German organist to play in Bucksport

During his fall 2008 tour of historic Hook organs in New England, German organist Matthias Schmelmer will perform a concert at Elm Street Congregational Church, 31 Elm St., Bucksport, on its historic E&GG Hook Organ, Opus 328 built in 1863.

The concert will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, and will include works of Bach, Foote, Mendelssohn and Ritter. Admission is free, but donations will be appreciated.

Matthias Schmelmer was born 1971 in Forchleim, Bavaria, where he attended his first lessons in piano and organ.

From 1993 to 1998, he studied church music at the Berliner Kirchenmusikschule with Karl Hochreither on organ, and Martin Behrmann on choral conducting. From 1998 to 2003, he worked as a church musician for the Protestant Church of Celle in Lower Saxony, north Germany.

Since 2003, he has been organist and director of music of the Protestant Church of the Holy Cross and Church of the Passion in Berlin.

At the Church of the Holy Cross, he plays an Opus 553, E&GG Hook organ from 1870. The organ formerly stood in the First Unitarian Church of Woburn, Mass. In 1991 it was sold, dismantled and brought to Berlin. In 2001, the organ was renovated and installed at Holy Cross by organ builder Eule from Bautzen, Saxony.

In addition to his concert at Elm Street Congregational Church, Schmelmer will perform on two other historic E&GG Hook organs in Maine churches: at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at South Parish Church in Augusta, and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Bangor.