St. Armands Key Lutheran Church hosts garden concert

Though social calendars don't fill up as they used to in the era of COVID-19, the St. Armands Key Lutheran Church has found a way to bring members and new friends together two Sundays a month. 

The church held another one of its garden concerts on March 7, inviting anyone eager to get out of the house for an afternoon to the tranquil space beside the church for an hour of live music. Director of Music Michael Bodnyk has been organizing free outdoor concerts with local bands since late summer in an attempt to provide a safe space for members and residents to mingle once more. 

Season arrived in a hurry, and there have been more people at the concerts recently, said Bodnyk. The Feb. 28 concert brought in dozens of people, more than had attended in a while. 

"It's not a steady increase, it's like someone flipped a switch," Bodnyk said. "All of a sudden, there's tons of people." 

The March 7 concert brought in about 30 people, including a few who wandered in from shopping on the Circle, to the church garden. Everyone was able to spread out under the shade and enjoy the jazzy tunes of the Island Swing Band. It's not the first time the band has played at the garden, and it won't be the last: They'll return on March 21.