Concerts at Kent Town Kick Off with Organist Dr. Greg Crawford Today

Regular concert goers at the popular community Concerts at Kent Town held at the majestic Neo-Gothic Wesley Church Kent Town, on the corner Fullarton Road and Grenfell Street, Kent Town, will be delighted that their afternoon concerts have returned. These well-attended, monthly concerts will be held this year from July to November and feature accomplished and acclaimed South Australian and visiting musicians.

The opening concert in this year's Winter and Spring season will bring together celebrated organist Dr. Greg Crawford, who is well known as the Director of Music at St. John's Anglican Church, Adelaide today, 17 July, at 2 p.m. Joining Greg on this gala opening program will be soprano Yvonne Long accompanied by Joan Atkinson on piano.

Greg Crawford is also a practising Palliative Medicine Physician and is currently the Mary Potter A/Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Adelaide. For the concert at Kent Town he has chosen a program of music which he describes as 'music for the soul' beginning with JS Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor, known as the 'Dorian'. About which he says: "This is music written for an instrument such as the Dodd organ at Kent Town. With the recent work to complete the original specifications, the organ will be able to meet the demands of such a large flourishing work." The program continues with works in the Dorian mode by Jehan Alain, Brahms and includes HerBert Howells' Saraband for the Morning of Easter which starts with the quiet glimpse of morning sunlight, and builds to a thrilling crescendo of joy and excitement.

For their program Yvonne and Joan have chosen works from a selection of composers including Handel, Caccini, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Schubert and Mozart.

Yvonne Long's first instrument is piano, having completed AMusA (piano performance) at the University of Adelaide under Thelma Dent's tuition. In her 30s, she undertook formal singing lessons with Ian Drummond and later Arnold Matters at which time family demands took priority. She has been involved in music all her life, both as teacher and performer.

Pianist Joan Atkinson is originally from New Zealand, she is a graduate of the University of Auckland and has been involved in music all her life, both as school music teacher and accompanist and is a life member of the Accompanists' Guild of South Australia and also conducts the CWA Choir.

The 2013 series continues until November with a wide selection of musicians and musical genres to entertain the audience. Tickets are still only $8, and are available at the door and include afternoon tea.

The next concert in the series will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, 21 August with Graham Bell, Organist at Wesley Church Kent Town, and the celebrated Adelaide Harmony Choir.

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