Jul 26, 2002 2 min read

Dr. Gordon Turk, resident organist of the historic Auditorium in Ocean Grove, N.J., will give the inaugural organ recital in the Asbury Festival Recital Series on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Asbury United Methodist Church of Uniontown. As a critically acclaimed concert organist, Turk has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

He has been the winner of the John Cerevalo Prize for “Excellence in the Performance of the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach” and has been a prize-winner in the national improvisation competition of the American Guild of Organists.

Turk’s most recent CD released by Dorian Recordings, entitled “Ocean Grove- French Spectaculars on the Great Ocean Grove Auditorium Organ” has been universally acclaimed by music critics.

Turk will perform on Asbury’s 42 rank, three-manual Austin pipe organ, given to Asbury Church by the late Sarah B. Cochran.

The Festival Series will then continue on Nov. 30 when the Asbury Festival Choir performs Camille Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio, with the artistic assistance of young professional soloists from the tri-county area. This performance will be under the direction of William M. Dreucci with Jim Hutchinson at the organ.

Internationally recognized recitalist, Frederick Swann will usber in the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday (March 5) with a program of organ masterworks. Swarm was the longtime music director and organist for Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral Hour of Power broadcasts. He was also successor to Virgil Fox at New York’s Riverside Church.

The Festival Series will conclude on April 13 (Palm Sunday) with a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s monumental Requiem by the Asbury Festival Choir and the Greater Uniontown Chorale assisted by guest artists.

Season subscriptions for the Asbury Festival Recital Series will be available in August. Four and two concert subscription packages will be sold by mail only, at considerable savings.

Series brochures will be mailed in late August. If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive a subscription brochure, simply send an address label to Asbury United Methodist Church, Attention: Recital Series, 20 Dunbar Street, Uniontown, Pa. 15401.

Tickets for individual performances ($12 each) will be sold two weeks before each performance at selected outlets. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Asbury Church is located at the corner of South Beeson Avenue and Dunbar Street and is handicapped accessible. All performances will be given in the church sanctuary.