Washington National Cathedral Principal Thomas Sheehan plays one of the largest organs in the country. On Thursday, Sheehan will be playing during the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter.
But once the funeral is over, Sheehan won’t be staying in Washington for long.
"I go home for a couple of seconds, grab my suitcase, and get a ride out to Dulles (International Airport), get on the plane, and then up in San Diego around 9 p.m. that night," Sheehan said.
Sheehan will perform a free concert in San Diego at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla.
"This will be my first recital appearance on that organ, which will be a lot of fun," Sheehan said.
It may be his first recital on the organ, but it’s not his first time playing it. He’s intimately familiar with the instrument, built by the Rosales/Parsons organ company in 2023. He helped design it.
"The St. James organ — the new organ compared with the old organ — it has a much, I would say, warmer, more supportive sound, which is how the fashion has changed between the 1970s and now. It’s a much deeper and more orchestral sound, and it has all of the latest features," Sheehan said.
Alex Benestelli is the organist at St. James. He gets to play this remarkable instrument all the time.
"It’s just so much fun to play and there’s so many diverse sounds that you can call upon here from the very softest to the very loudest," Benestelli said.
Although the concert is free, organizers encourage donations and highlight it as an opportunity to experience one of the nation’s finest organists performing right here in San Diego.
