Central Moravian Church will honor the lives and legacies of two prominent musicians whose talents and leadership influenced musicians, worshipers and audiences at the church, in the Lehigh Valley, and beyond during its Estelle Borhek Johnston Memorial Festival Concert, 4 p.m. Oct. 8.

The concert is in honor of Donald Spieth (1941-2023), who served for 15 years as conductor-in-residence at Central Moravian Church, and Richard Schantz (1928-2020), who directed the Central Moravian Choir from 1971 to 2002.

The concert is free and open to the public. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St., Bethlehem.

The Central Moravian Church choir, organist Rebecca Lepore, strings, harp and Mainstreet Brass will present a concert of instrumental and choral works by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Parry, Elgar, movements from the Durufle, Faure and Dan Forrest requiems, and classic anthems arranged by Mack Wilberg.

In addition to their roles at Central Moravian, Spieth and Schantz worked at Moravian University, leading instrumental and choral programs there, respectively, for many years.

“This concert has been designed as a celebratory musical tribute to these two great musicians whose gifts enriched worship services and concerts at Central Moravian for many years and left a treasured legacy for so many musicians,” said Lepore, minister of music at Central Moravian Church.

“We want this program to represent a musical and scriptural response to the gift of living that God gives us here on earth, and then the gift of eternal life that is promised to us after this life,” Lepore said.

The Estelle Borhek Johnston Memorial Concert was established in memory of Estelle Borhek Johnston (1867-1952) by her daughter, the late Mrs. Elizabeth Johnston Jost, and her son, Archibald B. Johnston.

Central Moravian Church, founded in 1742, is Bethlehem’s first congregation and the oldest Moravian Church in North America.

Central Moravian Church presents an annual schedule of concerts.

The first complete performance of Bach’s “Mass in B minor” was presented by the Bach Choir of Bethlehem at Central Moravian Church in 1900, thus giving Central Moravian Church status as a National Landmark of Music.

Haydn’s “The Creation” was performed for the first time in the United States in the sanctuary of Central Moravian Church in 1811.

Information: 610-866-5661; https://www.centralmoravianchurch.org/