Christ’s Church celebrated an important anniversary in its musical life earlier this month with a concert by Grammy-nominated organist Stephen Tharp — exactly 100 years after the French organ virtuoso Marcel Dupré performed in the very same building.

Tharp’s program included a variety of works by Dupré, pieces by Bach and Mendelssohn that Dupré played during his U.S. tours in the 1920s, and some chorale preludes by one of Dupré’s most talented students, Jeanne Demessieux.

“Those in attendance witnessed a historic evening with world-class organ playing,” said Dr. Evelyn DeGraf, music director of Christ’s Church. “Tharp’s interpretation of Dupré was riveting and mesmerizing, and his rendition of the ‘Crucifixion’ movement from the ‘Symphonie-Passion’ left no eye dry.”

The concert began with a short talk on Dupré’s visit to Rye in 1924 at the invitation of the church’s then organist, Clarence Watters, who went on to become a great friend and promoter of the Frenchman’s music and studied with him in Paris.

A recording of this month’s concert is available at www.ccrye.org/dupre. In lieu of tickets, donations can be made to the church’s music program.