Kent Tritle’s annual Smithfield organ concert coming up on Sept. 19

AMENIA — New York Philharmonic organist and acclaimed choral director Kent Tritle will bring his lively, personable and intimate performance style to The Smithfield Church in Amenia on Saturday, Sept. 19. A highlight of the area’s performance season, the 3 p.m. concert will benefit the Oratorio Society of New York, where Tritle serves as Music Director.

This will be the 14th annual organ recital Tritle has performed on the Smithfield Church’s historic 1893 Johnson and Son tracker organ, meticulously restored and moved from its original location at the First Congregational Church in Kent, Conn.

Praising the instrument for its “sweet sound,” Tritle has said that the Smithfield organ reminds him of one of the first organs he ever played in Iowa as a youngster. He will be performing works by classical composers, such as Bach, Buxtehude and Frescobaldi, along with modern composers, including Jeanne Demessieux and Rachel Laurin.

Demessieux was a 20th-century French concert organist and composer and Laurin was a Canadian composer and organist whose career spanned the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Both were notable contributors to contemporary organ repertoire during their careers.

Tritle serves as music director of several choral ensembles in New York City, including Musica Sacra and The Oratorio Society. In addition, he is director of cathedral music at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

The suggested donation is $25 at the door, but all are welcome. A meet-the-artist reception will follow the concert. The Smithfield Church, 646 Smithfield Valley Road, Amenia, is air-conditioned and fully handicapped accessible.