Organ Fest to be held at Pathways Presbyterian Church in Palmerston North

German organist Hans Hielscher will perform in Palmerston North on February 28.

Two international organists will perform in Palmerston North for Pathways Presbyterian Church’s Organ Fest.

Hans Hielscher from Germany will perform on Wednesday, February 28 and Christopher Hainsworth from France on Friday, March 8.

The concerts will be held at Pathways Presbyterian Church at St Andrew’s in Church St.

Both organists performed in St Andrew’s just before the church was closed for five and a half years. Now strengthened and refurbished, the church and 1871 pipe organ are back in use for services and community gatherings.

On Saturday, March 3, 10am to 11.30am, people can get up close to the organ and hear it demonstrated by three young organ students from Palmerston North and Whanganui. People can have a go at the woofyt - a wooden octave of organ pipes for young technologists. It provides an introduction to how a pipe organ works.

Hielscher has been the organist at the Marktkirche in Wiesbaden (Lutheran Cathedral of Nassau), Germany, since 1979. He has presented nearly 4000 organ recitals around the globe. His programme will feature Ketelbey’s Chinese Temple Garden, a toccata by Nevin and his own Scottish Rhapsody on famous Scottish folk tunes.

Wellingtonian Hainsworth, who has been freelancing in Europe for 40 years, is organist of Beziers Cathedral in France. He will present an organ proms concert that will include his usual mixture of high and low-brow music and witty and informative presentations. The programme will be in honour of International Women’s Day and feature many female composers.

Both concerts start at 7.30pm with tickets at the door - adults $20, concession $15, 18 years and under free.