In-Person: Opening Concert THE SANTA BARBARA MUSIC CLUB 2021

On Saturday, November 13 at 3 p.m. the Santa Barbara Music Club, in collaboration with the American Guild of Organists, will present its first program since February 2020. Organists Raymond Egan, Adán Fernández, and Thomas Joyce will present a program including works by J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Maurice Duruflé, Florence Price, and Raymond Egan.  This concert will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State Street, Santa Barbara.  Admission is free.

 Following Public Health Department regulations, face coverings are required regardless of vaccination status.  The face-covering should fully cover both nose and mouth.  In addition, all patrons, including children under the age of 12,  must show proof of full vaccination (the final COVID-19 vaccine dose administered at least 14 days before the concert date) or proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival.

 Dr. Adán Fernández is the Director of Music and Liturgy/Organist at Holy Family Catholic Church. He is also the University Organist and Adjunct Professor at California Lutheran University where he teaches Keyboard harmony and Worship and Music Courses. Dr. Fernández is the founding director of the Glendale Youth Symphony, a non-profit in Glendale California, and Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus. Dr. Fernández has performed around California on some of its most prominent organs and performs a thirty-minute program every month at Cal Lutheran for their Monthly Bach Recital Series. Dr. Fernández has degrees in piano, organ, and a doctorate in Sacred Music from USC with an emphasis in Organ Performance and Choral Music.

 Dr. Fernandez will perform J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E Min, BWV 548 and the

Sonata in D Minor No. 6, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn.

 Raymond Egan’s music has been performed throughout the United States, in Europe, in Australia, and at conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and The American Guild of Organists. He has had commissions from the General Assembly of The Unitarian Universalist Church and California State University Los Angeles. His sacred music includes two masses, some larger choral works on environmental themes, and lots of choral, solo voice, and organ music. In the secular realm, he is the composer of the score for the United States Steel documentary, Worlds of Von Braun.

 He is the grandson of Raymond Egan, a member of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame for his songs such as Ain’t We Got Fun and Sleepy Time Gal. Raymond III was honored at the Ventura A. G. O. Chapter’s recent Celebration of Ventura County Composers. He is presently the Organist of First United Methodist Church, Santa Barbara. He has also held positions as the Director of Music/Organist & Choirmaster of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, Los Angeles, and Minister of Music of Agape Christian Fellowship Church, Compton, California.

 Raymond Egan was a composition student of Samuel Adler and John Corigliano, and an organ student of David Craighead. He has a Doctoral degree in conducting from the Thornton School of Music, The University of Southern California, where he was the Outstanding Doctoral student of 1996.

 Raymond Egan will perform original works for organ, including Realms of Glory: Variations on a Theme of Henry Smart (2010), The Space Shuttle Soars in Space (1998), and A Sound World (2021).

 Organist Thomas Joyce is Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church. Originally from Cambridge, England, Thomas has spent most of his life living in the United States. This past July, he finally became a U.S. citizen.

 Mr. Joyce began his musical career as a boy chorister at the Washington National Cathedral and continued his studies at Interlochen Arts Academy. He later attained degrees in music from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Yale University, and the University of Washington. Before finding his home in Santa Barbara, Thomas worked for several churches and cathedrals throughout the United States as an organist and choral conductor.

In addition to his work as a church musician, he serves on the music faculty at Santa Barbara City College, instructs organ students from Westmont College, and is the keyboard accompanist for Adelfos Ensemble.

 Thomas Joyce’s selections will include Max Reger’s Introduction and Passacaglia in D minor,  Maurice Duruflé’s Scherzo, Op. 2, and movements from Florence Price’s Suite for Organ.

 Today’s program is co-sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, an international organization that promotes the music, musical education, and musicians of the King of Instruments.  Today’s organists are AGO members from the Ventura County Chapter, of which Adán Fernández is the Dean.

 The mission of the Santa Barbara Music Club is to contribute to the musical life of our community through the following:

•   Presentation of an annual series of concerts, free to the public, featuring outstanding solo and chamber music performances by Performing Members and guests;

•   Presentation of community outreach activities, including bringing great music to residents of area retirement homes;

•   Aiding and encouraging musical education by the disbursement of scholarships to talented local music students.

 For information on this or other Santa Barbara Music Club programs and performing artists, visit SBMusicClub.org.