Oregon Trailblazers May Gathering: Saturday, May 17
On Saturday, May 17, the Oregon Trailblazers fellowship will celebrate the end of the program year with a potluck. To celebrate Mtr. Kara's impending sabbatical departure, the theme this month will be Wild West. Bring tacos, barbecue, or anything else festive! Sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1moYWLZgHG4OK7St6dz4ZtOxfTqk9yAAwmQUP1A8xa5k/edit?usp=sharing
Dear Friends,
Father Paul asked me to write a note letting you all know where I’ll be for two weeks in early May. I am excited to share that I am going on a concert tour to Sweden! Between May 2-16, I will be away for two organ recitals, followed by a bit of vacation time.
My first recital, on May 6, will be far north in Sweden, in the city of Piteå. There, I will perform on the genre-defying organ built by Gerald Woehl that is in Studio Acusticum Hall. This instrument is sometimes referred to as the “organ of the future” for the way it gives the performer access to essentially several disparate instruments in one case. Organs come in many styles, and have clear and different characteristics in various centuries and regions. Typically when an organ is constructed, there is an attempt to keep the style of the instrument cohesive so that the whole instrument can work with itself to create a unified sound. The concept for this organ is quite different. The builder set out to give the organist access to many different styles of organ construction so that many types of repertoire will sound as convincing as possible. As a result, the instrument is massive - it has 163 stops (distinct sounds). I look forward to exploring the sonic capabilities of this instrument! I will also give a masterclass for the organ and sacred music students at the University of Piteå.
Following this, I will play a recital at Tegs Kyrka in Umeå on May 10. The organ here had four manuals and 50 stops which, compared to most organs, is quite large. Compared to the Studio Acusticum organ, of course, it will be refreshingly modest. It is by all reports a majestic instrument that was designed in the Northern European/Germanic tradition, and I look forward to getting to know it!
After this, I will take some vacation time in Visby, which is an island off the coast of Stockholm, and will take a brief excursion to Tallinn, Estonia.
I am grateful to our wonderful Associate Director of Music Joseph Ferguson for keeping music running at Trinity while I get to connect with, help train, and share with musicians in Sweden. I look forward to seeing you all at Choir Tea and Evensong on May 18 shortly after I return!
All my best,
Meg
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3 - 4:30 pm
Evensong at 5:00 pm
Pierce Hall, Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St
You are invited to join us for a delicious traditional English Tea at Trinity Church. Enjoy this lovely opportunity to return to an elegant era and have a ‘cuppa’ plus homemade scones with clotted cream and jam, savories, and sweets. All that and a delicious tea especially blended for this occasion, all served by formally garbed waitstaff and surrounded by lovely floral arrangements. Following the tea at 5 pm, the exceptional Trinity Choir will sing a traditional Evensong in the historic church, accompanied by our master organists, Dr. Margaret “Meg” Harper and Joseph Ferguson.
Best of all, you will be helping our magnificent choir continue to make beautiful music, not only here in Trinity Church but on an invited tour to sing at English cathedrals in 2026! This special event, priced at $45 per person with a special new opportunity for a VIP room with champagne and cocktails/mocktails ($85 for VIP room ticket), is a fundraising effort for our choirs. Our choirs will sing for a week at Ely Cathedral and will be the Choir in Residence for an entire week at Westminster Abbey - an amazing opportunity for an outstanding choir!
Be sure to make your reservations now as seating is limited. Payment by cash, check, or Venmo to ‘Trinity Church’ with ‘Choir Tea’ in the memo line. Questions and/or reservations? Please e-mail Terri Brown at terribrown4@gmail.com or call 609-915-3800.
Tickets will be on sale Sunday, April 27, outside Pierce Hall before the Common Grounds Café at 9 a.m. and in the narthex after the 10:30 service. On Sunday, May 4, they will be on sale before the Forum in Pierce Hall and after the 10:30 service in the narthex.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Mtr. Kara's summer sabbatical begins on Monday, May 12, although she will be back for Saturday and Sunday activities on May 17-18. If you need to meet with her before she leaves, she's available between April 28 and May 11. Stay tuned for more information on what she's doing!
From 8 pm on Maundy Thursday evening to 7 am on Good Friday morning, the reserved sacrament from the Maundy Thursday service will be on the altar in the Lady Chapel. We invite you to spend an hour in prayer with Jesus, who asked his disciples ‘could you not watch with me one hour.’
Sign up at the Google link below or in the Narthex:
Because our April meeting time falls on Holy Saturday (April 19th), the Oregon Trailblazers won't meet this month. Join us instead for the Easter Vigil at 7 PM. Bishop French will be there and it should be a lot of fun. Of course, our traditional Easter Egg Hunt for kids will be earlier that day at 11 AM. We will meet again on Saturday, May 17 at the usual time (5:30 PM) for our last gathering of the program year. The theme is "Wild West" to celebrate Kara's impending sabbatical in Oklahoma that starts the following Monday! That means tacos, barbecue, or anything else you think might work. Stay tuned for a signup later on.
If you're coming on Sunday, you can RSVP here so we know how much food to order:
Trinity's current Communications Director Char Mansfield will be moving to Chicago to pursue their career as an ordained minister. During Char's eighteen months in this role, they have greatly enhanced the quality and timeliness of our parish communications as well as the live-streaming of our Sunday service. Now we need to replace them and continue their good work! The search committee consists of Morgane O'Connell, Nithila Peter, Hailey Hensley, Tom Scott, Annie Bryson and Char Mansfield. A job description is posted at https://www.trinityprinceton.org/employment. If you or someone you know is interested in this part-time position, please send a resume and cover letter to communicationsearch@trinityprinceton.org.