Progressive organ concert on May 31 features churches in Medina, Lyndonville

The organists in the concert include, from left: Tom Wenhold, Patricia Worrad and Aaron Grabowski.

Three talented local organists will be featured in the Cobblestone Museum’s Progressive Organ Concert on May 31.

Organists are Tom Wenhold from the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, Patricia Worrad from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Medina and Aaron Grabowski from Holy Trinity (St. Mary’s) Parish in Medina.

The first concert at 2 p.m. will be at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, where organist Tom Wenhold will play the church’s Felgemaker pipe organ, built in 1913. The organ was purchased from the A.B. Felgemaker Organ Company, a major American organ builder originally founded in Buffalo in 1865. This grand instrument features more than 1,100 pipes.

In addition to more than 30 years of organ duties at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, Wenhold is a Cobblestone Society member and has opened up his cobblestone residence on multiple occasions for the Cobblestone Tour of Homes.

The next stop on the tour will be at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Medina, where guests will be welcomed with a wine and cheese reception. At the church, famous for its inclusion in Ripley’s Believe it or Not as the “Church in the Center of the Road,” organist Patricia Worrad will treat guests to the dulcet tones of the 19th century Hook and Hastings pipe organ from Boston, MA.

The organ was rebuilt in the early 1960s by Schlicker Organ Company in Buffalo. Its tonal scheme is of the early neo-Baroque style with 18 ranks and two manuals.

“The musical selections for this portion of our concert have been specifically chosen to enhance the mild nature of this style with the warmth of the late 19th-century sound,” said Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum.

The third and last concert will follow at Holy Trinity Parish (St. Mary’s Church), where local music legend Aaron Grabowski will entertain with a well-curated concert designed to accentuate the organ’s French baroque temperament of pure tuning.

The organ was first installed in 1913 and has undergone many changes through the decades. As various parts have worn out, replacements have been made with contemporary equivalents. Of interest is the fact Grabowski is not only an acclaimed organist, but builds organs for Parsons Pipe Organ Builders in Canandaigua.

The concert will be followed with an optional dinner at Tavern on the Ridge at about 5:15 p.m., where owner and chef Chad Pike has selected a choice of three entrees for concert guests – cottage pie, French ham melt sandwich with arugula salad or Asian chopped salad with ginger chicken. Relish tray and dessert will also be served, and coffee or soft drinks are included. A cash bar will be available.

Reservations are required for dinner and may be reserved using the form on the last page of the Cobblestone newsletter, by visiting the website at CobblestoneMuseum.org or calling the museum at (585) 589-9013. Tickets for the concert are available now, and some will be available at the door. Tickets are $20 for the concert, or $50 including dinner.