Built in 1868, St. Mary’s Catholic Church served German Village until a lightning strike in 2016 exacerbated existing structural issues.
The church building closed for more than 2 years, undergoing a major renovation that combined the grandeur of the church’s traditional design with the advantages of modern engineering.
“We call it our 150-year fix,” says Deacon Roger Minner.
Music director Mark Voris says of his first experience of the space, “I tried out the organ and said, wow, the acoustics! This is beautiful. It really needs to be used."
As music lovers learned during the pandemic, nothing can replace the experience of a live, in-person performance. And the acoustics of a space play a major role in creating that experience.
A new concert series at St. Mary’s will showcase the acoustic qualities of the church’s nearly 9,000-square-foot sanctuary.
In addition to highlighting the acoustic potential of the space, Father Vince Nguyen envisioned the series as a way to give local artists a new venue for sharing their music with the community, particularly in the wake of so many performance cancellations caused by the pandemic.
Music at St. Mary’s debuts on Sunday, October 17 at 4 pm, with the Capriccio Jubilee Singers with Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Larry Griffin. Future concerts on the series will feature well-known local artists like Luis Biava, Michael Martin, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and UCelli: the Columbus Cello Quartet.