The crowd applauds and calls for an encore near the end of Redmond's performance. Photo by Nikki Cheshire/The Connection
Families, neighbors, and groups of friends gathered on the Village Green, and as the hot summer day drifted into a cooler evening last Sunday, it really began to feel like summer in Great Falls. The crowd present spread out blankets and foldable chairs to listen to the music of local singer-songwriter Mary Ann Redmond, as she kicked off the summer concert series hosted by Celebrate Great Falls.
“It’s a beautiful setting,” said Cathy Denk, who moved to Great Falls from McLean last year. “I love having multiple generations of families come together here.”
The weekly concert, beginning every Sunday evening on the Village Green at 6 p.m., draws people from all over the area. There’s plenty of things for everyone, whether it’s enjoying a picnic on the lawn with family, having wide open space for the kids to play, or even getting ice cream from the Great Falls Creamery.
There’s a different artist performing every week, but this was Redmond’s second time playing at the Green. “My first time was just last year,” Redmond said, adding she enjoys the atmosphere of the Sunday concerts.
A Great Falls resident for 17 years, she also offers voice lessons in her home recording studio.
Her love for music, she says, started at an incredibly young age. “I really came out of the womb wanting to sing,” Redmond laughed. “I loved music from a very early age.” She picked up guitar at age 14 and never stopped.
While Redmond loves to perform music, she said she also loves to write it. She co-wrote the song “Love Me Anyway” with Todd Wright, which was covered as a duet by Celine Dion and Johnny Hallyday on their 2012 French CDs.
“I get inspired by so many things, it’s hard to say whether it’s from any one place,” Redmond said. “It’s funny where you find inspiration.” One time, she said, she found the inspiration to write her song “Storm is Coming” when she noticed her dog scared in anticipation of a thunderstorm.
Redmond’s been performing with her very own band for the past 17 years, and performed on Sunday with members Dan Leonard, Scott Ambush and Deren Blessman.
Sunday’s concert was sponsored by the Simmons Team of George Mason Mortgage.