‘Music at the Red Door’ series resumes
Performances begin next month at St. John’s Episcopal Church
The decade-old “Music at the Red Door” concert series is returning to live performances this fall, with simultaneous livestreams. The full series, which ranges from jazz to chamber music, choirs and organ recitals, runs from late September through mid-may.
“Music at the Red Door” takes place in St. John’s Episcopal Church, at 679 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford. Many of the concerts involve the church’s organ, built in 1996 by the Hartford-based Austin Organ company following a fire at the church in 1992.
The first concert of the series, on Sept. 25, will be a concert by internationally known organist David Hurd, marking the 25th anniversary of the St. John’s organ, a special event which will also serve as part of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival being held in Hartford that month and is co-sponsored by the Greater Hartford chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
“The organ has a central role in what we do,” says St. John’s music director Scott Lamlein. “It’s an instrument beloved by organists in the area. It has a great sound, is beautifully designed and the church itself is wonderful to look at while listening. It’s the whole package.”
Some events do not feature the
organ at all, like the “Jazz at the Red Door” show.
St. John’s had invested in equipment to livestream its services and concerts even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Lamlein says. The church has been holding in-person services since March.
The schedule includes:
The season-opening “25th Anniversary Organ Concert” with David Hurd.
“Jazz at the Red Door” with New York-based saxophonist Sarah Hanrahan on Feb. 4.
Three concerts by the series’ chamber ensemble-in-residence, Hartford’s New World Trio, on Oct. 17, Jan. 16 and May 15.
Chamber music from the Larksgrove Duo on April 22.
Mozart’s “Requiem,” performed by St. John’s Choir of Youth & Adults and organist Edward Clark on March 5.
St. John’s annual “Candlelight Festival of Lessons and Carols” on Dec. 12.
Half-hour “Pipes Alive!” Sunday organ recitals at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 7, Dec. 5, Jan. 2, Feb. 6, March 6, April 3, May 1 and June 5.
Sunday Choral Evensong concerts with choirs from St. John’s and elsewhere, at 5 p.m. Sept. 26, Oct. 24, Jan. 23, Feb. 27, March 27 and April 24.
Some of the events were intended for last year’s series but had to be postponed. The Mozart “Requiem,” which requires dozens of voices, was postponed and a David Hurd organ concert planned in place of it, only to then have the Hurd concert postponed as well. Both Mozart and Hurd have been restored to the schedule.
Lamlein himself figures in several of the concerts, giving an organ recital on Jan. 2. Some of his organ students part of a different recital April 3.
The concerts are free. Donations are accepted, which go towards the continuation of the series. “Music at the Red Door” is a nonprofit organization separate from St. John’s Church.
Registration may be necessary for some events. Masks are required. The church is complying with state guidelines concerning COVID-19 and indoor gatherings.
Last year’s “Music at the Red Door” series was presented virtually, including “weekly concerts during the height of the pandemic,” Lamlein says. “Livestreaming enables us to reach further, so it was an easy decision to offer both in-person and virtual options.
As for the return to live performance, “We’ve had people who’ve come into the church for concerts and Evensong,” Lamlein says, “and have just been driven to tears by the joy of hearing live music again.”
Nothing compares to hearing live organ music, Lamlein suggests. “You can’t feel it in livestream.”
More information about the “Music at the Red Door” series is at reddoormusic.org.