The Music Ministry
The life of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church began at a time when psalm-singing versus hymn-singing was a hotly debated topic both here and in England. The Calvinist tradition discouraged any singing except Biblical Psalms, holding that the only text appropriate for congregational recitation was scripture itself.

Unfortunately, the results were often dreary and unmusical. A few musicians, including Isaac Watts, had begun to write hymns, that is, poetic texts based on Biblical or religious concepts, set to music that was more melodious and "singable" than the Psalms. Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church made its choice early, opting to sing hymns, often with the disapproval of neighboring Scottish preachers.

As the 19th century progressed, the issue of congregational singing surfaced in America. At Fifth Avenue, Rev. Dr. James Waddel Alexander and his music director Lowell Mason supported congregational singing, for both had visited Germany and were aware of the vital congregational singing tradition there. The general level of music education had deteriorated in America, and many churches did not encourage congregations to sing, for often they did not sing well. Undeterred, Mason devoted enormous efforts to public school musical instruction, for he knew that this teaching would be crucial to the success of congregational singing. His was a significant contribution to America's music.

Choral Music

Fifth Avenue's choirs play an important leadership role in the services of the church. They are highly valued by our congregation and are regarded as an important element in its worship.

The Bicentennial Choir provides musical leadership for both worship services each Sunday morning and for the special services of the Church. Preparation takes place at a midweek rehearsal every Wednesday from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm in the Jones Auditorium and at 8:30 am on Sunday as a gathering rehearsal prior to the early service. The choir is principally drawn from the FAPC worship community and supplemented by a corps of professional singers. Participation is open through regular attendance at the Wednesday evening rehearsals. For more information contact Dr. Don McManus at 212.247.0490 or dmcmanus@fapc.org.

The Summer Choir sings for the 10:00 am worship services that begin Memorial Day weekend and continue through the summer months. All are invited to participate – there is no audition; the group is principally servant singers supplemented by the familiar corps of professional singers. Women wear white blouses with dark skirts or pants; men wear white, collared shirts and dark pants. Just come to the Choir Loft any Sunday at 8:45 am for the gathering rehearsal. There’s no good reason to hesitate; you’ll be warmly welcomed.

The Children's Choir provides an outlet for children to learn to express their love of God through song. Emphasis is placed on good singing habits and learning to read music, as well as learning the many styles of great sacred repertoire. Rehearsals are held each Sunday at 10:45 am (following 9:30 am Sunday School classes). There are occasional special rehearsals prior to performances. Children in grades 1-5 are invited to become members of the choir. Special performances by the Children's Choir include the Family Christmas Eve Service, the annual Thanksgiving dinner, and special Lenten concerts. Many members also take active roles in the annual Christmas Pageant and Spring Musical.

The Youth Choir sings in our worship service approximately once every six weeks and periodically combines with the Bicentennial Choir and the Children's Choir for special anthems. Highlights of the year include the Family Christmas Eve Service, the Palm Sunday Service, and the annual Church Recognition dinner. The Youth Choir also sings annually at the Bowery Mission for a Sunday evening worship service. Repertoire for the Youth Choir includes many different languages and periods of music.
An important dividend of the choir is the fellowship and joys that members experience from working together to create something special. The members get to know one another outside rehearsals, as the choirs are integrated into FAPC's educational programs. They learn about God in class and come together to sing and live out what they are learning. Students in grades 6-12 are welcome to join the Youth Choir. Members rehearse each Sunday following the 11:15 am service.

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Calendar

Choir Rehearsals
There are regular midweek rehearsals of the Bicentennial Choir each Wednesday at 6:30 pm. Anyone interested in singing is invited to participate in this dedicated and devoted ministry of and to the church. For more information contact Dr. Don McManus at 212.247.0490 or dmcmanus@fapc.org.

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Staff

Bicentennial Director for Music Ministries: Dr. Don McManus
Don McManus, Bicentennial Director of Music Ministries, is joining the FAPC family at the exciting moment of the church’s celebration of 200 years of ministry. Don comes to FAPC from Texas, where he served St. Alban’s Episcopal Church (Austin) as Organist and Director of Music and, immediately prior, from a 25-year ministry as Organist/Choirmaster for St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church (Lufkin).  During that period he was a tenured member of the Fine Arts faculty of Angelina College where, in an unprecedented act, his colleagues twice elected him outstanding teacher to attend the TCCTA Great Teaching Round-Up. After seventeen years at A.C. Don joined the faculty of Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches) where he taught a core curriculum for music majors---music theory, sight-singing, ear-training, 18th century counterpoint, and form and analysis. The legacy from his years in higher education is a new generation of public school and private music teachers and numerous musicians who continue to serve the Church as organists and music directors. Dr. McManus holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Baylor University where he was among the first organ students of Dr. Joyce Jones and a Ph.D. in Music Theory conferred by The University of Texas at Austin. Through the auspices of the American Guild of Organists he earned the AAGO and FAGO professional certifications.  He’s been honored to serve the National Council of the AGO as Councillor for Region VII. Don was active in various professional organizations during his career in higher education, including seventeen years as Secretary and publisher of The Proceedings for the Texas Society for Music Theory.  Piano study began at age 5, organ study at age 10; Don played his first wedding at 11 and since the age of 14 has been in continual service as a musician in Christ’s Church. It is specifically the vision of a new strategic plan of servant ministry that brought Don to FAPC where his duties are entwined in being both a professional musician and pastoral colleague. He notes, “Besides the obvious excitement of the time for celebrating the bicentennial there is a wondrous challenge to help raise up a new model of personal ministry among God’s people for the increase of the kingdom. Even as we appropriately honor and revere what has been, there stretches out ahead a bold, new pathway for eager hearts and willing hands at FAPC. I would hope to contribute through opening wider the windows of worship and witness to the world that literally passes by each day on the streets of New York.”

Director of Music for Family Ministries: Dr. Eugenia Oi Yan Yau
Eugenia Oi Yan Yau, Director of Music for Family Ministries, has a long history of directing children’s chorus. In Hong Kong, Yau was nominated and appointed as the music director of Shatin District Board Children’s Choir (Hong Kong). During her tenure, SDBC became widely recognized as the finest and most prestigious children’s choir in Hong Kong. The choir grew in membership by 300% from 30 to 120 members. In 2005, she founded the Children’s Camarata of Manhattan. In addition, Yau is assistant professor of music at Borough of Manhattan Community College, the City University of New York. At BMCC, she teaches private voice and directs choirs including the BMCC Select Chorus and Downtown Chorus. Prior to her career in the East coast, Yau was the director of music at Olivet College (Michigan) and also taught at Southwestern College (Kansas). While in Kansas, she served as the director of music ministry at Reformation Lutheran Church. Yau received her honors diploma in music at Hong Kong Baptist University, a master’s degree at Texas State University, and completed a degree of doctor of musical arts in vocal performance at the University of Texas at Austin. Yau also received numerous professional recognitions including the Fellowship Diploma of Singing from Trinity College of Music in London, and the Licentiate Diploma of Singing from Royal Schools of Music at London.

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FAPC Organs

The Sanctuary Organ consists of 117 ranks of pipes, 27 digital stops and 4 combination stops of pipe and digital sound. It has 9 divisions and is three stories high housing approximately 7034 pipes.

In 1996, the Wicks Organ Company installed a new console. The English ivory keys comprising the four manuals were retained, although the entire wooden cabinet and all inside mechanisms were newly built. The console also contains a new Solid State Logic Multilevel Capture System used to set and store combinations of stops, and a Peterson MIDI Resource System that can be used to record and play back music.

During the summer of 1998, the Austin Organ Company rebuilt and releathered the air reservoirs, stop actions, borrow actions and note actions, all of which contain and store air.

By Easter of 1999, Daniel L. Angerstein completed the tonal renovation of the organ. This included the revoicing of many of the organ pipes, the installation of many new pipes to replace ineffective sounds and the addition of the digital Antiphonal division.

A Brief History

The first organ built for our congregation was by George Jardine & Son in 1855. It contained 40 stops and was played from a 3 manual console. This was located at the church's former location, 5th Avenue and 19th Street. At this time our church was under the leadership of three men. Lowell Mason, the Music Director, wrote many famous hymn tunes including Nearer, My God, to Thee (Bethany), We Would See Jesus (Henley) and My Faith Looks Up to Thee (Olivet). His son, William Mason, was the church's first regular Organist. The Pastor, James Waddel Alexander, had written the translation of the Passion Chorale, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded in 1830. Lowell Mason wanted to lessen dependence on the choir so that congregations might learn to sing well. The Jardine organ was an important first step toward that goal.

During 1873 to 1875, the church moved to its present location (5th Avenue and 55th Street). Jardine was asked to move the organ and rebuild it. At this time he added the large wooden 32' Diapason stop to the Pedal, which is still in use today.

In 1893, an Odell organ replaced the Jardine instrument. Unfortunately, little is known of this instrument. We do know, though, that this organ, like its predecessors, was built to use water power. A steam engine piped water to a water tank located above the old E. Howard & Co. clock in the steeple on the tower level. As the water flowed down by gravity to a basement cistern, the feeders of the bellows were operated. It was shortly after this time that the organ began to be gradually converted over to electric power.

In 1913, a new organ was built by Ernest Skinner, who supplied the organ case (shown above.) He oversaw the immense task of carving this case, which is admired by all who enter the Sanctuary today. It is believed that the case was modeled after the Schulze organ in St. Bartholomew's, Armley, Leeds, England, which Skinner admired. The pipes, although real, do not speak. The choir loft built into the case was at this time much smaller, housing only a quartet of singers used to lead the congregation.

During 1960-1961, Austin Organs, Inc. rebuilt the organ. The Skinner case was modified to what it is presently in order to accommodate a choir and instrumentalists. Several ranks of pipes from the Skinner organ were retained. It was at this time that the English ivory was imported for the keys comprising the four manuals.

The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Organists

Lyman Abbott (on a small rented instrument) 1854-1855
William Mason 1855-1860
John Warner 1860-1864
"Mr. Flint" 1864-1865
Sigismond Lasar 1865-1868
John Pound 1868-1871
Otis Boise 1871-1876
William Scharfenberg 1876-1879
John White 1879-1880
William Dayas 1880-1881
Eugene Thayer 1881-1885
Albert Ross Parsons 1885-1894
W. S. Wheeler 1894-1897
C. L. Harrington 1898-1899
Frank L. Sealy 1900-1918
Harold Gleason 1918-1919
W. Lynnwood Farnam 1919-1920
Harry Gilbert 1920-1953
Robert S. Baker 1953-1962
Richard Bouchett 1962-1972
Mrs. Eugenia Glover (interim) -1972
George Wilson (interim) -1973
William Whitehead 1973-1989
Terence J. Flanagan (interim) 1989-1990
Terence J. Flanagan 1990-2007
K. Scott Warren 2007
Dr. Don McManus 2008-

* A note of thanks to the late Elfrieda A. Kraege, church historian, who compiled much of this information.

Specifications for the Sanctuary Organ

Great - manual II, unenclosed

Swell - manual III, enclosed

Choir - manual I, enclosed

Positiv - floating, unenclosed

Solo - manual IV, enclosed (10'' wind pressure)

Tuba - floating, unenclosed (25'' wind pressure)

Pedal

Antiphonal - floating, enclosed

Antiphonal Pedal - floating, enclosed
32' Sanftbass*
16' Violone*
16' Rohr Gedeckt*
16' Flûte Conique*
8' Open Bass*
8' Still Gedeckt*
16' Fagotto*
Antiphonal on Pedal

Couplers
Great to Pedal 8'
Great to Pedal 4'
Swell to Pedal 8'
Swell to Pedal 4'
Choir to Pedal 8'
Choir to Pedal 4'
Solo to Pedal 8'
Solo to Pedal 4'
Positiv on Pedal

Pedal to Great 8'
Swell to Great 16'
Swell to Great 8'
Swell to Great 4'
Choir to Great 16'
Choir to Great 8'
Choir to Great 4'
Solo to Great 16'
Solo to Great 8'
Solo to Great 4'
Positiv on Great

Great to Choir
Swell to Choir 16'
Swell to Choir 8'
Swell to Choir 4'
Solo to Choir 8'
Positiv on Choir

Choir to Swell 8'
Solo to Swell 8'
Positiv on Swell

Great to Solo 8'
Swell to Solo 16'
Swell to Solo 8'
Swell to Solo 4'
Choir to Solo 16'
Choir to Solo 8'
Choir to Solo 4'

* = digital
** = combination digital and pipe

Accessories
General Pistons 1-24
Great Pistons 1-10
Great to Pedal reversible
Swell to Great reversible
Choir to Great reversible
Positiv on Great reversible
Solo to Great reversible
Swell Pistons 1-10
Swell to Pedal reversible
Choir Pistons 1-10
Choir to Pedal reversible
Positiv Pistons 1-8
Positiv on Pedal reversible
Solo Pistons 1-8
Solo to Pedal reversible
Antiphonal Pistons 1-8
Tuba Pistons 1-3
Cymbelstern reversible
Intercoupler Pistons I-IV
Pedal Pistons 1-7
Pedal Cancel
32' Adjustable Reversible
VII Grand Cornet reversible
32' Double Diapason reversible
32' Contra Gamba reversible
32' Contra Bourdon reversible
32' Contra Bombarde reversible
Standard Crescendo Pedal
Crescendo Pedal A, B, C
(programmable)
Tutti A, B, C reversibles
(programmable)
General Cancel
Shade Selectors
all Swells to Swell
Great to Choir transfer
Solid State Logic Multilevel Capture System/Combination Lock
Midi Resource System
Pulpit Signal
Narthex Signal
Choir Signal
T.V. monitor
clock/timer

The Chapel Organ
Austin Organs, Inc. - 1970

Specifications for the Chapel Organ

Great - manual I, unenclosed

Swell - manual II, enclosed

Accessories
General Pistons 1-10
Great Pistons 1-6
Great to Pedal reversible
Swell to Great reversible
Swell Pistons 1-6
Swell to Pedal reversible
Pedal Pistons 1-5
Crescendo Pedal
Tutti reversible
General Cancel

More FAPC Organ History
At the NYC chapter of the American Guild of Organists (www.nycago.org) there is much information about FAPC's organs, current and historical. For further information about Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church's organs, both those in use today and previous organs, click HERE for the sanctuary organ or HERE for the chapel organ.

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Copyright © 1999-2008 Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church,
7 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, 212.247.0490