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FARMINGTON — The Farmington Historical Society’s North Church and 1904 Cole Tracker Organ will be part of the performance of Sacred Music for Advent at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.
The performance is led by Philip Fournier, artist in residence and director of music for St. Rose and St. Joseph parishes in Jay and Farmington, and includes members of several communities and several established choral groups.
The centerpiece of the performance is the Cole Tracker organ that has remained silent for decades. Installed in the North Church in 1904 (built in 1873 and last used in a regular sectarian service in 1932), and last played by Emily Floyd in the 1970s. The organ is located in the church sanctuary on the second floor.
The organ was recently evaluated and repairs were made by David Wallace & Co. of Gorham with the assistance of Fournier and Eric Weest Johnson of EWJ Sound Production. The determination was made that while fragile and in need of additional repairs and tuning, the organ is suitable for playing.
The event is free, open to the public, and presented by the St. Joseph and St. Rose parishes as part of their community outreach program.
Fournier has returned to Maine after 10 years as organist, music director, chant master and children’s choir director of the Toronto Oratory. He specializes in Gregorian chant, which he studied at Solesmes Abby in France with Dom Saulnier. He also performed solo organ repertoire weekly, and played continuo and solo harpsichord and organ with various local groups. He continues to be active as a composer. His organ and harpsichord teachers have included James David Christie at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.; Russell Saunders, Paul O’Dette and Arthur Haas at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and Robert Clark and John Metz at Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.
Fournier was the first Organ Scholar of the College of the Holy Cross, and was subsequently named a Fenwick Scholar, the highest academic honor given by the college. He was one of the recitalists of the Chapel Artists Series there in 2011. He won the Historical Organ in America competition in 1992, and performed at Arizona State University on the 1819 Paul Fritts organ, and he was awarded a recital on the 1976 Flentrop Organ at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He was also organist and director of music at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland, from 200 to 2000.
The North Church is at 126 High St. Admission is free but seating can be reserved by calling 207-778-2006.
PHOTO: The Cole Tracker Organ at North Church in Farmington is prepared for service by David Wallace, with the assistance of Philip Fournier. The organ will be played for the first time in 40 years at the Dec. 16 recital at North Church. (Al McDaniel photo)
