LIVERMORE FALLS — The First Baptist Church of Livermore Falls will rededicate its church and organ after an extensive renovation with a concert on April 11.

Kevin Birch, a professional musician on the music faculty at the University of Maine in Orono, will perform music created for this type of tracker organ.

Some works by Bach, Schumann, Parker and Buck are on his program, as well as some unannounced music that will be featured.

The concert is 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at the church, located at 25 Church St. The building has a handicap-accessible elevator at the back entrance. Light refreshments will be served after the concert. 

Birch holds a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Iowa, having previously studied at New England Conservatory in Boston and the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam.

Since 1992, he has also has served as director of music at St. John’s Catholic Church in Bangor where, in addition to choir training and service planning, he directs the St. John’s Organ Society, dedicated to preservation and stewardship of Hook’s Opus 288.

He performs frequently on the many fine historic organs in Midcoast and Downeast Maine and has made several recent concert tours in Europe and played for several national conventions of the Organ Historical Society.

The church and organ underwent extensive professional renovation to deal with mold and water problems.

Thanks go to deceased member Nancy Poland’s diligence in creating an organ fund for its maintenance and to Paul Washburn’s generous estate gift to the church, which paid for the renovation.

Church members met for worship in the vestry for the nine months that the building was closed for cleaning, and they were happy to return to their restored, clean sanctuary for Christmas.

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