March 21st marks the 325th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach. We will be celebrating at St..Paul's with guest artist Mario Duella from Biella, Italy. Signor Duella will perform a recital of Bach, Mendelsohn and Italian composers on our 1983 Stuart mechanicalaction pipe organ at 4:00pm. A reception will follow and a free-will offering will be taken. Don't miss this opportunity to hear Signor Duella!

MARIO DUELLA studied music at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi of Milano, where he received diplomas in Choral Music and Conducting, Organ and Organ Composition. His intense artistic activity has taken place in Italy, and nearly all of Europe, U.S.A., Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Canada, Australia, New Zeeland, Hong Kong, Mexico, Iceland and Malta. He has published a series of pieces from Lucca dating from the 18th Century for Paideia-Baerenreiter. He is organist and choir director at the parish church of Portula. He has recorded several .L.P. and C.D. and also recorded for various radio and television stations in Europe,U.S.A., Argentina, Japan and Canada. He is a member of the Commision Diocesana di Musica Sacra as a consultant for the restoration of historic organs.

St. Paul's Parish Choir will be singing the "Missa Festiva" by Alexander Gretchaninov (1864-1956) for Easter services this year. Gretchaninov, was born in Russia, spent time in Paris and ultimately settled in New York. This is a lush and joyful score! We will also be singing selections from Handel's much celebrated "Messiah." Please join us for the powerful Holy Week liturgies as well. Music for Maundy Thursday will include Morten Lauridsen's moving setting of "Ubi Caritas." The Liturgy of the Church at 2:00pm Good Friday will include music of Bruckner and the Passion according to St. John in plainchant. Both St. Paul's Children's Choir and Youth Choir will be singing the liturgy for the Feast of the Resurrection at the Old Narragansett Church. I believe it is not to late to sign up! See Nancy Sherman or Rozanne Fuller. Everyone is invited to the Diocesan Youth Evensong which will take place at St. Martin’s Church in Providence April 25 at 5:00pm.

Other youth choir news: the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Summer Course is being offered in our state (for the first time ever!) the first week of August 2010. We hope to send many of our talented choristers.