Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 7:30 pm – International Concert Artist: Gail Archer (New York City), in a program of Organ Music from Eastern Europe. All proceeds towards Ukrainian war relief.
Friday, February 21, 2025 at 7:30 pm – National Artist: Angelique Po (Vancouver), in a program of Organ Music by Women Composers.
Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 7:30 pm – Celebrated Prairie Artist: Valerie Hall (Regina), in a program of Organ Music from 20th c. France.
All concerts to be held at Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Admission by Donation
Gail Archer is an international concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer who draws attention to composer anniversaries or musical themes with her annual recital series in New York City. Ms. Archer was the first American woman to play the complete works of Olivier Messiaen for the centennial of the composer’s birth in 2008; Time Out New York recognized the Messiaen cycle as “Best of 2008” in classical music and opera. Her recordings include her 2022 release, Cantius, featuring contemporary Polish composers. Previous CD releases include Chernivtsi, recorded at the Armenian Catholic Church, Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Ms. Archer’s 2024 European tour took her to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, France, Italy and the island of Menorca.
Ms. Archer is the founder of Musforum, an international network for women organists to promote and affirm their work. She serves as college organist at Vassar College, director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she conducts the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers and she is a faculty member of Harriman Institute, Columbia University. She is artistic director of the artist and young artist recital series at historic Central Synagogue, New York City.
Angelique Po is an organist, pianist and continuo player living and working in Vancouver, BC. Her versatility and interest in a broad range of music styles have led her to collaborate with a variety of ensembles and soloists, as well as perform world premieres of many new works. This includes the Scottish premieres of Claude Vivier’s Les Communiantes and Jocelyn Morlock’s Premonition in 2022 at the University of Glasgow, and the world premiere of David Millard’s Requiem with Vivaldi Chamber Choir, also in 2022, for mezzo-soprano soloist, large choir, organ and string quartet. As the featured artist with trombonist Jeremy Berkman for Vancouver Pro Musica’s Sonic Boom 2021, she premiered ten new works written for trombone and organ by BC composers in an online concert in March 2021. She was featured again in Vancouver Pro Musica’s A Little Further Series in October 2021, playing eight world-premiere solo organ pieces. Angelique is also an active member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, serving as president of RCCO Vancouver Centre from 2018-2023, and on the Board of Directors since 2022.
Angelique has performed with numerous ensembles, including the Vancouver Bach Choir, Phoenix Chamber Choir, Laudate and Paragon Singers, United Voices Choir, Vivaldi Chamber Choir, Vancouver Oratorio Singers, Abendmusik, Sakura Singers, and the Church Music Ministry of Canada, and has served in organ appointments at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Central Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church in Vancouver. She is currently the Director of Music and Organist at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver. As a composer, she has written for various small ensembles, including pianist Michael Park, PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) with Corey Hamm and Nicole Ge Li, and has written a number of art songs. At the University of British Columbia, she studied piano with Sara Buechner and harpsichord with Doreen Oke. On the organ, her mentors include Kevin Bowyer, Michael Murray, and Edward Norman. In addition, she has received valuable coaching from Ton Koopman, Marnie Giesbrecht, Wendy Markosky, Jonathan Moyer, Christa Rakich and David P. Dahl.
Valerie Hall has appeared in solo and collaborative musical roles across Canada as well as in the United States and Europe. A native of Winnipeg, she holds a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Church Music from Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois. Valerie is also an Associate (Voice Performance) of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Specializing in Canadian organ music as well as keyboard music of the Baroque, Valerie has worked with renowned early music specialists in Vancouver, Montreal, the Netherlands and Belgium. In 2018, she commissioned a new work for organ by the late Canadian composer, Rachel Laurin, that pays homage to
the Praeludia of German, pre-Bach composer, Dietrich Buxtehude.
A past national president and honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists (FRCCO), Valerie came to Regina in 2002 to take up the position of Organist at Holy Rosary Cathedral. She now enjoys a varied career as a freelance performer on both organ and harpsichord, a soprano in the celebrated Ignite Chamber Choir and an instructor for both pipe organ and voice at the Conservatory of Performing Arts, University of Regina.
