The March meeting of the Seattle chapter of the AGO will feature a recital at 4 pm on Sunday March 22 by Rodney Gehrke playing the two manual Fritts organ Op 6 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in downtown Seattle. This is the organ built by Mr Fritts in 1987 following his first study tour of old organs in Europe. It is a remarkably colorful instrument, and the church has fine acoustics. The concert is part of the church’s recently established concert series Music at 9th and Stewart.
Mr Gehrke is recently retired as Director of Music at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, and Organist and Choir Director at San Francisco’s Temple Emanu-El. He has a special affinity for the music of J. S. Bach. In observance of the 300th birthday of J.S. Bach in 1985, Mr Gehrke played the complete organ works of Bach in twelve recitals. He loves to share his passion for Bach and early music at every opportunity here and abroad. Mr Gehrke’s program is a generous one that will show off the wonderful variety of the colors of the Fritts organ in music for which is was conceived—that of Buxtehude, Weckmann, Scheidt, Krebs, and, of course on the day after his birthday, J. S. Bach.
There will be a reception following the recital hosted by the Seattle chapter and the church. Admission is by suggested donation, and free parking is available on the street and in the Aspira parking garage adjacent to the church (accessible from Stewart St or Howell St via the alley adjacent to the church). Please use only one of the ample unreserved parking spaces in the garage; you will be ticketed if you park in a reserved space! We are grateful to the church and to the chapter for sponsoring parking for this event. The church is also easily accessible by bus from Tacoma (take the 590/594 from Lakewood or Tacoma Dome with free parking to 9th and Howell, one block from the church). By car, take I-5 exit 166 to Olive Way. The church is located at 911 Stewart St, at the corner with 9th Ave. We hope to see you there with our Seattle colleagues in March!
