Organist Benjamin Straley to Live-Stream All-Bach June 7

On Sunday, June 7, 2020, at 12:30 p.m., Music at the Red Door presents a solo recital by noted organist Benjamin Straley. The concert is the final event in the 2020 Pipes Alive! series of organ recitals by regional artists performing on the celebrated Austin pipe organ at St John’s Episcopal Church in West Hartford. Though the church building is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the recital will be live-streamed from the church via St. John’s YouTube channel and the St. John’s Facebook page

Inaugurated in 2015, the Pipes Alive! concerts take place on the first Sunday of each month from January through June, and draw enthusiastic audiences to hear the region’s finest organists play on one of the most versatile pipe organs in the area.

“The marvelous pipe organ at St John’s was built by Hartford-based Austin Organs, and serves not only the church and its congregation, but the whole community,” said Scott Lamlein, Artistic Director of Music at the Red Door and Director of Music and Organist for St. John’s. “Through this series of free recitals, we welcome everyone to experience the amazing sonic experience of a pipe organ in live performance.”

The pipe organ at St. John’s Episcopal Church, known as Austin’s Opus 2761, resounds with 51 stops, 64 ranks, and 3,721 pipes. Since its installation in 1995, this remarkable instrument has been featured often in concert, providing opportunities to share with the greater community the beauty and triumph of organ music.

Benjamin Straley will present an all-Bach recital when he performs on the Austin Organ at St. John’s in West Hartford on June 7. Straley, widely admired for his organ improvisations, was Organist and Associate Director of Music at Washington National Cathedral for six years, after which he relocated to Connecticut, where he serves as Assistant Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex, Connecticut, and directs the Anglican Singers, a choral ensemble dedicated to music of the English Cathedral tradition, based in New London, Connecticut.

“Though the online experience cannot replace the thrill of hearing an expert organist like Benjamin Straley play the large Austin organ in the resonant acoustic of the St. John’s sanctuary, every listener will be able to see and hear well, with a better view than might be had during a live performance,” added Lamlein. “We hope that when we are able to resume live performances at St. John's, we will welcome many new listeners who might have discovered us through our online offerings.”

Each year, Music at the Red Door presents dozens of musical and cultural events, including the Pipes Alive! organ series; choral and chamber music concerts; guest choirs and ensembles; and special events such as the annual Lessons and Carols service and an annual choral concert, Choral Music for the Soul.

EVENT DETAILS:

What: Pipe organ recital by noted organist Benjamin Straley, the sixth and last in the 2020 Pipes Alive! series of organ recitals from Music at the Red Door.

When: Sunday, June 7, 2020, 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Online only, live-streamed from St John’s Episcopal Church in West Hartford, CT, viewable at https://youtu.be/WaW0NEs8NdU

More Info: https://www.reddoormusic.org/event/online-pipes-alive-benjamin-straley-organist/ or concerts@reddoormusic.org

About Benjamin Straley: The Rev. Benjamin Straley is the former Organist and Associate Director of Music at Washington National Cathedral. Prior to this appointment, he was Organ Scholar at Trinity Church (Episcopal), New Haven as well as Director of Music for the Episcopal Church at Yale. Upon the completion of his undergraduate studies with Marilyn Keiser at Indiana University, he entered the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in 2008, where he studied with Martin Jean and Jeffrey Brillhart. In 2010, he became one of the few Americans in the history of the Haarlem Organ Festival to compete in its world-renowned improvisation contest. He was featured in the May 2015 issue of The Diapason as one of the “Top 20 under 30” young organists in the country. He holds both Masters in Music and Divinity from Yale, as well as a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School, and is a priest in the Episcopal Church. He currently serves as Assistant Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex, Connecticut, and is the Director for the Anglican Singers, a choral ensemble dedicated to music of the English Cathedral tradition, based in New London, Connecticut.

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