Calvary Baptist to host Pavlechko in concert

BOARDMAN — Calvary Baptist Church, 1463 Shields Road, Boardman, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the installation and dedication of its Austin pipe organ during an organ concert at 7 p.m. Friday by Thomas Pavlechko.

Pavlechko, who is from the Youngstown area, is a graduate of Youngstown State University Dana School of Music. While in Youngstown, he was organist for St. John Lutheran Church, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the Calvary Baptist Church, where he was custodian for one summer. He is the cantor and composer-in-residence at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas.

The Canfield Community Concert Band also will play.

Two premiere performances will be featured: “Solemn Procession” and “Pastorale on Woodard for Organ and Symphonic Winds,” both orchestrated for the occasion by Pavlechko. “Solemn Procession” is written for the organ and the concert band. “Pastorale” is an original hymn that Pavlechko composed and will be performed with organ, concert bands and audience singing. The audience will also sing two hymns composed and arranged by Pavlechko.

A reception will follow the concert. Nursery care is available by reservation by calling the church office at (330) 792-7873.

Pavlechko has composed more than 25 choral works, 85 hymns and 1,000 Psalm settings, all in print with nine publishers throughout North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.

He has also been chapel musician, adjunct faculty and liturgical consultant for the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest and served for four years in various leadership capacities on the worship committee of the Southwestern Texas Synod.

Pavlechko was named the Emerging Hymn Tune Composer by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, published two hymn collections, a three-year Psalter, seven choral anthems, two hymn concertatos, and a Te Deum, then opened his own business, E-Libris Publishers, a Practically Paperless Music Company. During this time, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America appointed him to serve on the Liturgical Music Editorial Team to assist in choosing the liturgical music for the new hymnal, a worship resource which also includes his own liturgical music settings and hymns.