Friday Lenten Recitals
WHEN: every Friday throughout Lent, beginning March 8, and running through April 12. The recitals begin at 12:15 PM following brief (5 minute) noonday prayer, and end at 12:45 PM
WHERE: Grace Church, 4 Main St. (Rt. 124) at the corner of Kings Rd. and Route 124, Madison
ADMISSION: concerts are free and open to the public.
Drinks and dessert are provided after each performance. Local gourmet sandwich shop, Madison’s Slamwich Scratch Kitchen, will provide a selection of sliders and salads for suggested $7 purchase after each concert.
Dr. Anne Matlack is organist/choir director at Grace, where Friday Lenten Organ Recitals have been a Madison tradition since the 1950s, founded by her predecessor, Helen E.J. Thomas. There are several exciting guests this year. Our first recital March 8 we have our annual visit from the music students of Pingry School. March 15 Christopher Jennings plays American composers, while March 22 Jeff Clearman presents a potpourri of German, French, English, and American Lenten music. March 29 will be our annual Helen E.J.Thomas Memorial Concert, presented by Patricia Ruggles, alro, & Anne Matlack, organ; featuring alto arias from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (which Ms.Ruggles will be performing April 7 with Harmonium Choral Society), with guest instrumentalists. April 5 Kevin Davis will perform works ranging from Buxtehude to Pinkham, and to close out the season, Dr. Anne will present a Family-Friendly Meet-the-Organ program for Madison school vacation, a program appropriate for kids of all ages.
The organ console and pedals will be projected onto the wall for better audience viewing.
The Grace choir also sings a candlelit Chanted Compline after choir practice Thursdays in Lent, 8:45-9 p.m. to which the community is welcome. Come by sometime and experience it! Fifteen minutes of meditative calm to end your day.
As well as her celebrating her 28th year as music director at Grace Church, Dr. Matlack is Artistic Director of the acclaimed Harmonium Choral Society. She studied organ with Charles Krigbaum at Yale and David Mulbury at The Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
