GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Bach Society will conclude its Organ Masters series with a recital by Peter Sykes on the Roosevelt Organ at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington on Saturday, May 3, at 4 p.m. 

 

This performance is the second of two recitals on historic instruments.

 

Terrill McDade, Executive Director of the Berkshire Bach Society, stated that the Organ Masters series aims to highlight organ music, organists, and significant instruments in the region. The program will feature settings of the Lord’s Prayer by composers who influenced Bach and those who followed him, including Samuel Scheidt, Bach’s teacher Georg Böhm, and Felix Mendelssohn.

 

The 1883 Roosevelt Organ at the First Congregational Church is noted as a large historic organ in the U.S. Upon installation, it was considered the largest and most important organ in America. Built by Hilborne Lewis Roosevelt, the organ is described as the largest surviving example of his work in near-original and playable condition. Roosevelt, a cousin of U.S. Presidents Teddy and Franklin, founded Roosevelt Pipe Organ Builders in 1870 and incorporated electricity and other innovations into his instruments.

 

The performance by Peter Sykes is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, at 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington. Tickets are priced at $45 for nonmembers, $40 for Berkshire Bach Members, and $10 for Card to Culture participants. Admission is free for children and students with valid ID.

 

Further information and ticket purchasing options are available at www.berkshirebach.org/events.

 

The Berkshire Bach Society is a nonprofit organization.