the harsh realities of life,” explains Seckel.
GRAIL is sponsored by WMRN-AM. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the Palace box office, 276 W. Center St. in downtown Marion or by phone at 740/383-2101. Box office hours are 9:00am-5:00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and closed Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Throughout the 2012-2013 season, the May Pavilion will act as a showcase for hometown favorite artists. Seating will be at tables on the main floor and mezzanine levels creating a club, cabaret or coffee house atmosphere. A cash bar and concession items are available for purchase.
Information for all shows and tickets is also online at www.marionpalace.org.
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