YOU ARE INVITED!
The 39th Season of the Second Sunday Evensong/Organ Recital Series at St. Mark’s, Berkeley continues on Sunday, February 9, 2025.
A congregational Evensong will be offered at 4:00pm followed by a program performed by Charles Francis at approximately 4:40pm.
The program will include:
Franz Tunder: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
J.S. Bach: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 664
Paul Hindemith: Organ Sonata No. 1
Mäßig schnell, Lebhaft
Sehr langsam
Phantasie, frei
Ruhig bewegt
Nico Muhly: The Revd Mustard his Installation Prelude
Dietrich Buxtehude: Toccata in D Minor, BuxWV 155
Charles Francis is a British-born organist who is earning increasing recognition as a young performer. Charles currently resides in the USA where he studies in the studio of Professor Nathan Laube at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. In addition, Charles is Assistant Organist at Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester, as well as Organist for the acclaimed Christ Church Schola Cantorum. Charles completed his undergraduate studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) where he studied with Daniel Moult, Nicholas Wearne, and received frequent coaching with Professor Martin Schmeding. A Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, he has held organist positions at both churches and cathedrals in the UK, and his playing has been broadcast on both American and British radio.
Charles’ playing has earned him various accolades including First Prizes in both the IAO/RCO Organ Playing Competition (Edinburgh, 2022) and The Dame Gillian Weir Messiaen Competition (Birmingham, 2019) and in November 2022, he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Charles has performed in the USA, Germany, and the UK where recent recital venues include St Paul’s Cathedral, London; Westminster Abbey, London; St John’s College, Cambridge and a solo recital as part of the St Alban’s International Organ Festival. Charles is grateful to the American Guild of Organists, the Eastman School of Music, the Royal College of Organists the Kent County Organist Association for their support towards his current studies.
More details regarding Charles’ activities can be found at www.charlesfrancisorganist.com.
A festive reception will follow the program.
Parking is available in the parish lot at 2315 Ellsworth.
Tax-deductible contributions, at the following levels, are most welcome to help support the series. Thank you for your support.
To support the series, visit: https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/St_Marks_Choir_Association
$1-74 Supporter
$75-124 Friend
$125-249 Sponsor
$250-499 Patron
$500-999 Sustainer
$1000+ Benefactor
Bruce Neswick will offer the next recital on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
For further information, contact George Emblom at GAEmblom@aol.com.
Recitalists for the Thirty-Ninth Season, Fall 2024-Spring 2025
September 8: Tom Mueller
October 13: Mina Marie Jelinek
November 10: Jonathan Dimmock
December 8: Wyatt Smith
January 12: Michael Unger
February 9: Charles Francis
March 9: Bruce Newsick
April 13: No organ recital (Palm Sunday)
May 11: Jared Johnson, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
June 8: Michal Szostak, Warsaw, Poland