CLASSICAL MUSIC

SUNDAY  April 18, 2010   1:30 p.m.

IN PRAISE OF THE PIPE ORGAN

Calendar Entry #1 ( short - concert focused, public interest )
Rarely performed Kodaly: Laudes Organi (In Praise of the Pipe Organ) will be featured in a festival concert for pipe organ, choir, and piano on Sunday, April 18 at 1:30 pm at First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St, Worcester, free and open to the public.
The concert celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Will Sherwood as Director of Music/Organist at 1st U and will feature him playing organ works by Bach and Durufle, a Piano Concerto by Demarest (accompanied by Brett Maguire), as well as choral compositions written by Sherwood.
For detailed information & directions, visit www.FirstUMusic.com/music or call 508.797.2708

Calendar Entry #2 (short - anniversary-focused)
A festival concert celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Will Sherwood as Director of Music/Organist at First Unitarian, Worcester, will be held  Sunday, April 18 at 1:30 pm at 1st U, 90 Main St, Worcester, free and open to the public.   Featured will be the rarely performed Kodaly: Laudes Organi (In Praise of the Pipe Organ), as well as choral works by Sherwood and Widor, and organ works by Bach and Durufle. A reception will follow and a celebration church service will be held that morning at 10:20am.  For detailed information & directions, visit www.FirstUMusic.com/music or call 508.797.2708

Tuning up for 25th Anniversary Celebration

More hi-res TIFFs here.

Background/Details:

In his 45th year as a church musician, Will Sherwood has been Director of Music at First Unitarian Church (www.FirstUMusic.com ) for 25 years, developing the music program from  a sextet  into a vibrant choral program and instrumental that delights all who participate and listen.  The choir performs a wide range of works from unaccompanied early music, to oratorios and requiems of the great masters (with orchestra), to gospel, jazz, new age, and earth-centric music, and has produced three CDs in recent years. During his tenure at 1st U, Sherwood has overseen the acquiring of two Steinway B grand pianos, a high-end Synthesizer workstation, 3 timpani, and the complete rebuilding/restoration of the church’s 67-rank, 4-manual Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ several damaged in the 2000 steeple fire.

Sherwood is no stranger to the music scene in Central Mass. He has appeared at  Mechanics Hall in Brown Bag series, Brown Bag for Children series, Benefit concerts for various non-profits, weddings and other special events, and in the past has conducted community choruses and musical theater in the area. He has appeared as guest artist with the Boston Pops, and in concert tours in Europe and the U.S.   His musical styles embrace a wide range of genres from Classical to jazz.  His creative and refreshing approach for compositions and improvisations are well received. 
In his “day job”,  for thirty years, he was a Sr. Engineering Manager at Intel (formerly Digital(DEC), then Compaq) where he managed the Microprocessor Validation Group from its inception, growing to a group of over 75 engineers. Since corporate retirement, he has operated his own internet consulting, web & graphic design, and commercial photography businesses, detailed at www.SherwoodWeb.com. He is also a freelance jazz and classical pianist, and enjoys volunteering for non-profits, running, organic gardening, and preparing gourmet vegetarian cuisine.

Of particular note in the concert are a group of choral compositions by Sherwood.  His refreshing creative style is a delight to the casual listener as well as seasoned musician.  He has a gift of transforming lyrics into a flowing harmonic texture that touches the soul.

The Festival Choir, under the direction of Sherwood, and with guest organist Brett Maguire, will perform the rarely heard Kodaly work, Laudes Organi – “In Praise of the Pipe Organ” which is based on ancient chant themes, historic poetry, and combined with listenable, invigorating harmonies that utilize the full potential of the pipe organ from the softest soothing string tones to the untethered “full organ”.

The First Unitarian Church has just celebrated its 225th anniversary and boasts a long series of great musicians at the helm, including  Eugene Thayer, the late Richard Westenberg, and his contemporary J. Gerald Phillips, as well as having the first pipe organ installed in Worcester in the early 19th Century.