Upcoming Organ Concert Sure To Ring Beauty Through Newtown

By Tanjua Damon

Main Street in Newtown is a beautiful site as autumn makes its way. On Sunday, September 23, at 2:30 pm, the same kind of beauty will ring from Newtown Meeting House during a free public concert that will celebrate the rebirth of the 1924 Hall Pipe Organ that has been restored.

The Board of Trustees of the Heritage Preservation Trust, Inc., invites the public to come to the Meeting House and enjoy the music that will be played by four guest organists – Barbara Bayers, Maria Coffin, Leonard Manz, Sr, and John Michniewicz. In addition to these organists, May Steinberg will perform on the organ when she accompanies Newtown Choral Society, and piper John Fagerholm will add to the musical celebration.

It will be an afternoon of musical pleasure, rejoicing the completion in June of a restoration project that necessitated after Hurricane Floyd silenced the organ in September 1999. The restoration project cost $75,000 to complete.

“This is the first time that Newtown has ever assembled such an array of talented organists,” said Donald Studley, President of the Trust. “And I am sure that the beams in the old meeting house will resound as never before. We are indeed pleased and proud to present this concert, by way of saying thank you to all those who have supported, and continue to support, our efforts.”

The organ is often referred to at the king of instruments because of its versatility. The meeting house “king” is back from exile and will come to life on September 23 thanks to guest organists who will push the keys and pedals, providing harmony for all in attendance.

Barbara Bayers

Barbara Bayers has been teaching music to middle school students for the last 30 years. She grew up in Monroe and is a graduate of Masuk High School. Ms Bayers received a bachelor of science in music education from the University of Connecticut, a master of science in music education from the University of Bridgeport, and Arts in Learning from the Wholefield Learning Cohort in conjunction with Sacred Heart University for her sixth-year degree.

Ms Bayers has been a church organist since the age of 12 and is currently the music director and organist at Orange Congregational Church. She was the winner of a four-year scholarship from the Wednesday Afternoon Music Club.

Additionally, she is active in the Connecticut Music Educators Associations, American Choral Directors Association and American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. She is the founder of the recently- formed New Haven chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

 

Maria Coffin

A graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., Maria Coffin majored in music and English. After college, she studied organ and church music with Piet Kee at Muzieklycem Conservatory in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She also began the study of harpsichord there, and after her return to this country, continued with Sylvia Marlow in New York.

Ms Coffin has been minister of music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown since 1996. In addition to her work at Trinity, Ms Coffin is active with musical groups including Waterbury Chorale, Westover School Glee Club, Connecticut Choral Society, and is a member of the Waterbury Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She served as a teacher at Pipe Organ Encounter, an AGO-sponsored summer course for high school students.

Ms Coffin will inaugurate an organ recital series caled “Sundays at Noon” at Trinity Church this fall, beginning October 14. The public is invited to the free concerts.

Leonard “Lennie” Manz, Sr

Leonard Manz, Sr began his organ career in 1933 on a portable foot pumped reed instrument as a volunteer for a Sunday school held in a barn off Reservoir Avenue in Bridgeport. Following that he was the organist at Bethany Chapel for 13 years, and held the same position at West End Congregational Church for two years.

When the Manz family moved to Newtown in 1949, the Reverend Paul Cullens asked Mr Manz to play for Newtown Congregational Church, which he did regularly for the next 44 years. He officially retired in 1993, as Organist Emeritus, but has remained active, donating his talents both to the church and to the meeting house. After 52 years on the musical scene in Newtown, Lennie Manz has become an institution.

In addition to his church work, over the years Mr Manz has played the organ at four different skating rinks – St Mary’s by the Sea, The Mosque and Pleasure Beach Rink in Bridgeport, and Eli Skating Rick in New Haven, as well as fraternal groups.

 

John Michniewicz

John Michniewicz completed both his master and doctor of musical arts degrees at Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he was awarded the John Cerevolo Prize in performance. He currently serves as minister of music at United Congregational Church in Bridgeport as well as associate director of music at St Theresa’s Church in Trumbull.

As an organ recitalist, Dr Michniewicz has performed in both Europe and America, including numerous appearances at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. In July 2000 he performed a recital at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Paterson, New Jersey, for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians convention.

He has also served as organist and accompanist for choirs at St Stephen’s Cathedral and City Hall in Vienna, Austria and at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In January 2000 he accompanied the American Choirs of the Pueri Cantores during their Mass and concert at the Basilica of Santa Croce de Gerusalemme in Rome.

Currently he is also an adjunct faculty member at Sacred Heart University and Gateway Community Technical College, and a presenter in the religious education and professional studies program at Sacred Heart. In 1991, Dr Michniewicz was appointed a member of the New York Archdiocesan Commission on Church Music, and authored the official booklet Rite of Marriage: Guidelines for Ritual Music in the Archdiocese of New York.

 

John Fagerholm

John Fagerholm grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Roger Ludlow High School. He served in the US Navy during WWII in the South Pacific theater. He studied violin until he was 18, but was always interested in the pipes. Mr Fagerholm learned to play pipes during his 15-year stint as Drum Major with the Pyramid Shriners Pipes and Drums. He is currently the Pipe Sergeant with the band.

He plays the Great Highland pipes as well as the smaller Fireside pipes. Mr Fagerholm’s personal Highland dress is that of Black Watch. He is retired from the Connecticut State Police Department and lives in Bethel.

Newtown Choral Society

The Newtown Choral Society will also perform Sunday afternoon, under the direction of Mary Andreotta. The nucleus of the choral society was a group of singers from St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown. In 1985 the group expanded into a non-secular group.

Mrs Andreotta graduated from State University of New York at Fredonia with a bachelor of business degree in accounting and from Western Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in music in voice performance. She has had several starring roles in light opera, and sang with a 16-voice chamber group. She is also a former member of Connecticut Opera Alliance, where she also sang in starring roles.

She directs the junior and senior choirs at Newtown Congregational Church and has private voice and piano students. She has been a member of Newtown Choral Society since 1987, and became its director in two years ago.

May Steinberg

May Steinberg received a bachelor of music education degree from Oberlin Conservatory and her master of science degree in education from Southern Connecticut State University. She teaches middle school music.

She has been the choral director for the musicals Brigadoon and Oklahoma at East Hartford Summer Youth Festival and served as rehearsal/pit accompanist and assistant director for four student musicals at Newtown High School. In addition to accompanying Newtown Choral Society, she sings soprano with Connecticut Master Chorale.

Additional musicians will be at the meeting house next weekend to entertain attendees prior to the organists and during the concert.

The concert will begin at 2:30 pm on September 23 at Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street in Newtown. Parking is available at Newtown Savings Bank. For more information visit the Web site www.NewtownMeetingHouse.com or call 270-8293.