TWO HUGE organs in one HUGE church! Organs of St. Thomas NYC

[@nathanaellee8356]

While this organ isn’t the original Aeolian-Skinner organ it’s still a very beautiful and fiery organ that fills the cathedral and fully utilizes the building’s natural acoustics. Dobson did build an impressive organ unique to the church. You have to listen to the organ from a musical perspective not a tourist perspective. The ensembles are great,the flutes and strings are beautiful and bright,the bass reeds like and rumbling and the diapason and principals are brilliant and clear. The organ is well voiced and very well rounded.

[@MSPspotter6]

If you ever go visit Minnesota, make sure to see Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. It has the largest tracker in the US with 5 manuals, 8 divisions, 74 stops, and 6,294 pipes. It's quite grand, lots of strings, and 3 full length 32' stops!

[@grahamtwist]

The Miller-Scott Organ (built by Dobson) is quite a beast (the big 32' pedal reed is awesome . . . as is the Tuba Mirabilis and the Trompette en Chamade!). The softer stops are equally fabulous examples, as are all the main choruses and mutations, and for an American instrument, it is remarkably 'English Cathedral' in tonal design. (You are probably not familiar with John Scott, who came to NY from St Pau's Cathedral in London. When I was your age, Charles, I turned pages for John Scott at a school organ recital as we both lived in the same town in Yorkshire and John was two years older than me and had just finished at Wakefield Cathedral before heading off for Oxford, and an all too short but illustrious career as an organist and choir trainer. He was an incredible player and I shall not forget watching him, at 18, play some of the most demanding organ music ever written). The Loening-Hancock gallery organ is a wonderful contrast to the main organ, speaking directly into the nave. How wonderful that you can have a Dobson at one end and a Taylor & Boody at the other (from your home state, I think, Charles - Virginia?). The Kellner temperament of this tracker organ would make for an interesting duet with both organs being played simultaneously, especially if a piece was in F Sharp Minor! I am envious that you got to play these world-famous organs in New York! What an experience for you: bravo! You are a lucky dude!

[@Charles-Reardon]

Thank you for your comment. I am familiar with John Scott; the organist giving the tour told me about him. He is buried about 10 feet from the Dobson console! (Under the choir stalls)

[@tanelimp]

There is a recording of Pierre Cochereau improvising a fantastic 4 movement symphony with the previous Aeolian-Skinner organ in 1970 while the then-organist of St. Thomas William Self repeates the theme of the improvisation with the old gallery organ between the movements. Highly recommending to check it out if you haven't heard it, can be found on KZbin: "Pierre Cochereau Improvises in St Thomas NYC"

[@Gg-jq7ht]

When I was a student at Westminster Choir College, We took the train to NYC to hear Cocheau play one of the last public concerts on the gorgeous, doomed A/S at Philharmonic Hall. His final tour de force was a four movement improvisation on themes from "Jesus Christ, Superstar."

[@DougCassellMusicman]

What a beautiful organ. I especially like the Choir flute Celeste. And yes, 32’ pedal reeds!!!!😮

[@ECsponger2]

I love how you just rip through all the stops quickly. Keeps it moving and engaging.

[@mathewmatics160]

I got to visit St. Thomas when I was there over a year ago! I love those instruments.

[@limitstoprogress]

Glorious Widor!!!

[@EElgar1857]

I'm glad they let you play it! The people there are often NOT welcoming at all; they're quite full of themselves.

[@Charles-Reardon]

I had made prior arrangements

[@MaksAdach]

I’m sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with us! If you’re ever in town and want to check out the organs get in touch with us - we are always more than happy to show you around! 😊

[@Charles-Reardon]

@MaksAdach Hello again! Thanks for stopping by

[@EElgar1857]

@@MaksAdach Thank you very much. When I was there for Evensong, I tried to get a peek at the new console, and a member of the clergy was quite put out. I didn't step over any ropes, and thought it was okay to walk a bit up behind it, but he wasn't having it!

[@bhigdaddymark]

I've just subscribed to your channel after seeing the SJD demonstration of the very fine Walker Technical Organ (I hope to play it before the return of Opus 150-A). Your quite fine demonstrations are quick, to the point and superb. "Uncle Gerre" (Gerre Hancock) let me play the Aeolian-Skinner when I was 16 years old leaving me alone to explore the organ and have fun without him standing over my shoulder and breathing down my neck as many organists would've done and I thank him for his kindness and generosity. I was 15 when Fred Swann let me play the Riverside Church organ and he too left me to myself to play and have fun. I last played the St. Thomas 5th Avenue organ about three or four days before John Scott passed away and I especially appreciated his kind generosity. You're a superb organist with a most incredible future ahead of you. Keep up the great work!

[@yankee1219]

Amazing I love the organ at St John the Devine and the organ at St Thomas on 5th is absolutely incredible!!! You're such a talented young man and so blessed and lucky to have the opportunity to play some of the best instruments in America. Keep up the fantastic work, you'll be as big as Virgil Fox!

[@stepps511]

Bravo, Charles! Two quite distinct but wonderfully brilliant instruments. You seemed very much "at home".

[@schonkable]

Aww, it's Maks! He was the organist when I sang in a choir at St. Thomas on the Sunday after Easter. He was amazing, as is the organ!

[@CarlosVazquez-p4c]

Saint Francis Xavier church ⛪ in west 16th street in Chelsea, Manhattan also has 2 pipe Organs.A whole new one, and the new old one.

[@davismuramoto335]

I love playing in stocking feet too!

[@OwenDoyle-pipeorgan]

Can anyone make arrangements to come see/play the organ, or was this just a special opportunity you received.

[@Charles-Reardon]

I called the church

[@OwenDoyle-pipeorgan]

@@Charles-Reardon, so from there they made arrangements for you to play?

[@Charles-Reardon]

Well it took some effort and persistence on my part but, essentially yes

[@OwenDoyle-pipeorgan]

@Charles-Reardon , what were some of the issues you can across. I'm just curious because I am planning to visit NYC soon.

[@virginiaorganbuilder]

Why did you alter the penultimate chord of the Widor?

[@Charles-Reardon]

Cause I felt like it and I was born in America, where freedom rings

[@virginiaorganbuilder]

@@Charles-Reardon Fair enough!

[@frpaddy]

@@Charles-ReardonAmen Charles 🙂👍

[@lukereilly4963]

I don't hear it. sounds normal to me.

[@dkeithtag]

Gilbert Adams.

[@richardlowe4751]

The positive Gedeckt is lovely. The complete ensemble doesn't persuade me, unfortunately. A Father Willis it certainly isn't but in not sure what it is trying to be!

[@Charles-Reardon]

Here are the results

[@williamviverette1368]

The Dobson will never come close to the A. Skinner. A great tragedy that it was ripped out.

[@SarumChoirmaster]

TOTALLY AGREE! This organ is NOT an English Cathedral organ, its just big and loud. The Skinner organ in Yale's Woolsey Hall is closer to a true English Cathedral organ.

[@drbobdrake]

The Æolian-Skinner had been modified beyond repair. It was no longer the instrument of the Dupré recordings. Gutting/removal cost $8 million of the total cost of replacement instrument. The Dobson is a worthy replacement. If you want an in-your-face A-S go to St. Mary the Virgin which Paul Jacobs records on.

[@tanelimp]

Luckily I had a chance to hear it live in 2014 just before it was demolished. Really, really beautiful sound but man was it in a horrible state... A visiting organist giving a recital there decided to improvise and made the mistake of doing a huge crescendo. There were like 20+ pipes doing ciphers after that, John Scott actually had to cut all power from the instrument to make it stop

[@drbobdrake]

If you want a classic A-S in NYC the 1933 at St. Mary the Virgin is exceptional though too rarely heard in concert. Designed by organbuilder G. Donald Harrison.

[@stanlivengood9500]

What made the A-S a better-sounding instrument before being overly tinkered with? I don't know enough about it, but this instrument sounds good to me.

[@bryanhardy3311]

The American Organist should go to Freiberg in Breisgau ( Bavaria) and ponder the FOUR Organs in the Munster before "waxing' poetic about two instruments in one recital space !

[@Charles-Reardon]

Am I “The American Organist”?

[@CECS1]

Or at Mary's in Australia. Or the Cadet Chapel at WestPoint and their organ which is a mixture of many many organs

[@Recommendable]

Very impressive pedal division - I didnt quite get it how many voices there are for the pedal division itself? Also its such a huge sound that I actually haven't heard a deeper one on the internet. It would be heaven having this organ sampled for hauptwerk and it would require some hardcore bass speaker.