WAYNE, PA — The Wayne Oratorio Society will showcase the celebrated Mass in D by John Knowles Paine during its Spring 2025 concerts. These performances will take place at the Wayne Presbyterian Church, located at 125 East Lancaster Avenue, on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, both starting at 7:30 PM.
Under the baton of conductor John Grecia, the concerts will feature the 140-voice choir, a 45-piece professional orchestra, and a quartet of talented soloists. The Mass marks its first performance in the Philadelphia area in decades, spotlighting an influential piece of American classical music.
“This monumental work is truly glorious music by one of America’s most influential musical innovators,” said Grecia. “Composed when Paine was still in his twenties, the Mass in D remains an ethereal and moving masterpiece.”
John Knowles Paine (1839-1906) was a trailblazing American composer and Harvard University’s first Professor of Music. His Mass in D, first performed in 1867, is widely regarded as a pivotal work that helped elevate the stature of American classical music.
“Paine’s Mass in D is a major nineteenth-century work, dramatic in nature throughout,” said Dr. David DeVinney, former Director of Choral Activities at West Chester University and an expert on the piece. “It was responsible for changing the perception of serious American music everywhere.”
This performance brings together a stellar lineup of vocal soloists, including soprano Melanie Sarakatsannis, alto Raffaella Lo Castro, tenor David Price, and bass John T.K. Scherch.
Performance Location and Accessibility
The Wayne Presbyterian Church is situated at the corner of Lancaster and North Wayne Avenues in downtown Wayne. The venue is easily accessible via SEPTA, as it is adjacent to the Wayne station, and offers free parking in surrounding designated areas. Attendees can enter the church either from Lancaster Avenue or through parking lots off North Wayne Avenue.
The concerts are free to the public, with attendees encouraged to make an optional free-will offering.
For those seeking a profoundly moving experience of historical American music, the Wayne Oratorio Society’s Spring 2025 concert stands out as an unmissable cultural event.
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