St. Charles church to host organ and flute recital Oct. 20
On Sunday, Oct. 20, organist Mark Downey and flutist Gwen Petersen will present an organ and flute recital at St. Charles Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Ave. in St. Charles.
This free recital at 3 p.m. will feature the works of Michel Guimont, J.S. Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, Paul Manz and Louis Vierne.
A free-will offering will be received toward the renovation of the Howell 21-rank pipe organ, which will be begin in January 2025.
Mark Downey is a well-known organist, choirmaster, and parish musician in the Fox Valley American Guild of Organists and surrounding area. He recently completed his term as the dean of the Fox Valley AGO chapter. He previously served as choral director at Thornton Township High School. In addition to his church work, he teaches organ at South Suburban College and often adjudicates vocal competitions at various levels.
He formerly was the music director at The Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, where he directed the senior choir, children’s choir, Viva Voce, and played the organ for the various liturgies. He is currently music director and organist at St. Charles Episcopal Church.
He is also an active member of Musica Ecclesia, an inter-disciplinary program located in Florence, Italy. He has directed their choir, taught music theory and piano since 2011.
His primary teachers include Lionel Dakers, George Guest, Eric Routley, Martin How, and John Rutter. In addition, he studied chant, choral arranging and choral conducting with Richard Proulx (Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago). He completed the Master’s Certificate program in 1988 from the Royal School of Music, Croyden, England, with concentrations in choral conducting, chirognomy and organ performance.
Gwen Petersen is a freelance musician and private flute instructor, teaching in the Aurora area for over 30 years. She is currently a member of the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra and the West Suburban Flute Orchestra. Previously, she performed with the Wheaton Symphony Orchestra and the Lawrence (Kansas) Symphony Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Western Illinois University and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Kansas.
For information, visit www.stcharlesepiscopal.org.