Gordon St. Church hosts summer concert
Weil Sawyer, organist at Gordon Street Christian Church, performed a variety of organ and piano music in Sunday’s “Pipes on Parade” concert.
Over 50 music fans filled Gordon Street Christian Church sanctuary this past Sunday for the summer “Pipes on Parade” concert. Church organist Weil Sawyer literally “pulled out the stops” in performing a variety of classical, patriotic, and popular music. He was joined on several numbers by guest artists Elizabeth Wynne on violin, Bryant Lee Cox on cello, and soprano Elizabeth Waser.
Weil Sawyer with violist Elizabeth Wynne and cellist Bryant Lee Cox, after their performance of a Gershwin medley.
A highlight among the classical pieces was Bach’s Toccata in C, featuring the longest pedal solo in all of organ literature. Ms. Waser, a senior voice student at ECU, gave a beautiful rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Pie Jesu,” accompanied by piano and violin. Sawyer performed a “Fanfare on America the Beautiful” on organ, and followed with his original “Patriotic Improvisation” on piano. Sawyer, Wynne, and Cox collaborated on a Gershwin medley. Gordon Street Minister of Music Joanne Heath introduced the program and the musicians.
Elizabeth Wynne and Bryant Lee Cox are both Kinston natives who graduated from Parrott Academy. Wynne is entering her senior year at ECU, while Cox just graduated from NC State with a math and statistics major.