Tales of the Steinway: How the piano that Bernstein played landed at First Church - a dedication concert jam
Join First Church Friends of Music as it presents a special concert that spans across the musical spectrum to dedicate the Sanctuary’s Steinway piano on Sunday, November 8, 2 pm. The concert is a free event as a gift to the entire community and features three luminary pianists taking the instrument to its limits with vastly different musical styles.
Performing their craft “in the round” in a unique format that seats the audience in an intimate setting on the FUMC Chancel which faces the Sanctuary, the reversal is a window into the artist viewpoint of performance. Colin Alexei Shepard, Naomi LaViolette, and Darrell Grant headline the concert while a historical storytelling perspective of the piano’s path to First Church is woven throughout the musical presentation. Elements of jazz, classical, and pop music are included in the repertoire for the event.
The piano was donated to the church by former FUMC Church Choir Director Dr. Ethan Sperry (the Barre Stoll Professor of Choral Music in Portland State University’s College of the Arts) and his brothers Raphael and Joshua in memory of their late father - the renowned tenor Paul Sperry - who owned it throughout its colorful history (the piano was once painted red!). It has been carefully restored to maximize its impact within the 1000-person capacity Sanctuary in support of the church’s award-winning music program that is a centerpiece of its ministry and the array of independent concert engagements held at the church.
First Church Friends of Music was founded in 2003 to enhance the church’s music program through financial and marketing initiatives. FUMC’s music portfolio includes the Mary L. Collins Memorial Pipe Organ as the largest instrument of its kind West of the Mississippi River and North of San Francisco; a Chancel Choir that has the historical distinction as the first church choir organized in the Western United States; the Sanctuary Bell Choir that performs throughout the year; and the internationally-acclaimed organist, recording artist and Artistic Director of Music Jonas Nordwall who has curated the program for over 50 years. Established in 1848, Portland’s First United Methodist Church is the first organized church congregation in the City of Portland.