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Which pipe organs have you played or heard anywhere in New York State? What did you think of those organs/spaces they are in? If it was a performance of some kind, who was playing? Are there any organs in New York that you want to play or hear?
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Organs I play regularly:
-Estey Opus 3103, II/8 (1938)
-Schantz Opus 2145/2224, IV/86 (1998-2002)
For a list of other organs I've played, see my bio. -
Only including pipe organs.Organs I play regularly:
-Estey Opus 3103, II/8 (1938)
-Schantz Opus 2145/2224, IV/86 (1998-2002)
For a list of other organs I've played, see my bio. -
Your triple emphasis on pipe organs is puzzling in light of the fact that there have been no responses yet ... I was born in Brooklyn in 1959 and became a Church Musician in the 1970's. I played many forgettable stock pipe organs in Brooklyn and Queens but the instrument I remember fondly is the Austin at Lafayette Ave. Presbyterian at S. Oxford Pl. It was the first substantial instrument I ever played. I also played for a time at St. Phillip's Episcopal in Harlem. They had a G.Donald Harrison Skinner with a State Trumpet crowning the small Antiphonal almost 1/4mi. from the console.
I even played (once) the mighty Aeolian Skinner at St. Thomas 5th Ave. but heard it played many, many times. I never heard the instruments at St. Patricks, St. John the Divine, St. Barts,, or St. Ignatius Loyola because I was happy with my choice at St. Thomas. I hear that they are worthy instruments in their own right. Your poll actually makes me reflect on just how few (relatively) instruments are being heard in a place like New York City. And ... I don't think I am being unkind in saying that the rest of the state has not distinguished themselves with significant instruments.
Organ enthusiasts can afford to make dogmatic restrictions on their 'choice' to listen only to authentic pipe instruments. The average working organist must be more pragmatic. That pragmatism can have its benefits.Comment
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St Bart's has an amazing organ, but it is just too big for the building. I have played at St Bart's, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Basilica of St Patrick's Old Cathedral, Marble Collegiate Church, the Church of the Transfiguration, and the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer, as well as a couple of smaller instruments, one in Manhattan and one in Queens. I guess I'm going to have to be satisfied with the 2-manual Estey I play now, which gets a little bit boring, since I played at Boardwalk Hall a few months ago. Thank you for sharing! I never had the chance to hear the Aeolian Skinner at St Thomas, but I heard the Dobson organ a few times now. It's a wonderful organ, but some of the stops just don't sound right in the building.
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I practiced on St. Peter's Lutheran Church's Klaïs in 2001 for a couple of days. It is a nice instrument, but rather singular in its purpose. It's nice for Baroque and Classical music, but doesn't have many strings or Romantic stops.
I also had a chance to play the West End Presbyterian Church's J.H. & C.S. Odell in 1995. It was fun, but I had to stop because it was disturbing people in the church offices (next to the chapel). That organ was more Romantic in nature, but there were still enough stops to satisfactorily play older literature.
MichaelWay too many organs to list, but I do have 5 Allens:- MOS-2 Model 505-B / ADC-4300-DK / ADC-5400 / ADC-6000 (Symphony) / ADC-8000DKC
- Lowrey Heritage (DSO-1)
- 11 Pump Organs, 1 Pipe Organ & 7 Pianos
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I have also played at St Peter's a little bit. The current organist there is Balint Karosi, his improvisations are amazing! It's an interesting church, because of the fact that even though it is Lutheran, their services are exactly the same as a Roman Catholic Mass. They also have Jazz Vespers, which I have yet to attend. I should definitely try to get to West End at some point, it looks like a fun organ.
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The 1940 Aeolian-Skinner in Sage Chapel at Cornell University. It was built during the time that G. Donald Harrison was tonal director of A-S and incorporates ranks from a 1909 E.M. Skinner organ that preceded it in the Chapel. It was my first exposure to the American Classic organ concept, a Positiv division and the sounds of Erzahler/Erzahler Celeste ranks in a pipe organ. (And I love having those stops on my Allen ADC-5300!)
http://baroqueorgan.cornell.edu/aeolian-skinner-organ
Over my 10 years at the University I listened to the late Donald R.M. Patterson, university organist, play that instrument over hundreds of hours. It was voiced perfectly for that room.
And in a completely different genre, the 3/8 Link "C. Sharpe Minor" pipe organ in the State Theater, Ithaca (now parted out) and the 4/23 Wurlitzer in the Auditorium Center Theater in Rochester, New York (still going strong). Both fine examples of unit orchestras.Larry is my name; Allen is an organ brand. Allen RMWTHEA.3 with RMI Electra-Piano; Allen 423-C+Gyro; Britson Opus OEM38; Steinway AR Duo-Art 7' grand piano, Mills Violano Virtuoso with MIDI; Hammond 9812H with roll player; Roland E-200; Mason&Hamlin AR Ampico grand piano, Allen ADC-5300-D with MIDI, Allen MADC-2110.Comment
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It does look like a wonderful organ. If you have heard it, is it similar to the organ at St Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan? -
I regret that my trips to NYC over the years did not include time to hear pipe organs in the City other than the "Fridays at Midnight" organ concerts that Calvin Hampton did at Calvary. And while exciting to hear Hampton in concert, I did not consider that instrument to be particularly noteworthy.
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Which pipe organs have you played or heard anywhere in New York State?
Answer: If only New York State, there are two pipe organs I have played,
The one I had most experiences with is the 1890 Barckhoff organ in St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Auburn New York. It's a real antique organ and the console is fully mechanical.
The other one I had played only once is the pipe organ in St John's Episcopal Church in Larchmont New York.
There are many other ones I have heard other people playing but have no experience touching.
Including St John the Divine Cathedral.
What did you think of those organs/spaces they are in?
Answer: The organ in St Mary's is wonderful. Very beautiful I don't know how to describe it. Nice acoustic too. But it's not the easiest organ to play, the mechanical engineering of the console makes the keys very heavy and kind of stiff some times, and the pistons are basically useless because they are so heavy to push...The pedals are parallel pedals, feels smaller than AGO pedals.
The organ in St John's Episcopal church is nice too, it has a lot of stops, three manuals, but the acoustic is kind of dry there. And the location of the console makes it impossible to have another person turning the page for you, you need to turn pages for yourself.
If it was a performance of some kind, who was playing?
Answer: Philip Joseph Fillion is the music director in St Mary's Auburn NY. There is a video of him playing recently.
https://youtu.be/0aem1DyRmLY
Paul Martin-Maki is the music director in St John's Episcopal in Larchmont NY. Paul is also my teacher right now although I only take lessons from him once every three months.
Are there any organs in New York that you want to play or hear?
Answer: Basically any pipe organ in New York City. I have never had any experience playing in NYC. But there are so many of them that are great to play!
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Isn't Philip Fillion a member here? I believe I've had e-mail conversaations with him.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Riverside Church or St. Pauls. Both have beautiful instruments. (I've not played them--I'm not a "real" organist.)
DavidComment
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Philip used to contribute here, though I don't think he has in some years. He is on Facebook, and I have followed his career that way. His story is quite wonderful. Started posting here as a young teenager, trying his best to make music on an Allen MOS organ in the small church where he was raised. We all helped him make the most of that situation, and in the process he matured spiritually as well, broadening his outlook over the years. He grew up, went off to college, majored in organ (or perhaps church music in general) and played for some fine churches, both Lutheran and RC, best I recall. He is married to a beautiful girl, is now a father, and he is a highly successful and renowned organist/choir director. An inspiration to us all! -
That's interesting to know... Philip is the first organist I met in real life and the organ in St Mary's New York is the first organ I have played in life. That moment was very important for me because it is a dream come true moment for me. Now although I only go to Auburn once a couple of months or less, I follow him on Facebook too, and he is very nice, St Mary's church is also very nice they kept the church open every single day even during the COVID lock down and all organists are allowed to play that organ.
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