Symphony's Bach Lunch moves to 1st Presbyterian next week

Longview Symphony brings its Bach's Lunches to Kilgore next week for a concert on the famed Aeolia Skinner organ at First Presbyterian Church.

The third of the Bach's Lunches series will be held at 12:20 p.m. Friday, November 3, in the church sanctuary at 815 E. Main St. The free, lunch-time organ concert will last until approximately 1 p.m. Jimmy Culp is the church organist. The church dining hall will open at 12 noon. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunches. Ice tea and water will be served.

The organ at First Presbyterian was made nationally famous through recordings in the 1950s and was largely designed and created by G. Donald Harrison, President and Tonal Director of the Aeolian Skinner Organ Company of Boston. It is one of a relative few that bears his signature.

"We are very excited about this community outreach project. It gives us the opportunity to work with some of the area churches and their organists to highlight the music of Johann Sebastian Bach," said Carol Mullikan, general manager of the Longview Symphony.

"The churches involved are all beautiful, traditional sanctuaries with six pipe organs and one electric organ. And the organists are looking forward to the opportunity to showcase their instruments with this type of music," Mullikan said,

All recitals last approximately 30 minutes and must include at least one work by Bach, a virtuoso organist (1685-1750) wellknown for his sacred and secular classical compositions. The recitals will generally be held on the first Friday of each month. No recitals will be held during December and January. The series runs September through May, 2007.

Bach's Lunches will return to Kilgore on Friday, April 6, with a concert at St. Luke's United Methodist Church by organist Jay Callender.

The remaining schedule is as follows:

Friday, February 2, First Christian Church Longview, Gala Strunk, organist

Friday, March 2, Trinity Episcopal Church Longview, Paul Lee, organist

Friday, April 6, St. Luke's United Methodist Church Kilgore, Jay Callender, organist

Friday, May 4, First United Methodist Church Longview, Gwen Garrison Tomlin, organist.

For more information on this program or the upcoming concert season, please call the Longview Symphony at 903- 236-9739.