ORGANic BRASS

The Oregon Brass Society (OBS) proudly announces ORGANic BRASS, Music for Organ and Brass Band! OBS will be joined by organist Lindsey Henriksen Rodgers on Saturday, May 23, 3 PM, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland. The Cathedral is located at 147 NW 19th Avenue, at the corner of NW 19th and Everett. Dr. Rodgers will be performing on the Rosales Organ. This will be the first full performance in the Portland metro area by OBS. The concert is free to the public and will be the highlight of the OBS 2026 Spring season.

The Oregon Brass Society is a thirty piece “British-style” concert brass band, building upon the rich heritage and 200 year-old tradition of brass bands in the United Kingdom. OBS, composed of music educators and musicians from the Willamette Valley and the coast, is the only such brass band in Oregon and one of only a handful in the Pacific Northwest. The instruments in a British-style brass band differ significantly from American bands, not only for the absence of woodwinds but also for the types and sounds of brass instruments used. Except for the trombones, all brass instruments have a conical bore design, producing a darker and more mellow tone quality. The band is conducted by Olin Hannum, Associate Director of Bands at Oregon State University. Oregon Brass Society is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.

Dr. Lindsey Henriksen Rodgers is a faculty member at the University of Oregon, teaching both Musicology and Organ Performance within the School of Music and Dance. She also serves as organist for the famous Brombaugh Organ at Central Lutheran Church in Eugene.

The performance will be divided into three sections: two solo pieces by Dr. Rodgers, two pieces by OBS alone, and a final section of three pieces for combined organ and brass. Featured pieces in this section are Symphonietta Number 2 by Thomas Trachsel, Symphony Number 2 by Elfrida Andree, and the finale from Saint-Saens’s Organ Symphony (probably the best-known composition for organ and orchestra). Trinity Cathedral houses arguably the best organ in the state for our French Romantic theme and for the Andree Symphony. Her music has not seen a lot of play in North America and it’s very rare to find that piece performed live.

Come hear the unique sounds and instrumentation of a British-style brass band along with the grand Rosales Organ at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral! Paid parking is available across the street (NW 19th) from the cathedral.