Music, history and community come together at Hawthorne House Benefit Concert

By Masha Yurkevich

Music and history will come together at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, when the Redbird Duo will perform a benefit concert at one of the treasured historic landmarks of Maine, Hawthorne House, located at 40 Hawthorne Road in Raymond.

The Redbird Duo, consisting of the husband
and wife musicians Red and Lorraine Gallagher 
of Standish, will perform a benefit concert at
6 p.m. Thursday, July 10 at the Hawthorne 
House in Raymond. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Hawthorne House is the restored boyhood home of renowned American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Admission will be $25 per person and includes wine and cheese with proceeds from the evening to benefit the Hawthorne Community Association, the nonprofit organization responsible for the restoration, preservation and ongoing maintenance of the historic property, helping ensure that the landmark continues to serve as a cultural and community gathering place for years to come.

For Red Gallagher, one half of the Redbird Duo, the performance is another opportunity to do what he has loved for decades – bringing people together through music.

The Redbird Duo consists of husband-and-wife musicians Red and Lorraine Gallagher of Standish. Their musical partnership began naturally after their personal relationship blossomed.

"About 26 years ago, I met Lorraine at a bookstore," Gallagher said.

The pair remained friends for six years before marrying 20 years ago. At the time, Gallagher was already performing professionally as a full-time musician. It was not long before he discovered Lorraine's own musical talents.

"I found out she played guitar and sang and had pretty good amateur experience playing at coffeehouses," he said. "She has a beautiful voice, and it was just a natural progression that we started singing and playing together."

Since then, the duo has performed throughout Maine at community events, senior residences, house concerts and nonprofit fundraisers. They entertained audiences for nearly a decade at the Fryeburg Fair and have become known for their warm, acoustic performances featuring timeless songs from the 1960s and 1970s.

"We are folk rock," Gallagher said. "We love the acoustic singer-songwriters of the '70s, such as Carole King, James Taylor, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell.”

Judging by audience response, the music performed by the Redbird Duo’s remains as popular as ever.

"We find people still love that music," he said. "So, we keep doing it."

The concert will serve as a fundraiser for the Hawthorne Association, which owns and maintains the historic Hawthorne House. Proceeds from admissions will help preserve the historic property and support future programming.

For Gallagher, community events like this are essential.

"The Town of Raymond supports this historic place and is keeping it alive by providing interesting programming to their surrounding community," he said. “They have a historic building that they are using for uplifting and fun events. We are very honored that they wanted us to contribute."

Although Gallagher has spent more than 50 years as a professional musician, his career has evolved over the decades.

"In my youth, I was playing at bars and restaurants and resorts from nine at night until one in the morning," he said.

For the past two decades, he has focused almost exclusively on daytime performances for seniors in nursing homes, assisted living communities and retirement residences throughout southern Maine.

Whether performing for residents living with dementia or independent seniors, the experience is equally meaningful.

"We have fun," he said. "People sing along, clap along and participate. It draws them out of their rather dreary lives living in a nursing home."

That connection with audiences has become the most rewarding aspect of his long musical career.

"It is what I do for a living," he said. "But seeing people enjoy themselves – that's what makes it worthwhile."

The July 10 concert offers audiences more than an evening of familiar songs. It provides an opportunity to support historic preservation while enjoying live music in the intimate setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne's restored boyhood home.

Because of the nature of the historic building, seating is limited to a maximum of 47 guests, which makes obtaining advance reservations essential. Those wishing to attend should RSVP by emailing [email protected] and indicating how many people will be in their party.

For Red Gallagher, the evening represents exactly what community music should be.

"It is part of the Raymond community experience," he said.

For those fortunate enough to secure one of the limited seats, the concert promises an evening where music, history and community come together in perfect harmony. <