In only six years, a new tradition has taken hold on DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus: the Charles E. McGuckin Harpsichord Recital Series. This annual concert celebrating the centuries-old keyboard instrument is made possible through the continuing generosity of DePaul alumna Marie McGuckin of Palos Heights. This year’s concert is slated for April 1 at 8 p.m. in the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave.

Acclaimed harpsichordist Edward Parmentier will perform a program of early works including the soloist’s own arrangement of J.S. Bach’s “Sonata in D Minor.” The remainder of the program features pieces by Italian composers Girolamo Frescobaldi and Domenico Scarlatti, English composer William Byrd and French composer J.B.A. Forqueray. All have been chosen to illustrate the distinctive sounds of the harpsichord and stylistic differences in the early solo literature. The concert will be followed by a reception. Both are free and open to the public.

The earliest records of what may have been a harpsichord-like instrument date from the 14th century. Although similar in shape to the modern grand piano, the keyboards of these instruments differ dramatically. In the earlier instrument, the strings were plucked rather than struck. Wildly popular in the 16th through 18th centuries, the harpsichord was gradually displaced by the piano. Happily, the harpsichord has experienced a revival in modern times, yet the opportunity to experience this instrument up close remains infrequent.

Marie McGuckin established this recital series six years ago with the donation of a double manual Martin harpsichord to the School of Music in honor of her late husband, Charles. Both husband and wife have close ties to DePaul; he was a 1956 graduate of the university’s School of Education and a former Chicago public school principal; she is a 1964 alumna of the music school. The harpsichord was unveiled at an inaugural concert in April of 2001.

The soloist, Parmentier, is considered a specialist in the harpsichord music of J.S. Bach, the English virginalists and the French clavecinistes. He has performed in major music centers throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, and has made several critically praised recordings on the Wildboar label. Parmentier is a professor of music at the University of Michigan School of Music, where he teaches harpsichord and performance practice and directs the university’s Early Music Ensemble.

For more information, contact the DePaul School of Music: 773/325-7260.