Organ Recital

Waterville First Baptist Church is pleased to announce an organ event featuring a group of female organists from several local churches. Please join the congregation of the church for a free concert on Sunday, November 11 at 2:00 p.m., when the organ pipes will ring and rumble. The concert is one of the final 200^th anniversary events for the church before year's end. A diverse selection of music is planned, featuring the talents of the following women:

Sharon Saunders is Organist at the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church, a position she has held since 1993. A native of Pittsburgh, she studied organ as an undergraduate at Carnegie-Mellon University and completed graduate degrees in Musicology and Library Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She moved to Maine with her family in 1990. Steve is a member of the music faculty at Colby College, Sharon is the Associate College Librarian for Systems and Bibliographic Services at Bates College.

Christina Misner Rao grew up in Kents Hill and Manchester, and graduated from Winthrop High School. She studied piano and organ with Vira Tibbetts of Hallowell and Margaret Godfrey of Winthrop. She continued her organ studies with Larry Griffith at Ohio Wesleyan University, graduating with a degree in Music History and Social Work. She earned a Masters degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a teaching certificate from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. She was the rehearsal pianist and played in the pit band for the high school musicals where she taught business education in Redding, CT. She also accompanied the high school select choir in a number of performances and competitions. Christina was the substitute organist and handbell choir director for over 12 years at Jesse Lee United Methodist Church in Easton, CT before moving back to the area. She is currently the accompanist for Kennebec Performing Arts Company (KPAC), Leavitt High School chorus, Monmouth Middle School chorus, and the organist/choir director at the Wayne Community Church. She is the daughter of Rev. Dr. Peter and Susan Misner.

Mary Matteson of China is a private piano teacher and a lifelong elementary music educator currently employed at the George J. Mitchell School in Waterville. When she isn't sharing the gift of music with her students she enjoys spending time with her adult sons Tanner and Evan and her husband, Dave.

Lynne Burney of Augusta has served as an accompanist for local school symphony and theater groups for more than 40 years. She is currently learning her second career as Social Media Marketing Coordinator for NRF Distributors in Augusta. She spends her non-musical and computer hours trying to keep up with her (almost) retired husband, Bill and adult daughter, Blaire.

Mary and Lynne have been the organists at WFBC since September, 2008, and are pleased to be celebrating their first decade in conjunction with the church's 200^th anniversary! Their friendship of many years has been enhanced by their love of playing together. The concert will feature them playing an organ and piano duet.

The concert will culminate with an exciting "all hands and feet on deck" piano and organ piece featuring all of the participants. All attendees are invited to join together following the concert for a reception, and an opportunity to meet the participants.

For more information, please call 872 5741 or email tincancrossing@roadrunner.com.