Mansion Concert and Music Party

04/03/2026

Last call from the Music Hall

03/30/2026

My weekly message to our Mansion Concert mailing list took on a spiritual tone this week with our next concert scheduled for the day before Easter.

The Church of B-flat
"Services" now scheduled for April 4th

Over the years, I’ve noticed something curious in my own playing. I often find myself drawn—sometimes without thinking—toward keys and capo positions that bring me into tonal centers where B♭ quietly appears as the tonic, the subdominant, or the dominant (the familiar 1, 4, and 5 of the scale). Even when a piece is written in A, G, or D, I’ll often shift my capo or tuning into A♭, B♭, or E♭. And I have joked for years that when I do this, I’m heading off to the “Church of B-flat.” It turns out, there may be a reason for that.......(read more)

Read the entire message here:
https://mailchi.mp/6998de58a8e4/mansion-concert-501c3-news-5859936

Learn more about our next concert
https://events.humanitix.com/an-evening-with-richard-smith-live-in-concert

03/24/2026

Calling All Listeners - Please
Still accepting registrations


Richard Smith in Harrisburg PA on April 4, 2026 at Mansion Concert and Music Party . Read more at:

http://eepurl.com/jCq21I

03/14/2026

Strings That Bind
Inside Harrisburg’s Intimate Guitar Concert Series

The room falls quiet as the guitarist settles into his chair. A thumb brushes the low E string, and the first note hangs in the warm air of the River Room overlooking the Susquehanna. No microphones blare, no bar glasses clink. Just eighty or so listeners leaning forward as wood, wire, and human touch become music.

Every guitarist remembers the first time they formed a cleanly fretted chord. The notes rang out, and something inside shifted. For Harrisburg-area resident Tim Alexander, that moment came decades ago while holding a well‑worn nylon‑string Sears & Roebuck guitar—a humble beginning that left a tone in his memory long after the room fell silent.

Today, that same reverence for the instrument—its ability to speak without words—lives at the heart of Mansion Concerts Inc., the nonprofit concert series Tim and his wife, Polly, host in the River Room at The Manor on Front.

What began as a gathering of friends and fellow pickers has grown into one of the region’s most respected listening‑room concert series, celebrating live acoustic artistry in an intimate setting where the sound is pure and the audience is close enough to watch every note take shape.

Something quietly magical happens in this room.

Over the past decade, the series has quietly become a stop on the touring circuit for some of the world’s finest acoustic guitarists. On concert nights, the space functions less like a venue and more like a listening room in the old folk tradition.

Why It Matters Now?

In an era when most new music is discovered through headphones, streaming services, and screens, Mansion Concerts reclaim one of music’s oldest traditions: gathering people in a room to listen together.

The Alexanders’ volunteer‑driven nonprofit model ensures that nearly every dollar raised supports the artists themselves, sustaining a touring circuit where craftsmanship and community still matter.

Sitting only a few feet from the performers, audiences rediscover something easily lost in the digital age—the quiet electricity of music shared in real time.

How to Attend

All Mansion Concerts are held in the River Room of The Manor on Front, 2917 North Front Street in Harrisburg. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended due to growing demand. For upcoming shows and information, visit www.mansionconcert.com and follow the Mansion Concert and Music Party on Facebook for update.

03/13/2026

Looking forward to Liz Longley concert in Oswego NY on 3/21. Very excited to say that 70% of the Richard Smith 4/4:concert seats are filled with more than 3 weeks to go...Lots of interest in the 2026 Harrisbird Cafe on 6/27....and then...Martin Taylor comes in August. Damn this retirement thing is working out nicely.

03/10/2026

Putting "Mo" into Momenum - Richard Smith on 4/4

http://eepurl.com/jBdg32

03/07/2026

For those who love the guitar, few evenings promise more delight than the return of English guitarist Richard Smith on Saturday, April 4. Richard first performed for us nearly ten years ago, and the memory of that extraordinary evening still lingers among many who were there. This spring, he returns for his second Mansion Concert and for the very first time will fill the River Room at The Manor on Front with his remarkable musicianship.

Richard possesses what can only be described as an encyclopedic repertoire. In the span of a single evening, he may glide effortlessly from the elegance of Bach to the dazzling fingerstyle traditions of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, and onward to the swing and fire of Django Reinhardt. Yet it is not only the breadth of music that captivates audiences. Richard’s playing combines astonishing virtuosity with a natural musical storytelling that makes each piece feel alive in the room.

Equally memorable is Richard himself. With a quick wit and the quietly understated humor of an English gentleman, he turns each concert into an intimate and joyful conversation between artist and audience. If you have not yet experienced Richard Smith live, April 4 offers a rare opportunity to discover why guitar lovers around the world speak of him with such admiration.

Read more at www.mansionconcert.com

03/05/2026

And I cannot appreciate the Undiscovered Music Network any more than I already do. We have Richard Smith on 4/4/26

https://undiscovered.music/members/show/251765

03/01/2026

New Friends – Good Friends – Best Friends

https://mailchi.mp/a0310d2be614/mansion-concert-501c3-news-5858956

Get invited to a Mansion Concert and Music Party -- NEXT UP --Richard Smith - April 4, 2026 -- 7 PM - Harrisburg PA.

01/16/2026

If you love intimate, listening-room style shows, here’s a video preview of what we do at Mansion Concerts. The Young Fables are new to Mansion Concerts but pretty soon we expect them to fill The Manor on Front with a waiting list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgk51K1z22Q

Sign up at:
https://events.humanitix.com/an-evening-with-the-young-fables

The Young Fables create music with classic storytelling weaved into traditional country roots music with pop sensibilities. East Tennessee (Maryville) native...

12/29/2025

2026 FORWARD CALENDAR

An Evening with The Young Fables – Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford
(Classic Storytelling with Country/Pop Sensibilities)
River Room Concert at The Manor on Front
Saturday, February 21, 2026 — 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:00 PM
https://www.theyoungfables.com/

An Evening with Richard Smith – Acoustic Guitarist Extraordinaire
River Room Concert at The Manor on Front
Saturday, April 4, 2026 — 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:00 PM
https://www.richardsmithmusic.com/

Mansion Concert’s First Harris Bird Café
A Songwriter Showcase with artists:
Kevin Neidig, Corinna Joy & Lucas Gienow
River Room Concert at The Manor on Front
Saturday, June 27, 2026 – 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:00 PM

An Evening with Martin Taylor – Jazz Guitarist
Saturday, August 29, 2026 – 7:30 PM
Doors open at 6:00 PM
https://martintaylor.com/

An Evening with Scott Ainslie – Acoustic Blues Music of the Deep South
River Room Concert at The Manor on Front
Saturday, October 24, 2026 — 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:00 PM
https://cattailmusic.com/

An Evening with Liz Longley – Songwriter, Vocalist, Poet
River Room Concert at The Manor on Front
Saturday, December 5, 2026 — 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:00 PM
https://www.lizlongley.com/

Laurel Wright and Wesley Lunsford make up the Nashville based, award winning Americana/Folk/Pop duo The Young Fables

12/10/2025

https://events.humanitix.com/an-evening-with-the-young-fables?_gl=1*wjyz7h*_gcl_au*NTUxMjkyNzgzLjE3NjUyNzgwNTU.*_ga*MTA5NzQ1ODM5NC4xNzY1Mjc4MDU1*_ga_LHKW5FR9N6*czE3NjUyNzgwNTUkbzEkZzEkdDE3NjUyNzg0MTYkajM0JGwwJGgw

On Saturday, February 21, 2025, The Young Fables (Laurel Wright & Wes Lunsford) will perform in the River Room at The Manor on Front (Doors at 6 / Show at 7).