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Community Corner

Halloween Organ Concert a Spook-tacular Event

Organist Dr. David Schrader evoked scary movies in a performance at St. Mark's Church in Glen Ellyn.

The deep, haunting music coming from the organ at St. Mark's Episcopal Church put the audience in the Halloween mood Sunday afternoon. Dr. David Schrader, professional musician and college professor, opened his performance with "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach. From the opening notes, the piece is recognizable and mostly identified with the soundtracks of many scary movies. It was part of a Halloween-inspired repertoire Schrader said he chose "to adopt a spirit of melancholy or good-natured terror."

Schrader, who has been an organist for 30 years, has performed with orchestras around the country and Canada and in music festivals around the world. And, his performance venues include St. Mark's.

"It is wonderful to return here to St. Mark's Glen Ellyn," he said. "I was here for a inaugural series in 1992 and it's nice after 18 years to return."

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Charles Snider, organist and choirmaster at St. Mark's, has been friends with Schrader for 30 years and was delighted to have him perform at the church.

"I asked David if he had any availability on a Sunday during October to come and perform at St. Mark's," said Snider. "The only day he was available in October was Sunday the 31st so we agreed on a Halloween performance."

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Nearly 100 people attended the 90-minute performance.

"David is one of the finest organists in the country and we are lucky to have him in our own backyard," Snider added.

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