St. Peter's Catholic Church to celebrate centennial with Jubilee concert Nov. 15

St. Peter's Catholic Church will celebrate 100 years as part of the Gunnison community with a Jubilee concert on Sunday, Nov. 15, featuring an evening of classical music and a special connection to the Valley's history.

The concert begins at 5 p.m. at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 300 N. Wisconsin St. Admission is $20. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall at 400 W. Georgia Ave.

Performers include Edgar Girtain on piano, Alexi Whitsel Drew Murdza on violin and Erik Okel on cello.

One of the evening's featured works will be the U.S. premiere of Girtain's composition, "The Suicide Trio," written for piano, violin and cello. The deeply personal piece draws on his experiences with suicide over the past year and the loss of family members and others in the community.

Girtain, St. Peter's music director, said the inspiration came on a particularly difficult day. He had just attended the funeral of a young valley woman who died by suicide. After the service, he recalled, the community stood outside the church in silence.

"It was very sad. After the funeral, the whole community was standing outside of the church in silence. Nobody was speaking. It was a very impactful experience," Girtain said.

When he returned to his office to begin composing a commissioned work, a student was waiting to speak with him and was experiencing suicidal thoughts. Girtain said several students had struggled with similar thoughts that year. The composition also includes a movement dedicated to an uncle who died by suicide.

"It's a pretty intense piece," he said. It has been performed about 10 times in Chile, where it was well received.

Girtain said the composition has a special connection to Gunnison and the history of St. Peter's Church.

The concert will also feature Antonín Dvořák's Bagatelles, Op. 47, a suite of five short pieces written for string trio and harmonium.

"These are light, playful, very lyrical pieces," Girtain said.

In a July interview with the Gunnison Country Times, Father Andres Ayala-Santiago of St. Peter's spoke about the significance of the parish's centennial.

"We walk forward — grateful for our past, united in the present, and filled with hope. We are walking as one family toward the 100-year anniversary of St. Peter's Catholic Church," he said.

The Jubilee concert is an opportunity for the entire community to join the parish in celebrating a century of faith, music and fellowship in Gunnison. An elegant reception follows the concert at the Parish Hall located at 400 West Georgia Ave., with appetizers, beverages and jazz music.