ST. JOHNSVILLE – The opening of this year’s summer season organ recital will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Old Palatine Church, Route 5. The church was built in 1770 and is still cared for by the Palatine Society, a news release said. Roberta Rowland-Raybold will be the guest organist, according to the news release.
During this summer, three concerts will be given that are open to the public on a donation basis. The original colonial architecture houses a one-of-a-kind pipe organ which was built in 1978 and is the focal point of the space. Rowland-Raybold is the daughter of the organ’s builder. She will perform the music of Bach, Bruckner and Pachelbel, “Largo” from Dvorak’s New World Symphony, and the Jupiter Theme from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” as well as a special group of settings of hymn tunes reminiscent of early American history, the news release said.
Rowland-Raybold is the director of music at the First Lutheran Church, Albany and has recently given the dedication recital for the newly built organ at St. John’s and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Canajoharie. She serves on the board of directors of the society, is an active member of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society, an organ instructor and composes sacred music for the Lutheran publishers, Augsburg Fortress Press, the news release said.
