Join us in Lewiston, Maine, for an evening of organ duets and solos!
F R I D A Y • S E P T E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 2 4 • 7 : 3 0 P M
Performing
.Dr. Jennifer Pascual was appointed Director of Music at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City in 2003. She is the first woman to hold this position, one of the most prestigious sacred music appointments in the United States.
Jennifer earned a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Organ Performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where she studied with David Higgs and taught undergraduate theory courses. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City where she studied with Nina Svetlanova and studied organ privately with Mc Neil Robinson. She received the Bachelor of Music Degrees in Piano and Organ Performance, magna cum laude, and Music Education from Jacksonville University in Florida where she studied with Mary Lou Wesley Krosnick and William Saunders and taught both organ and piano in the University’s Continuing Education Department. (Read ore here). 
Mark Pacoe was appointed Associate Director of Music & Organist June 2023 Cathedral of St. Patrick, New York City and has performed as soloist and accompanist domestically and abroad. As prizewinner from the Oundle International Young Organists’ Academy in Great Britain, Mark made his European solo debut tour at St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), Chichester Cathedral, and St. Mary’s Cathedral (Edinburgh Fringe Festival).
In November 2014, Mr. Pacoe launched the premiere edition of the Terra Sancta Organ Festival in the Holy Land with solo recitals in Israel and Palestine at Basilica of the Annunciation (Nazareth), St. Saviour Monestary (Jerusalem) and St. Catherine Church/Nativity (Bethlehem/Palestine). |
The Venue
Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul
Saints Peter and Paul Parish, founded in 1870, is the oldest parish for the French-speaking Catholics in the Diocese of Portland. For the French Canadians who began arriving in Lewiston in the mid-19th century, the Catholic church was, next to the family, the focal point of life. Under the guidance of the Church, virtually every spiritual, social, recreational, and educational need was taken care of. These French Canadians who immigrated south looking for work in the Lewiston mills were proud, strong, and hard working people. Below is the timeline of how Saints Peter and Paul evolved. The history of Saints Peter and Paul parish isn't just the chronicle of an old church, but of the amazing faith of the French immigrants whose struggles, patience, and great generosity built it. It reflects an aspect of the immigrant experience played out over and over again across the United States. In this way, the history of Saints Peter and Paul is an invaluable chapter on the history of this nation. (Read more here) 
The Casavant Organ at the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul
It is not without justification that the pipe organ is called the "king of instruments". As a single instrument, it can not only rival the full power of a symphony orchestra but imitate many of the orchestra’s individual subtleties. The pipe organ produces its sound in much the same way as the human voice does, with air. This makes the pipe organ an excellent accompaniment instrument for the voice, from a single person to a large choir. With many different types of pipes, a pipe organ is also capable of a great variety of sound color. This diversity of sound has inspired many of Western music’s greatest masters to compose some of their greatest works. Gabrieli, Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Franck, and Messien all wrote masterpieces for an instrument that not only represents a pinnacle of musical achievement, but in its construction is also a triumph of human mechanical ingenuity. (Read more here) |
