To witness—through worship, ministries and community activities—to the spirit, teachings and love of Christ; to offer strength and love to each other; and to reach out and draw others into our diverse parish family.
Music at St. Michael’s
Worshiping our God in the form of beautiful voices and instruments
Music has always played an important role in the worship life of St. Michael’s Church. Along with sacred music for our services, we also host a variety of secular concerts, primarily featuring classical performances, as well as occasional jazz and other contemporary genres. At St. Michael’s, there are choirs for children, youth, and adults. Whether in a choir or pew, there is a place to lift your voice and sing with us!
Graphic Content: Feldman & Brown at 100 is a citywide festival celebrating the centennial birthdays of New York School pioneers Morton Feldman and Earle Brown. Across seventeen concerts, talks, and special events, the festival brings together leading performers from the contemporary music community to explore two composers whose revolutionary ideas transformed the landscape of twentieth-century music.
St. Michael’s is excited to host multiple concerts during this festival beginning in September:
Friday, September 11
Doors at 7 PM, Music at 7:30 PM
Orange Road Quartet performs Feldman’s Piano and String Quartet with pianist Matt Schultheis, featuring new choreography by Annie Nikunen
Saturday, September 12
Doors at 7 PM, Music at 7:30 PM
Feldman’s Trio performed by Conrad Harris – Violin, Stephen Gosling – Piano, Cello (tba)
Meet John Cantrell
Choirmaster & Organist
John has performed as an organist, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist throughout the United States, England,Ireland, and Western Europe. As the Choirmaster and Organist for St. Michael’s, he has the privilege of working with some of New York’s most accomplished professional singers and musicians as well as parishioners dedicated to liturgical music ministry. Additionally, John feels very fortunate for the opportunity to play one of the most highly coveted instruments in New York–the 55-rank, three manual, Von Beckerath organ. John holds a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Louisville.
Choirs at St. Michael’s
Adult Choir
Our Adult Choir is a mixed ensemble of volunteers and some of New York’s elite professional singers. The music program explores literature that spans the past millennia and multiple cultures during our 10 a.m. Sunday Eucharist, and at Choral Compline on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 p.m. We are also known for our Jazz Masses, which take place during special feasts and other occasions throughout the year.
This is an audition-based choir. Members are expected to match pitch, read musical notation, and have a minimal understanding of music theory. To set up an audition, please contact the choirmaster, John Cantrell, at jcantrell@saintmichaelschurch.org or 212.222.2700.
Children and Youth Choirs
St. Michael’s Church offers a free Youth Choir Program for schoolchildren of all ages. The program fosters community, leadership, and Episcopal identity through choral singing. Choristers receive a strong foundation in healthy vocal technique and comprehensive musicianship training, while building lifelong friendships.
Do you know a child who loves to sing? Sign them up today!
Contact Laura Inman at Laura@saintmichaelschurch.org.
Cherub Choir
The Cherub Choir provides singers with a solid foundation on which to build a lifelong love of choral music. Singers gain confidence and independence while learning the fundamentals of music theory, music literacy, and healthy vocal technique in an environment that encourages leadership and cooperation. Cherub Choir repertoire explores partner songs, rounds, and canons as well as folk songs, multicultural music, and classical compositions.
Rehearsals: Wednesday, 4 – 4:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall
Families may opt for free drop-off option from 4 – 5:30 p.m for children’s activities, conversation and a light snack before and after their scheduled rehearsal time.
Angel Choir
The Angel Choir builds on the foundation established in the Cherub Choir. Singers develop a deeper understanding of pitch, rhythm, and harmony, while their music literacy continues to improve. The choir explores more advanced repertoire, providing members with greater vocal independence as they perform compositions in two and three parts. Through the texts they sing, choristers also explore poetry and history, forging connections to the world around them through music.
Rehearsals: Wednesday, 4:30 – 5:10 p.m. in the Recital Hall
Families may opt for free drop-off option from 4 – 5:30 p.m for children’s activities, conversation and a light snack before and after their scheduled rehearsal time.
Saint Cecilia Choir
The Saint Cecilia Choir is the most advanced and only mixed-voice choir in St. Michael’s Church’s Youth Choir Program. Choristers sing three- and four-part works from the Renaissance to today in a wide variety of styles and languages. Musicianship skills and music literacy are cemented while appropriate vocal technique for the maturing voice is reinforced. Additionally, singers are occasionally invited to perform with the St. Michael’s Choir, an invaluable opportunity to sing with skilled adult and professional singers.
Rehearsals: Wednesday, 5:15 – 6 p.m. in the Recital Hall
An optional youth dinner and devotional follows rehearsal
from 6:05 – 6:25 p.m.
Our Organs
Rudolf von Beckerath Orgelbau GmbH
Hamburg, Germany (1967)
The Rudolf von Beckerath organ, completed in September 1967, is an eclectic instrument at home with music of all periods, but is a particularly fine exponent of both German Baroque and French Classic music. A modern organ case of hand-rubbed limba, a blond wood sometimes called African mahogany, rises 31 feet from the rear gallery floor, with the Rückpositiv in a separate case mounted on the gallery rail.
Specifications:
- Mechanical key action
- Electric solenoid stop action
- Solid-State combination action
- 3 manuals, 38 stops, 55 ranks
Robert Huddleston, organist and choirmaster, dedicated the organ on Sunday, September 17, 1967, and on October 8, 1967, Leonard Raver played the first of a series of monthly organ recitals. In the fall of 1995, the Beckerath firm completely cleaned and overhauled the organ, but no tonal changes were made.
For more detailed information about the organs at St. Michael’s, and to view images, please visit the NYC Organ project website.
Hammond Organ
(1955)
In offering as diverse a sacred music program as possible, a 1955 Hammond C3 organ and Leslie cabinet (147) was purchased to better offer sacred roots music such as Gospel, Jazz, and other Americana musical forms, with better authenticity.