Cienniwa chooses French works for Sunday recital

The New Bedford Standard-Times
March 07, 2013 12:00 AM

At 3 p.m. Sunday, Paul Cienniwa, a favorite local musician and choral conductor, will be the featured recitalist in the Music at St. Anthony's program.

Complimentary tea and refreshments will be served after the recital at a reception to meet the organist in the church hall. Freewill donations are collected during the event, and patrons are encouraged to "Adopt an Organ Part" to help the fundraising.

For the first time in the recital series, a limited number of seats in the organ loft will be offered for a $25 donation to the fund. Although there are four flights of stairs to the loft, the climb will be well worth it to be able to view a master at his craft.

Cienniwa plans a program specifically to use the special features of this organ. He plans to start with Liebermann's evocative and spooky "De Profundis," then incorporate French baroque (some of his all-time favorite periods in music), with works by Correte and Dandrieu, allowing him to explore this instrument's French accent. He will include the small chancel instrument — engaging it as the "echo" in Sweelink's "Fantasia," and conclude the program with a final French work, by the Alsatian Boellmann, the Toccata from a four-movement suite.

A resident of Fall River, Cienniwa leads an active life in Southeastern Massachusetts and the Boston/Providence regions as an organist, harpsichordist, and conductor. He recently rehearsed the New Bedford Symphony Chorus for its December 2012 concert, and accompanied in the symphony on harpsichord at St. Anthony's.

The March 10 recital is part of the fundraising series for the restoration of the now 100-year-old Casavant Pipe organ.

For more information, call the rectory at (508) 993-1691.

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