Barrett Wilbur, John Burke and Theo St. Francis at Trinity Church Sept. 13

MENDELSSOHN AND BACH AT SONOMA CHURCH CONCERT

Sonoma’s Trinity Episcopal Church hosted a packed audience September 13 for vocal, piano and organ music of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. The Church was a warm and acoustically live room for this concert, sponsored by the Church’s Friends of Music program.

First on the program was a Motet for soprano, chorus, and organ, featuring Sheila Whitney, and the Valley of the Moon Chamber Ensemble. Brian Sebastian conducted and John Burke commanded the organ. Mr. Burke, well known in the Sonoma Valley who plays regularly at Trinity Church, co-coordinated the program and helped make this rich music come alive.

Next was the 14 year old pianist Theo St. Francis, performing two of Mendelssohn’s “Kindermusik” pieces. These rarely heard numbers were of contrasting tempi and well executed by this aspiring artist. This was followed by Mendelssohn’s Second Organ Sonata played by Mr. Burke. This piece is a staple of organ repertoire, familiar to AGO members. Mr. Burke played the four-movement Sonata, starting in C minor then changing to C Major for the final movement and fugue, with great conviction and expertise.

The program continued with a wonderful surprise when pianist John Boyajy appeared in lieu of a soloist who was unable to perform. He played the glorious Bach Partita in G Major, a suite of seven Baroque Dances, each with its own flavor, color and tempo. Mr. Boyajy made Bach come alive with his delicate and accurate technique and electrifying rhythms. This was an unexpected pleasure, as it was Mendelssohn who rediscovered Bach almost 100 years after the Leipzig master died.

The final piece on the program was a piano duet played by 17 year-old Barret Wilber and 90 year-old John Burke. The “Andante and Light Variations” was a crowd pleaser, difficult to execute because of the frequent hand crossings between the players. The variations got faster and more complex as they progressed through tricky passages with rapid arpeggios, scales, and various chords. The performers thought the piece might have been originally written for two pianos because of the style and complexity of the writing.

The church chancel was decorated with colorful flowers, and the Hardman piano was rolled from the rear of the church and lifted onto the front stage by ramps and a platform built by church members who were professional carpenters. It was a beautiful setting for such majestic music and a tribute to those who donated their time and talent to help raise funds for further programs at Trinity.