St. Thomas hosts two concerts
They call it “Before Bach’s Birthday Bash,” and if you are a fan of Bach and pipe organs, you will be in luck on Saturday, March 15, when a series of Bach concerts will be performed in four chapels and churches on or near Summit Avenue in St. Paul.
Each of the four concerts runs about an hour, and all are free and open to the public. Michael Barone, host of the “Pipedreams” radio program, will introduce each of the performances.
The first concert will start at 10 a.m. on the far western end of Summit in the St. Mary’s Chapel of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. Performing will be organists David Jenkins and Joseph Trucano, pianist Issac Drewes, violinist Alexander Corbett, and the chamber trio of Paul Boehnke, Jin Kim and Julie Elhard. Jenkins is liturgical music director at the seminary.
Pipes in the Noack Organ in St. Mary's Chapel.
The St. Mary’s concert will be broadcast live on Classical Minnesota Public Radio. It can be found at found at 99.5 on the FM dial.
The second concert starts at 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. Performing will be organists Kevin Seal, David Livingston, Daniel Corneliussen, George Fergus and Andrew Hackett, and pianist Woobin Park. Seal is organist for St. Thomas’ Campus Ministry; Hackett is a graduate of the university.
The third concert starts at 2 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, located at 60 Kent St. at Portland Avenue.
The fourth concert starts at 3:30 p.m. at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Ave.
The four concerts are co-sponsored by the Twin Cities American Guild of Organists, the Bach Society of Minnesota and Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
Details about the performers and repertoire can be found on the guild’s website.
For more information about the pipe organs in St. Mary’s Chapel and the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, visit the St. Thomas Music Department website.
