Allegheny Valley Association of Churches stages choir performance in Tarentum

Sunny skies, a comforting breeze and a break from the rain graced a performance by the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Community Choir in Tarentum on Sunday afternoon.

Members of the choir gathered at the Carl Magnetta Jr. Amphitheater in Riverview Memorial Park for the first-time, free concert.

“We just wanted this to be really casual and fun,” association Executive Director Karen Snair said. The audience was invited to sing with them.

In case of inclement weather, they had access to Central Presbyterian Church nearby.

Roberta Breninghouse directs the choir, made up of singers from local congregations.

Donations were accepted to support the association’s programs. The non-profit’s services for people in need include a food bank; an emergency assistance fund for basic needs such as rent, utilities and transportation; and shelter for the homeless.

The association opened Family Promise House, a transitional living facility, in Brackenridge in February 2024. Able to house 27 people, it has been full since it opened, Snair said.

The house depends on volunteers and churches to bring evening meals to the house’s residents, she said.

A food truck, Waffles Pizza, was on hand for the choir’s performance. Tarentum closed First Avenue in the area of the amphitheater for the event.

Snair wasn’t sure if the concert would become annual.

“We’ll see what happens,” she said. “Outside is always a risk.”