Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 3:00 PM Grace United Methodist
The performance is free to the public,
however a free-will offering will be collected to help defray production expences.
Grace United Methodist Church 135 Decker Drive New Castle Pennsylvania 16105 724-658-5577
Time remaining until our next performance
This year's selections
And the Glory of The Lord
Chorus
For Unto Us a Child is Born
Chorus
Glory to God
Chorus
His Yoke is Easy and His Burthen is Light
Chorus
And With His Stripes We are Healed
Chorus
Let All the Angels of God Worship Him
Chorus
Hallelujah!
Chorus
Since By Man Came Death
Chorus
Worthy is The Lamb
Chorus
Amen
Chorus
Soprano
Joanne McFarland
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This marks the twenty-first appearance by Joanne McFarland as soprano soloist for the New Castle Music Club Chorus presentation of Handel’s MESSIAH. In her words – “It’s always a pleasure to sing with this group of individuals. They are like family to me.” Joanne has a diverse performing career, having performed in opera, oratorio, and other musical productions. Among her roles have been Adele in DIE FLEDERMAUS, Monica in THE MEDIUM, and Despina in COSI FAN TUTTE. Her resume also includes solo performances in such works as Poulenc’s GLORIA, John Rutter’s MAGNIFICAT and REQUIEM, and Schubert’s MASS NO. 2 in G MAJOR. Joanne has also lent her solo voice to the Westminster College Celebrity Series, both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pirates, the Mercer Community Band Summer Series, to name a few, and has traveled throughout the tri-state area and beyond performing recitals and other vocal programs for various functions and organizations. One of her travels took her to Bolivia, South America to work on a recording project for a mission, and she often sings for many church services in the area. Recently retired from Grove City College where she served as a vocal instructor in the music department, Joanne still maintains a private voice studio. She and her husband, JR, reside in New Wilmington, PA.
Alto
Megan Gorby
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Megan Gorby is a Mezzo from Butler, PA. She has been building her voice
while building her family. She has studied voice with Diana Walters for
over thirty years. Megan is excited to make her debut with The Music Club
Chorus.
Tenor
Guy Russo
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Guy Russo has been very active in the Western Pennsylvania music scene for many years. A singer as well as a conductor and teacher, he has been the tenor soloist at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Calvary Episcopal Church, Temple Sinai, and Rodef Shalom,and has appeared as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Youngstown Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony, Bach Choir, and Pittsburgh Oratorio Society, among others. Russo was the director of vocal music at Sewickley Academy for 19 years, and at The Ellis School for five years. He also served as the Interim Director of the Pappert Men’s Chorale at Duquesne University for two years. Russo was the choral director of the Carnegie Mellon Pre-College program for over 30 years, and just retired as director of the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Chancel Choir after 15 years. He continues to be the Music Director/conductor of the Pittsburgh Savoyards.
Bass
Tom Scurich
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Thomas Scurich continues to be in demand in opera, oratorio, recital, and as a concert soloist. With over fifty works/roles in his extensive repertoire, Scurich has performed many of the great cantatas, passions, masses, requiems, and oratorios of J.S.Bach, Händel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Faure’, Durufle’, Britten, and Vaughan Williams. In addition to Messiah, more specific repertory includes Handel’s Saul, Samson, Joseph and His Brethren, Solomon, Judas Maccabaeus, and the Dettingen Te Deum, as well as J. S. Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions, B Minor Mass, Christmas Oratorio, Magnificat, and many cantatas including 147 with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival. He has presented the music of other comtemporary composers as well, including a premier performance of the MASS by Russian composer Yuri Falik, and attains the War Requiem, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, and Belshazzar's Feast securely in his oeuvre. Scurich worked closely with acclaimed organist/maestro Ronald Gould at St. John's Episcopal Church, as well as having sung under the baton of numerous conductors including Sir David Willcocks, Robert Shaw, Leonard Slatkin, Helmut Rilling, David Hill, Raymond Leppard, Vance George, Edward Cumming, Carl St. Clair, Donald Franklin, John Drotleff, Eric Stark, and Brady Allred. Furthermore, he has performed leading opera roles in La Scala di Seta, Le Nozze di Figaro, Zaide, Wuthering Heights, and Lee Hoiby’s Summer and Smoke.
Mr. Scurich earned his BM degree from the Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University, studying with David Starkey, and the MM in Sacred Music from Duquesne University, studying with Robert Croan and Claudia Pinza. He continued further private study with Professor Harold Stark in San Antonio, TX. Scurich is also a conductor, an award winning educator, and a multi-instrumentalist. He has traveled prodigiously, gaining broad knowledge of the USA and United Kingdom through a variety of excursions, as well as from the development and leadership of student tours.
Trumpeter
Andy Erb
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Andrew S. Erb is the Director of Bands and a Professor of Music at Thiel College. Mr. Erb directs the Thiel College Concert Band, the 'Tomcat' Marching Pride, Jazz Ensemble, and Thiel College Pep Band. Additionally, he teaches private brass lessons and instructs first and second semester music theory classes. Andrew also serves adjunctly as the studio trumpet teacher at Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA. Mr. Erb is an active Guest Conductor, Adjudicator, and Clinician throughout the area Western Pennsylvania area and remains active within PMEA. He has presented lectures and workshops on various topics including teaching jazz improvisation, use of 'smart music' technology in elementary through college level instrumental lessons, and “things about teaching music that they didn't teach you in college. Prior to his appointment at Thiel College, Mr. Erb directed bands and taught music in public schools in Allegheny and Mercer counties for 14 years. As an active performer, Mr. Erb played trumpet with acts such as Marie Osmond, Wayne Newton, Bobby Vinton, Lena Prima, and Ben Vereen. In addition, he served as the lead trumpeter for Sugarfuzz Orchestra and currently with 2nd Avenue Project, two regional horn-rock bands covering the music of such bands as Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, and Tower of Power. Mr. Erb has performed with opening acts for Foreigner, Kansas, the Commodores, Bobby Blue Band, and Average White Band. He has also performed with the Youngstown Playhouse Pit Orchestra, Warren Packard Concert Band and Big Band, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Butler Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Savoyard Pit Orchestra, and the Youngstown Fine Arts Brass Quintet. Mr. Erb holds a Bachelor Degree in Music Education from Westminster College, a Masters Degree in Trumpet Performance from Youngstown State University, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Music from Boston University. He has studied conducting with Dr. R. Tad Greig and Dr. Stephen Gage, and his trumpet teachers include Dr. Stephen Hawk, Susan Sexton, Dr. Christopher Krummel, and Anthony Pasquarelli. Mr. Erb is a member of PMEA, MENC, ITG, and the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmasters Association. Mr. Erb resides in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, along with his wife Diana and three children, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Madison
Organist
Kathy Miller
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Kathryn received her Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from The Ohio State University. She earned her Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music in organ performance. While attending CCM she was on a full accompanying scholarship working in the studios of Andrew White and Patricia Berlin. While serving on Adjunct Faculty at Youngstown State University in the early 1980s Kathryn received her Bachelor of Engineering degree majoring in Industrial Engineering Kathryn is currently College Organist at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania teaching organ, piano, accompanying class and sacred music courses. She is on the adjunct faculty of Youngstown State University working in the choral department. At Westminster Presbyterian Church in Boardman, Kathryn serves as Director of Music/Organist directing the adult choir, children’s bell choir, and adult bell choir. She also serves as Organist/Director at Congregation Rodef Sholom in Youngstown. She has over thirty years of accompanying experience in the tri-county area of Ohio and throughout Western Pennsylvania.
Pianist
Larry Baumgartner
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Larry Baumgartner is a proud native son of the Shenango Valley, being born and raised in Hickory (Hermitage). He started piano lessons at age seven, learning a new hymn every week. He began his musical career playing for Junior Church at Pentecostal Holiness Church of Sharon, PA. His first job was at the now defunct Sharon Methodist Church on Elm Street. Next, he played at St Paul's United Church of Christ for three years. Larry attended Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music as a voice major.
Larry successfully married his church organist/pianist career with a 30-year career as an over the road driver for PI&I (PA, IN, IL) Motor Express. Larry played piano at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Sharon for 30 years, and also served as organist for five years. To continue to utilize his talents in a traditional worship service, he then moved to Sharon First United Methodist Church where he served as organist for five years, retiring on 31 Dec 2017. He continues to substitute at various churches in the area, as well as Eagle River Presbyterian Church, Eagle River, Alaska in the Summers.
Director
Edward X. Petrus
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Edward X. Petrus is the current president of The Music Club. He was the Director's Assistant for the Music Club Chorus from 1996 until 2023, and sang with the chorus since 1991. Ed was the adult choir director at St. Camillus Catholic Church in Neshannock Township for 36 years, and has previously been the choirmaster at St. John Neumann's Church in Lancaster, PA, and St. Joseph's Church in Oil City, PA. Ed has sung with many groups, including the Hoyt Singers and the Penn State Glee Club. He was a trumpeter in the Penn State Blue Band and performed in the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, and the Gator Bowl. When he lived in Venango County, he was a member of the renowned Franklin Silver Cornet Band. Some years ago, Ed was part of a group that sang in the background for numerous television commercials for a Pittsburgh station. Ed is a former president of the board of the Lawrence County Historical Society, and is currently the secretary for the Lawrence County Partners for Preservation. He likes restoring things large and small, from his 3 1957 DeSotos to the Oak Park Manor residence at Oak Park Cemetery where his son lives. He writes a monthly article, “Ideas from Ed” which give homeowners how-to advice on many around-the-house projects. He and his wife Lorraine have 3 children and 6 grandchildren.
