Upcoming Events
Organ + Orchestra
Sunday, February 23, 4 p.m.
Joshua Stafford, organ
Ronald Jenkins, conductor
Joanna Frankel, concertmaster
Experience the breathtaking synergy of organ and orchestra in a program of profound beauty and thrilling virtuosity. First Congregational Church presents Organ + Orchestra, featuring acclaimed organist Joshua Stafford, conductor Ronald Jenkins, and concertmaster Joanna Frankel in a program that highlights the expressive range of the organ in partnership with a dynamic chamber ensemble.
The concert features:
Howard Hanson – Concerto for Organ, Harp, and Strings
Francis Poulenc – Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani
Edward Elgar – Sospiri for String Orchestra with Harp and Organ
Samuel Barber – Toccata Festiva for Organ, Strings, Trumpet, and Timpani
From the lush Romanticism of Hanson’s concerto to the striking contrasts of Poulenc’s beloved masterpiece, the dazzling brilliance of Barber’s Toccata Festiva, and the poignant lyricism of Elgar’s Sospiri, this program promises an unforgettable afternoon of music in the stunning acoustics of First Congregational Church.
Free and open to the public | Freewill offering
Family Organ Day
Posptponed! New date:
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 a.m.
Join First Church Arts for the 2nd annual Family Organ Day on Saturday, January 11 starting at 10 a.m.: an opportunity for the young and young-at-heart to meet the two magnificent pipe organs at First Church!
The morning includes:
A Short, Family-Friendly Concert
An Explanation & Demonstration of the Organs
A Chance to Play the Organs!
This is a great opportunity for any children interested in music, and especially piano students, to experience the thrill of hearing and playing a pipe organ! First Church is unique in being home to two world-class organs- a Kimball from 1931 and a Beckerath from 1972. There is no charge for this event.
All are welcome- please reach out to us if you or your child(ren) need any accommodations!
Christmas Lessons and Carols
Sunday, December 15 at 4 p.m.
Usher in the Christmas season with this beautiful candlelight festival featuring the First Church Choir, Ringers, Brass, and two organs. May the music of the choirs, the songs of the congregation, the prayers, and lessons read aloud bring you great joy and peace, which passes all human understanding.
Organized Rhythm
Sunday, November 24, 4 p.m.
Clive Driskill-Smith and Joseph Gramley explore the lyrical and powerful tonal aspects of thunderous and dulcet organ pipes married to the visceral, arresting, and delicate aspects of a wide array of percussion instruments through a collection of new works as well as beloved classical compositions.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with Joshua Stafford, organist
Sunday, October 27, 4 p.m.
Organist Joshua Stafford provides the improvised soundtrack to this 1920 German expressionist horror film on the 1931 Kimball organ.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Sunday, May 5, 4 p.m.
Organist Joshua Stafford provides the improvised soundtrack to this 1923 silent masterpiece on our glorious Kimball Organ. Lon Chaney gives an unforgettable performance starring as the tragic Quasimodo.
Richard Elliott, Organist
Sunday, April 14 at 4:00 p.m.
Richard Elliott is the Principal Organist for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the past 32 years, he has accompanied the choir on its weekly radio and TV broadcast, “Music & the Spoken Word,” as well as in general conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on dozens of CDs and DVDs, and in the choir’s annual Christmas concerts, which are broadcast each year on PBS. As accompanist for the Tabernacle Choir, he has performed in many of the world’s great halls and appeared on numerous TV and radio programs, including the NBC “Today Show,” the “CBS Morning Show,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” and the nationally syndicated “Pipedreams” radio program. In his work with the choir, Dr. Elliott has collaborated with many guest artists including Andrea Bocelli, the Canadian Brass, Kristin Chenoweth, Renée Fleming, Evelyn Glennie, the King’s Singers, the Sesame Street Muppets, Robert Shaw, James Taylor, and Bryn Terfel.
Ahreum Han, organist
Sunday, March 3 at 4:00 p.m.
Organist Ahreum Han Congdon’s imaginative, powerful, and extraordinary performances have thrilled audiences throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. She has been a featured soloist at many conventions and festivals, including the 2012 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists, the 2010 AGO Winter Conclave, the Young Virtuosi Festival, and the White Mountain Musical Arts Bach Festival.
Family Organ Day
Saturday, January 20 at 10:00 a.m.
First Church Arts presents our first-ever Family Organ Day on Saturday, January 20 starting at 10 a.m.: an opportunity for the young and young-at-heart to meet the two magnificent pipe organs at First Church!
The morning includes:
A Short, Family-Friendly Concert
An Explanation & Demonstration of the Organs
A Chance to Play the Organs!
This is a great opportunity for any children interested in music, and especially piano students, to experience the thrill of hearing and playing a pipe organ! First Church is unique in being home to two world-class organs- a Kimball from 1931 and a Beckerath from 1972. There is no charge for this event.
All are welcome- please reach out to us if you or your child(ren) need any accommodations!
Christmas Lessons and Carols
Sunday, December 17 at 4 p.m.
Usher in the Christmas season with this beautiful candlelight festival featuring the First Church Choir, Ringers, Brass, and two organs. May the music of the choirs, the songs of the congregation, the prayers, and lessons read aloud bring you great joy and peace, which passes all human understanding.
Thomas Ospital, organist
Sunday, November 5 at 4:00 p.m.
Titulaire of the grand organ at Saint-Eustache Church in Paris and Professor of Organ Interpretation and Harmony at the Paris National Conservatory of Music (CNSMDP), Thomas Ospital is a young artist who has quickly earned a place amongst the world’s finest concert organists.
A Concert for Ukraine
Saturday, October 21 at 7 p.m.
Note: No-Cost Tickets are required for this event.
Reserve Your Tickets Now
View a Digital Copy of the Concert Program
The Magpie Consort, Ukrainian Opera Ensemble, Bandurist Maksym Mahlay, Ukrainian Violinist Arkadiy Gips, Columbus Chamber Connection and the world-class Columbus Children’s Choir will be performing a concert of music by Ukrainian composers to honor Ukrainian heritage and culture and raise money for Retired US Army Brigadier General Mark Arnold's project Frontline Medical Ukraine.
Joshua Stafford, organist
Sunday, September 10 at 4 p.m.
Our first concert of the season will be played by our new Minister of Music, Joshua Stafford. In addition to his role at First Church, Joshua is the Director of Sacred Music and Jared Jacobsen Chair Organist for Chautauqua Institution. He is also the 2016 winner of the Pierre S. DuPont First Prize at the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition.