January 24 – Organ, Brass & Choir Extravaganza

7pm, St. Mary’s Church, 46 N. Main Street inCortland. Enjoy an evening of triumphant organ, brass, and choral music while surrounded by neo-Gothic splendor! American Guild of Organists Outreach Concert. The sanctuary was restored for the centennial of the building in 2013. We have some of the finest examples of stained glass in upstate New York, a resplendent white marble reredoes / high altar, and an acoustically reverberant worship space. The organ is an 1896 Morey & Barnes tracker-action, one of only two still in existence, in magnificent condition. The original pump-handle is still attached to the wind chest, and still functions, in the unlikely event of a power outage! Featured highlights of the concert will include a piece for organ, brass, and choir by local, nationally-published composer Lynn Arthur Koch; organists Paulette Frye and Jim Shultes, both for over three decades having graced their own individual congregations and the community at large with their playing, thrilling performances of great organ literature; an organ improvisation by Emmanuel Sikora, recent grad of Queens College and SUNY Binghamton, with Masters degrees in composition and conducting; St. Mary’s Brass Ensemble, directed by Michael Poole; and St. Mary’s Choir & guests, directed by Armand Di Scenna. Free concert, with refreshments. For more information call (315) 278-7029 or e-mail armand.discenna@cortland.edu.