Join us on St. Luke’s Day–Sunday, October 20–for our first Evensong of the season at 4:00 PM followed by a recital by organist Wesley Parrott at 5:00 PM. Both events will be held in the Sanctuary (main worship space) of the church.
Evensong:
In recognition of our Patron Saint, The Festival Choir offers Choral Evensong for the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist. On this occasion, the Choir will feature compositions of our Parish Musicians including Terry Heisey’s Preces and Responses as well as Bill Claxton’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. Additionally we will offer Psalms 67 and 96 set by Dibdin and Stanford, as well as the anthems “Locus Iste” of Bruckner and “Built on the Rock” by McAfee.
Recital:
Wesley Parrott, church organist, is a native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He holds degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music, The University of the South and Eastman School of Music and has served as organist for churches in Philadelphia, PA, Alexandria, VA, Washington, D.C., and Rochester, NY. Winner of three US national organ playing competitions in 1979, he was also a finalist in the International Organ Playing Competition, Grand Prix de Chartres in 1982. Wesley has performed in such places as The Kennedy Center, Washington National Cathedral, The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington, D.C.), The Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall, Princeton U. Chapel, Ocean Grove Auditorium, and Macy’s Grand Court (The Wanamaker Organ.), Chartres Cathedral, and major churches and Cathedrals in England during choir tours given by The University Choir (The University of the South) and The Princeton Singers. In addition he served as Organist Choirmaster at St Mark’s Episcopal Church (Locust St, Philadelphia), as Organist/Director of Music for St. Mary’s Church Cathedral Road Philadelphia for 21 years, and as Organist at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral for 6 years. He continues as parish musician at St. Francis De Sales Church in Philadelphia where he has served for 12 years. Wesley was a board member of West Washington Square Historic District, The Friends of Louis I. Kahn Park, the Settlement Music School (West Philadelphia branch) and the Franklin Inn Club (Past President). A resident of Philadelphia for most of his life, he enjoys singing in Choral Arts Philadelphia, gardening, and genealogy and working as a Substitute Organist at churches. Mr. Parrott’s full bio is available here.
A freewill offering will be taken. There will be a reception following the recital.
This event was made possible through the St. Luke’s Friends of Music program. For details, see here.
For parking and accessibility information, see here.