Organist James Newsome chats with recital attendees in Trinity Episcopal Church on Sunday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Every pew was full in Trinity Episcopal Church on Sunday afternoon, as James Newsome made his way to the front and bowed.

He then kicked off his first Community Organ Recital at the church, with Johann GottFried Walther’s Concerto del Signor Telemann, appropriato all’Organo. That fast-paced piece was followed by two choral preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude’s Toccata in F Major, Florence Price’s “Little Melody” and “Festal March,” two selections from Victor Togni’s Five Liturgical Inventions for Organ, Philip Glass’s “Mad Rush” and the Allegro Maestros with “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Jeff Perks and George Friedrich Handel.

“Of course, you have to have Bach at an organ concert,” Newsome said with a chuckle.

The purpose of the concert, Newsome said, was to highlight the church’s recently repaired George Stevens two-manual and pedal organ from 1869.

“Most of the music was not written for this kind of instrument,” Newsome said. “If I had a theme, it was, ‘How can I showcase the beauty of this instrument, with music that’s not for this instrument?’ A good example of this was with the Philip Glass piece — this is an almost 200-year-old organ, with a piece being performed on it that’s less than a hundred years old. I was hoping that, with that piece, people could really hear the organ and appreciate the organ, more than the music itself.”

James Newsome performs Johann Gottfried Walther's Concerto del Signor Telemann, appropriato all'Organo in Trinity Episcopal Church on Sunday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

And he accomplished exactly that, as the piece by Philip Glass left the audience in stunned appreciation for both the church’s wonderful instrument and for its talented organist.

“It was lovely! It’s good to hear an older organ like that, in a church setting. It’s a really special sound,” said Shepherdstown resident David Rampy after the concert. “And it was really nice to hear music on it from the early baroque, all the way to the 20th century, with Philip Glass. That Philip Glass was just fabulous.”

According to the church’s rector, Rev. Gethin Wied, the audience’s enthusiastic response to the concert — which ended with a standing ovation — was a satisfying sight. He had been the one to come up with the idea for a free organ recital and suggest it to Newsome, who serves as the church organist and is currently working toward a doctorate degree in piano performance at Shenandoah Conservatory.

“We were hoping this would appeal to more than just the congregation — that this would appeal to the whole community, to come out to see James play and see our organ,” Wied said. “This was beyond what we were hoping for.”

The event ended with a reception in the church fellowship hall, which featured a silent auction of 27 icons and paintings, created by Shepherdstown artist and church member Tom Miller.

Community members gather together, after the concert, in the Trinity Episcopal Church fellowship hall on Sunday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston