The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Cathlamet organist Jeff Fox will perform a varied program on three instruments on May 3, 6:30 p.m., at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church on Puget Island, 549 SR 409.

A freewill offering will go to benefit local children’s camperships this summer and additional funds will be provided by Thrivent Financial.

The program will include pieces on the church’s historic 1885 Hilborne Roosevelt pipe organ, 1907 Steinway piano, and a harpsichord. The music will range from baroque to contemporary, including a few of Fox’s own compositions and arrangements.

Fox has been performing on pipe organs for over 50 years as a church organist, theater organist, and accompanist. Recently retired to Cathlamet from Bellingham, he brings his keyboard magic to the area with a giving heart. His performances have always benefited non-profit organizations, and he loves using his talents to give back to the community and support fundraising efforts.

Fox studied at Western Washington University and performed at the Mount Baker Theatre as solo performer, accompanying silent movies (for which he writes his own score), pre-movie music, and accompanying Miss Whatcom pageant participants. His background also includes many years at the console of organs at various churches in the Bellingham area as organist and accompanist and many years as a choir director. He currently is the organist at Our Saviour’s. He also plays the accordion and performed on the Sons of Norway float in the 2013 Bald Eagle parade. He enjoys playing at nursing homes and any other event that calls for accordion music.

Fox has also been very involved with breathing new life into old theaters by helping with their restoration, particularly their pipe organs. He was a charter member of the Mount Baker Theatre Organ Society, which was organized to save the Mount Baker Theatre from demolition in 1981. He was heavily involved in the restoration of the Lincoln Theatre in Mt. Vernon as well. His performances of silent movies are breathtaking, recreating an era nearly 100 years past with his spot-on melodies and sound effects. These performances are showcases of his ability to play by ear and his ability to orchestrate using the various registrations on the organ.

For more information, call 360-849-4412, go to the church website oslcwa.org, or Fox’s Facebook page foxsong2.