On Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m., St. Peter’s Episcopal Church welcomes world-renowned concert organist Peter Richard Conte in a kid-friendly benefit concert for the St. Peter’s Music Program.
Conte is the Grand Court Organist on the world’s largest playing pipe organ–nearly 29,000 pipes–in Macy’s department store (formerly Wanamaker’s), Philadelphia. He is also organist to the Philadelphia Orchestra, organist at Longwood Gardens and at St. Clement’s Church, Philadelphia.
Conte’s Salisbury performance includes a short program of light classic transcriptions (music originally written for orchestra arranged for organ by him), including the Overture to Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Yeoman of the Guard,” The Easter Procession scene (“Regina Coeli”) from the opera “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni, followed by Robert Elmore’s delightful “Fantasy on Nursery Tunes.”
After a brief pause and introduction by Conte, Charlie Chaplin’s classic silent film “The Kid“ (1921) will be projected, with live improvised organ accompaniment, “just like the movie palaces of the 1920s before talking pictures were invented,” added Wallace.
All proceeds go directly to the church’s music program. Tickets are $10 for students/children, $25 general admission ($5 discount for St. Cecilia Guild members) and $100 or more for supporters at the patron level. Tickets are available at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/organist-peter-richard-conte-benefit-concert-for-st-peters-church-tickets-883674713857?aff=oddtdtcreator
The church is at 115 St. Peter’s St., downtown Salisbury. Enter through the tower doors at the corner of St. Peter’s and Church streets. The small parking lot is reserved for handicapped parking with plenty of free street parking near the church. Parking is also available at the 106-110 Circle Ave. parking lot and garage.