160th Anniversary Organ Recital Sunday, November 3, 2019
Did you know that Holy Trinity's organ was built in 1859 by E. & G. G. Hook Company? That means it is 160 years old this year. To celebrate this amazing Anniversary, we arehaving an Organ Recital given by 5 guest organists from the Boston area on Sunday,November 3rd at 3 PM! The organists include The Rev. Jeff Johnson, Phillip Jones, Kevin Neel, Kevin Lyczak and Brian ‘Wolfie’ Edwards.
Get to know the organists:
Philip Jones was born in 1949 in Preston, Lancashire, England. Piano lessons beganaround age eight followed by thirteen years of intensive study of organ and theory. Following graduation at the Royal College of Music in Manchester and graduate studiesin music education at St Martins College Lancaster, Jones embarked on a career ofteaching in High School. Later he worked as a private music teacher both in the UK andthe US. Appointed church organist at the age of eleven he has completed almost sixtyyears as a church organist. He is organist at Trinity Episcopal Church in Stoughton.Jones has two albums of organ music ‘Asian Praise’ and ‘Hildegard Versets’ published byVivace Press and well as other choral and organ music.
The Rev. Jeff Johnson is the pastor of First Lutheran Church in Brockton. Beforebecoming a pastor, he was a church musician. He was the Associate Organist at GraceChurch in NY for a long while. He will be playing a recital at Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston next spring.
A native of Bucks County, PA, Kevin Lyczak received his B.M. in Organ Performancefrom the Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music in May of 2016. There he also received the André Marchal Award for Excellence in Performance. Kevin received his M.M. in Organ Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music inMay of 2018. While a student, he studied improvisation with Dr. Ann Labounsky (2015-2016), Robert Nicholls (2017) and Vincent Carr (2017). Prior to joining St. Mary’s as Music Director in July of 2018, Kevin served as the Director of Music for St. Barbara’s Parish in Pittsburgh, PA, and at Our Lady of the Springs Parish in French Lick, IN. Additionally, he ministered as the Accompanying Organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Evansville IN, and served as the Organist at St. Mary of Mercy, in downtownPittsburgh, PA, for a daily televised Mass. In 2012, Kevin performed at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA for the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Day hosted by Michael Barone. While studying in Pittsburgh, he gave organ recitals at Epiphany Catholic Church, Heinz Chapel, First Lutheran Church and St. Paul Cathedral. Kevin has his Colleague Certification from the American Guild of Organists. Kevin is the organist at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Holliston.
Brian Edwards, also known as 'Wolfie,' is a graduate of Longy School of Music of BardCollege in Organ Performance. He is the Music Director/Organist at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church in Roxbury. He enjoys taking his mascot 'Silver' everywhere whenhe practices or performs. His biggest passion is tuning and maintaining pipe organs. Hewas an intern for David Storey Organ Workshop Inc. in Baltimore and now he's part ofthe workshop team. His future is to continue his passion in music and make people smile.
Get to know the organ:
The organ was originally installed in the Church of the Unity, Unitarian, on West NewtonStreet, Boston, in 1859. After this building was demolished in the 1890s, the organ was moved to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at 85 West Newton Street. When this congregation relocated to a new building in the 1950s, the old building was conveyed to All Saints Lutheran Church, which worshipped there until it disbanded in the 1970s. In 1979, the organ was removed by Andover Organ Company and placed into storage.Several years later, with the guidance of The Rev. Charles R. Moline and many parishioners, Holy Trinity decided to purchase the organ. But first the balcony had tobe enlarged. Then, in January 1982, Andover removed the organ from storage and,with Robert C. Newton in charge of its restoration and installation, work progressed steadily. The organ was dedicated in its new (third) home on November 21, 1982 by Stephen E. Long.
About the recital:
In addition to the organ performances, there will be hymns for all to sing and areception will follow in the Fellowship Hall, as well as an opportunity for children to explore the organ. The concert supports a good cause -
Free-will donations will go towards a conservation campaign to preserve a 340 acres wooded areacalled Rattlesnake Hill next to Borderland State Park in Sharon.
