A Celebration Concert for the Thacher Hall Organ!

Get your tickets - available here via credit card

Suggested Donations: Adults: $20, Youth under 18 FREE

Cash or check donations accepted at the door (if online reservations do not sell out)

Thacher Hall proudly celebrates the return of its beloved circa 1870 tracker organ with a special evening concert at 7 p.m. May 23, 2026. Built in 1872-3 by noted organ builder William Horatio Clarke, the organ has been carefully refurbished over the past 18 months by the Andover Organ Co., restoring both its visual beauty and remarkable sound.

The concert will feature Cape Symphony Assistant Conductor Joseph Marchio on the organ, joined by singers from the Chatham Chorale. They will present a rich and varied program of organ music spanning three centuries and multiple continents, showcasing the full expressive range of this historic instrument.

The suggested donation for this event is $20 per person (free for youth under 18!). Please register online here. We'll also be accepting cash and check at the event. Want to do more? You can also make a more generous online donation here. All proceeds will support the organ’s ongoing maintenance fund. Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged as this concert may sell out!

Thacher Hall’s organ was refurbished at a cost of $215,000, thanks to scores of donors, including the Priestnal Family Memorial Trust, the Perera family and the Mass Cultural Council. Wear and aging had diminished the organ’s performance and reliability and damaged some of some of its more than 700 pipes. Andover Organ disassembled, repaired, re-installed and revoiced the instrument, returning it to its original integrity while ensuring it can serve the community for generations to come. 

Joseph Marchio, a native of Charleston, West Virginia, is currently Music Director of the Chatham Chorale and Assistant Conductor of the Cape Symphony. In addition, he serves as Pastor of First Congregational Church of Chatham, Massachusetts. Joseph holds degrees from the College of Wooster, Yale University, and Boston Conservatory, where he received his Master of Music degree in conducting, studying under Dr. William Cutter. While a student there, he served as a graduate conducting assistant for the Boston Conservatory Chorale. Other conducting teachers include Marguerite Brooks at Yale University and Dr. Thomas Gouwens of Chicago. Joseph previously served as an assistant to the 80-voice Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concert Choir and was guest conductor for the Simon Sinfonietta in a memorial concert for their founder Stephen Simon. In the past, he taught music theory and history and directed the college chorus at Cape Cod Community College. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he presented more than 100 online lectures through Artful Journeys on topics ranging from music and architecture to the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach. While continuing to present online offerings through Artful Journeys, Joseph will also lead trips to Italy, Austria, and France during the next year.    

As an organ soloist, Joseph has performed recitals throughout the United States and Canada and will perform a recital later this year in Italy. He is a featured performer on a CD celebrating some of the historic pipe organs throughout Cape Cod. Organ teachers include M. Wayne Eich in Charleston, Dr. Thomas Gouwens and John Russell at the College of Wooster, Dr. Martin Jean at Yale University, Todd Wilson at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music. He has served as dean of the Cape Cod and the Islands chapter of the American Guild of Organists and has led workshops on various aspects of organ playing for other chapters in the United States. Joseph currently resides on Cape Cod with his wife and three children.

Parking Note:  There is no parking at Thacher Hall. Parking is available just across Route 6A from Thacher Hall around the Common, as well as at the Post Office. Overflow parking is also available at the Chapter House Inn parking lot (west side). Crossing attendants will be available to assist with crossing Route 6A at the designated crosswalk in front of Thacher Hall. If you need accessible parking information, please email events@thacherhall.org.

Accessibility Note:  Thacher Hall is a historic building and is not accessible via wheelchair - a short flight of stairs is required for entrance into the Hall and the restrooms are located on the lower level (accessed via stairs).

Ticket proceeds support the organ maintenance fund and enable Thacher Hall to continue to share the arts with the Yarmouth Port community while preserving this architectural gem for future generations.

Get your tickets - available here via credit card

Suggested Donations: Adults: $20, Youth under 18 FREE

Cash or check donations accepted at the door (if online reservations do not sell out)