Terra Sancta Organ Festival

English, French and Italian classical repertoires for pipe organ

After years of silence, the island of Cyprus will listen again to the sound of the pipe organ: the concert - open to the public and free of charge - will take place on Saturday, October 3 at 19:30 in the church of St. Mary of Graces in Larnaca (Terra Santa Street, 1; tel. 24642858).

The musicians who will perform pieces from the Italian, English and French classical repertoires, are Frenchman Christophe Guida, titular organist of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Marseille and, from England, Melanie Harrison Plumey, organist at the British Army Base in Episkopi and at the Royal Air Force Station of Akrotiri; Melanie is also an Officer of the British Institute of Organ Studies.

The pipe organ installed in the Church of St. Mary of Graces in Larnaca is probably the only existing pipe organ on the island.
Built in Jerusalem in 1989 by the Franciscan organ builder Fr. Delfin Taboada, this year’s restoration was made possible thanks to the extraordinary work of the world famous Italian organ builder Saverio Anselmi Tamburini of Crema (Italy) and to the contribution of the Embassy of Italy in Nicosia.

The concert is organized by the Custody of the Holy Land. In Cyprus, the Custody of the Holy Land (Latin Catholic Church of Cyprus) has been active for eight centuries. Today, the Franciscan friars are based in Nicosia (Holy Cross), in Larnaca (Our Lady of Graces) and in Limassol (St. Catherine): in these locations they run their charitable, pastoral and educational activities (Terra Santa College).

The concert is part of the musical program of the Terra Sancta Organ Festival (please visit www.tsorganfestival.org) taking place from September 18 to October 30. Besides Cyprus, the other locations of the festival are: Greece (Rhodes), Jordan, Israel, East Jerusalem and Palestine, in other words the places where the Custody of the Holy Land is present with its Franciscan friars. Next year the Festival will include also Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.

The Terra Sancta Organ Festival wants to give to everyone a chance to listen to the sound of the organ, that otherwise would be heard only during the liturgical celebrations at some churches.