Friends of the Erben Organ

Concert of Carols and Midnight Mass
2018-12-24 22:20 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral, 261 Mott Street, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Join us on this night for communal singing of Christmas carols and seasonal music from around the world. Concert of carols begins at 10:20 PM followed by Mass at 11:00 PM, ending at midnight.
Image: Adoration of the Shepherds by Georges de la Tour, c. 1644. Via WikiArt

Candlelight Lessons and Carols with the Basilica Schola and Basilica Voices
2018-12-09 18:00 - 19:00
Our adult Schola and children’s choir join forces for our annual Advent celebration featuring favorite Advent carols and selections from Handel’s Messiah. This year we will feature Gounod’s Magnificat, on his 200th birthday. The organ, celebrating its 150th anniversary, will be featured on a Ricercar “Sancta Maria” by Girolamo Frescobaldi, with the choirs singing the completion of the 400-year-old musical puzzle.

An Amor Artis Holiday
2018-12-02 16:00 - 17:00
Amor Artis’ atmospheric program combines works from the Renaissance and Baroque with contemporary choral gems and lush original arrangements of holiday favorites like Auld Lang Syne.
Filling all corners of the exquisite space of Old St. Patrick’s, this beautiful, immersive concert experience combines the pristine sound of Amor Artis with the sparkling brilliance of trumpets, the warm glow of harp, English horn, and cello, and the one-of-a-kind sound of special guest Eddie Barbash on alto saxophone.
For tickets: http://www.amorartis.org/amor-artis-holiday-2018

Mean Streets to Silence: An Evening with Martin Scorsese
2018-11-14 19:00 - 20:00
The Friends of the Erben Organ
Invites you to an evening with our Honorary Chairman
MARTIN SCORSESE
November 14th 2018 at 7:00 PM
In the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral
On the eve of his 76th birthday, Martin Scorsese returns to his childhood parish, the Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mott and Prince Streets, for a conversation about how his youthful imagination was inspired by his church and his neighborhood of Little Italy.
A noted preservationist, Martin Scorsese last year donated his 75th birthday to Friends of the Erben Organ, which must raise $2 million to restore and preserve the 150-year-old instrument, which is considered one of the most important in the nation.
Basilica Music Director and Organist Jared Lamenzo will play a pre-event recital on the 150-year-old Henry Erben pipe organ: Suite for Organ Trio and Strings, by Josef Gabriel Rheinberger.
FOR INFORMATION AND TICKETS: http://erbenorgan.showclix.com
⇒ For VIP reservations , please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org
Event Duration:
The event will last for just over 1 hour, with no intermission.
ADA information:
The Basilica has ADA and companion seating available. Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to purchase. Restrooms and side exits are down a flight of stairs and not ADA accessible. The Basilica will provide ushers to escort patrons to a nearby location within the Basilica complex with ADA accessible restrooms.

The Basilica
Built in the early 19th century, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral is over 200 years old and designated a New York City and National Historic Landmark. In 2013, the Basilica revived the Rite of Christian Burial in its historic cemetery and catacombs, becoming the only Catholic cemetery in New York City. With its recent renovation, unveiled in 2015, the Basilica is in a period of revitalization, of which the restoration of the Erben Organ is a vital part.
Friends of the Erben Organ
Friends of the Erben Organ is a non-profit organization formed in 2017 with the mission of restoring and preserving the Basilica’s historic 1868 Henry Erben organ.
⇒ Get tickets
⇒ For VIP reservations , please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org

Production services provided by Rooftop Films
Martin Scorsese photo by Brigitte Lacombe.

Dessoff Choirs Requiem for Whitman
2018-11-11 16:00 - 18:00
Requiem for Whitman features the opulent a cappella Messa di Requiem by Ildebrando Pizzetti. The requiem offers the full range of emotion with sections for double choir, lush harmonies, and an evocative setting of the “Dies irae” Gregorian chant. Two pieces by William Schuman, a newly commissioned work by Douglas Geers, and J.S. Bach’s funeral motet complete the opening concert for the Dessoff Choirs.
Pre-concert talk – 3:15 pm
Poetry of Walt Whitman
Dr. Karen Karbiener
Carols of Death William Schuman (1910-1992)
Fürchte dich nicht, BWV 228 J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
As Adam, Early in the Morning Douglas Geers (b. 1968)
Messa di Requiem Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968)

For tickets: http://www.dessoff.org/events/2018/11/11/requiem-for-whitman

Italy’s Cagliari Opera at the Basilica
2018-10-16 19:30 - 20:30
A Re-creation of the Famous 1826 Orphans Benefit Concert
The Friends of the Erben Organ and the Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral are pleased to present a unique and historic musical concert fundraiser to restore our 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ and develop educational programs for children around it. We have invited Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Italy) who is graciously donating their time and talents to this effort by performing for free to help us in our efforts.
⇒ Click here to Donate now to reserve your seats
Seats are also available for a nominal donation. 100% of all donations for seat reservations go towards the Friends of the Erben Organ, Inc. and the pipe organ’s restoration. * There are a limited number of free seats available through the day of the event. Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to check availability.
⇒ For premium reservations including a post-show reception with the artists, please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org

“Sisters of Charity” by Pietro Gagliardi, 1873. Oil on canvas.
Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of New York
The painting shows Sisters of Charity at their work, caring for orphaned children in New York.
The program is a re-creation of the 1826 Benefit Concert for the Orphanage at 32 Prince Street, founded by the Sisters of Charity. Through research by Basilica Music Director Jared Lamenzo and Italian musicologist Francesco Zimei, the concert re-creates as closely as possible what was heard in 1826. The concert is essentially an oratorio of sacred music by well-known composers such as Handel and Haydn, as well as largely unknown works by Zingarelli and Cimarosa.
The 1826 benefit concert featured the Garcia Company, the first Italian opera company ever to perform in America. The Garcia Company included the famed Maria (Garcia) Malibran, the trailblazer for all subsequent prime donne.
This concert is being produced with the cooperation of the famed Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the opera house of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy). The concert will be preceded by a recital of period organ music performed by Jared Lamenzo.
FEATURING:
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
Conductor Donato Renzetti
Soprano Francesca Dotto, Soprano Salome Jicia, Tenor Leonardo Cortellazzi, Baritone Pierluigi Dilengite, Baritone Daniele Terenzi
Chorus Master Donato Sivo
⇒ Click here to Donate now to reserve your seats
⇒ For premium reservations including a post-show reception with the artists, please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org
Concert Duration:
The concert will last for just over 1 hour, with no intermission.
ADA information:
The Basilica has ADA and companion seating available. Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to purchase. Restrooms and side exits are down a flight of stairs and not ADA accessible. The Basilica will provide ushers to escort patrons to a nearby location within the Basilica complex with ADA accessible restrooms.
Historical Note:
The Garcia Company arrived to America at the behest of Dominic Lynch, a well-to-do Irish businessman and trustee of the then Cathedral. By coincidence, Mozart’s librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was already living in America, and eagerly greeted the Garcias.

The Basilica
Built in the early 19th century, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral is over 200 years old and designated a New York City and National Historic Landmark. In 2013, the Basilica revived the Rite of Christian Burial in its historic cemetery and catacombs, becoming the only Catholic cemetery in New York City. With its recent renovation, unveiled in 2015, the Basilica is in a period of revitalization, of which the restoration of the Erben Organ is a vital part.
Friends of the Erben Organ
Friends of the Erben Organ is a 501(c)3, formed in 2017 with the mission of restoring and preserving the Basilica’s historical 1868 Henry Erben organ.
The famed Cagliari Opera, in addition to performing a benefit at the Basilica, will also participate in a daylong conference at Columbia University’s Casa Italiana, founded by Lorenzo Da Ponte.
This concert is offered to the community by the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the opera house of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy). A Bridge of Music Project “Refunctionalization of the Parco della Musica (Music Park) and Teatro Lirico (Opera House) in Cagliari – internationalization and innovation of productions, also aimed at the tourist-cultural development of local attractions.” Financed by the Cohesion Action Plan “Strategic projects of regional importance” which increase the value of POR FESR in the context of Unified Planning 2014-2020.
⇒ Click here to Donate now to reserve your seats
⇒ For premium reservations including a post-show reception with the artists, please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org

Annual San Gennaro Recital and Organ Talk: 150 Years of the Erben Organ
2018-09-13 18:30 - 20:30
Please join us for an exciting event celebrating the 150th year of our grand 1868 Henry Erben organ, on the first day of the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy.
At 7:30 PM, the acclaimed organist Raymond Nagem will perform a recital utilizing both the 1859 Hall & Labagh Chancel Organ and the Henry Erben organ in the loft. The program will include Italian music for the festival. In addition, we have also invited renowned Erben expert Stephen Pinel to give a pre-concert presentation on Henry Erben’s life and work beginning at 6:30 PM in the undercroft, near the catacombs of the Basilica. The entrance is on the Mulberry Street side of the Basilica.
Also joining us this evening will be the person who worked on the organ 50 years ago: Sam Donelson. His work made it possible for attendees of the 1969 Organ Historical Society Convention to hear this grand instrument, and he is an important part of the instrument’s life. Join us on this historic evening!
Both events are free of charge, though a free-will donation will be graciously accepted. The event is co-sponsored by Friends of the Erben Organ, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, and the NYC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Gregorian Schola of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome: "Urbs Beata Jerusalem"
2018-08-22 19:30
The Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral and Friends of the Erben Organ are pleased to host the upcoming August 22, 7:30 PM performance of Urbs Beata Jerusalem – Jerusalem the Blessed City, by the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music’s Gregorian Schola on their first visit to the United States. The concert will be preceded by organ music on the 150th anniversary year of the Basilica’s magnificent 1868 Henry Erben organ. Free-will donations will be graciously accepted to help our visitors from Rome offset their travel costs.
The Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music is an institution of higher education of the Roman Catholic Church specifically dedicated to the study of church music. It is based in Rome, Italy, located in the former Pontifical Abbey of St Jerome-in-the-City. The Institute confers the degrees of Baccalaureate, Licentiate, Masters and PhD. The college attracts priests, religious and laity from all over the world, who share what they learn about sacred music upon their return home.
As part of their studies while in Rome, the Schola chants the Solemn High Mass, in which most parts of the Mass are sung. They also sing on occasion at Papal Masses and at concerts in Rome. The Schola participates in international festivals of Gregorian chant throughout Europe as an evangelization effort.
In the past three years, the Gregorian Schola has performed in Italy, Austria, Spain, Hungary and Bratislava. This spring, they performed in Switzerland and Belgium for the International Festival of Gregorian Chant. The Basilica and Friends of the Erben Organ are excited to welcome the Schola and hear their beautiful sound in America!

Divaria Productions - Don Giovanni in New York
2018-05-23 19:30 - 21:00
Don Giovanni in New York
A unique historical-based production, re-enacting events leading up to New York’s first Italian opera, celebrating the connection between Mozart’s librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, one of NY’s first Italian immigrants, Spanish bel canto expert Manuel Garcia, and his daughter, opera diva Maria Malibran. Blending selections from the music of Don Giovanni, which Da Ponte encouraged the Garcia family to present in 1826, as well as an original script based upon Da Ponte’s memoirs and Malibran and Garcia’s letters, we tell the story of the meeting of these three musical icons and their important contribution to Italian culture and the arts.
Directed by Anton Armendariz Diaz
Conducted by Nicolo Sbuelz
Script by Andrew Bell
Featuring Metropolitan Opera Bass Richard Bernstein as Leporello, Helena Brown (Glimmerglass Festival, Grand Thêatre de Génève) as Donna Elvira, Jordan Pitts (Saratoga Opera, Boston Camerata) as Don Ottavio and Jonathan Scott (Metropolitan Opera) in the title role. The 1868 Erben Organ, celebrating its 150th anniversary, will also make a cameo appearance with Music Director Jared Lamenzo. Presented by Divaria Productions in collaboration with Rioja Lirica of Spain, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Friends of the Erben Organ, and the Italian Cultural Institute of New York.
The participation of Anton Armendariz Diaz is made possible by the Program of the Spanish agency Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture (PICE), in the Mobility category, which facilitates the presence and collaboration of Spanish or Spanish-resident artists, professionals, or creators in the international activities and programs of foreign cultural organizations and institutions, both public and private.
For more information visit: www.divariaproductions.com.

Amor Artis - Reflection and Refuge
2018-03-18 16:00
Reflection and Refuge
Amor Artis presents Dietrich Buxtehude’s 17th-century masterpiece, Membra Jesu Nostri, with 21st-century responses, including To the Hands by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Caroline Shaw; a work by Gregory Spears, whose work has been called “astonishingly beautiful” (New York Times); and a world premiere of a commission by Zachary Wadsworth. Reception will follow the concert.

The Dessoff Choirs - Bach, Bernstein, Lang
2018-03-11 16:00
Bach, Bernstein, Lang
The Dessoff Choirs presents David Lang’s the little match girl passion, a work that evokes passion through stasis, repetition, and the unexpected combination of percussion instruments with voices. The composer describes his inspiration for setting the text:
What drew me to The Little Match Girl is that the strength of the story lies not in its plot but in the fact that the horror and the beauty are constantly suffused with their opposites. Andersen tells this story as a kind of parable, drawing a religious and moral equivalency between the suffering of the poor girl and the suffering of Jesus.
In addition, Dessoff performs J.S. Bach’s Komm Jesu, komm, the fourth installment (over three seasons) of Bach’s six motets and as part of our Bernstein tribute, “II. Adonai, roi, lo ehsar” from Chichester Psalms.

Artek - Rosenmüller Christmas Vespers
2017-12-29 20:00
Rosenmüller Christmas Vespers
ARTEK has been performing the music of 17th-century German composer Johann Rosenmueller since 2011, when the ensemble’s brilliant recording of his cantatas was released. ARTEK performed his Vespers for the first time in 2012 to enormous acclaim. Rosenmueller’s music combines the grand Venetian style of Monteverdi’s Vespers with the monumental German style of sacred music leading up to Bach’s B-minor Mass. 8 outstanding singers will be joined by ARTEK’s string ensemble led by violinist Cynthia Freivogel, international wind players from Les Sacqueboutiers de Toulouse and American wind specialists, and ARTEK’s renowned continuo team.

Concert of Carols and Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
2017-12-24 22:00
10:15 PM Concert; 11:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass (ends at midnight)

Concert of Lessons & Carols
2017-12-10 17:30
The Basilica’s annual choral gathering brings together the Basilica Schola, Basilica Voices (our children’s choir), and the handbell choir of St. Joseph’s in the Village, as we prepare for Christmas. The music features selections from Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, as well as settings of Advent carols. A free-will donation will be collected.

Highbridge Voices Winter Concert
2017-12-07 19:00

An Amor Artis Holiday
2017-12-03 16:00
Filling all corners of the exquisite space of St. Patrick’s, this beautiful, immersive concert experience combines the pristine sound of Amor Artis with sparkling brilliance of trumpets, the warm glow of harp and English horn, and the one-of-a-kind sound of special guest Eddie Barbash on alto saxophone. The program combines works from the Middle Ages and Renaissance with contemporary choral gems and lush arrangements of holiday favorites.
http://www.amorartis.org/concerts/

Young New Yorkers' Chorus
2017-12-02 20:00
http://ynyc.org/

December 2017 Concert Recap
2017-12-02 08:00 - 2017-12-29 17:00
For FREO, 2017 was an exciting and transformative year. We capped it off in December with special concerts and events that highlighted the Erben organ and the Basilica’s fine acoustics. Here are some of the spectacular concerts from December, which brought thousands of people to hear some splendid performances.
On Saturday, December 2, 2017, at 8 PM, the Young New Yorkers’ Chorus (YNYC) performed its Mixed Ensemble Christmas Concert at the Basilica. The YNYC brings together the finest choral musicians from the tens of thousands of young people who flock to the city for its excitement, art, and culture. Conducted by Michael Kerschner, the YNYC fosters the art of contemporary choral singing among young people. The Chorus performs works by classical composers as well as those of contemporary young composers, exposing listeners of all ages to the beauty and transcendent potential of the choral arts.
On Sunday December 3, at 4 PM, Amor Artis presented “An Amor Artis Holiday,” under the artistic direction of Ryan James Brandau. The choir, combined with trumpets, harp, English horn, alto saxophone, and the great Erben organ, performed works from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as contemporary choral gems and lush original arrangements of holiday favorites like O Holy Night and Auld Lang Syne.
On Thursday, December 7, 2017, at 7 PM, Highbridge Voices, a children’s choral program co-founded by Basilica Pastor Msgr. Donald Sakano 25 years ago, performed a Winter Concert, a medley of music culled from the Advent tradition. Highbridge Voices is an afterschool program designed to inspire academic and musical excellence in the lives of children. The organization serves the Highbridge neighborhood in the South Bronx, a community just north of Yankee Stadium, historically one of the most impoverished Congressional Districts in the United States. The performers consisted of the Highbridge Voices Concert Choir, 70 children ages 9-12; Highbridge Voices Chamber Choir, 50 children ages 12-18; and Highbridge Singers. Music of the season was performed in Latin, German, Sanskrit, Latvian and English. After the performance there was a reception in the Youth Center for the children, their parents, teachers and guests.
On Saturday, December 9, 2017, at 11 AM, there was a Mass that capped off the Sisters of Charity 200th Anniversary Year, with Cardinal Dolan as celebrant and homilist. In the early 19th century, the very young congregation of the Sisters of Charity started their work in New York at the corner of Prince and Mott, caring for orphans, just steps from the Basilica. Their orphanage quickly filled with the impoverished orphans of immigrants and their work would expand to include education, health care and other ministries, with special devotion to the poor. On the snowy morning of December 9th, they returned to the neighborhood where their story started in 1817. The Mass was broadcast by live streaming to the residences of Sisters of Charity who were unable to attend.
On Sunday, December 10, 2017, at 5:30 PM, the Basilica Schola, Basilica Voices, and the Handbell Choir of the Academy of St. Joseph joined forces in a beautiful Concert of Lesson and Carols, a service of scripture and carols, announcing the coming of Christmas. In the service we listened to excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah” and other choral masterpieces. The Schola is the Basilica adult choir, which provides a forum for parishioners to give glory to God through music. Basilica Voices is the children’s choir, which meets as part of the Family Religious Education program on Sundays. Lessons and Carols was followed by Mass and a reception in the Parish House.
Basilica Voices and the Basilica Schola at Lessons and Carols
On Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 10:30 pm, the Basilica’s annual Concert of Carols (followed by midnight Mass at 11 PM), featured the Basilica Schola and members of the Basilica Chamber Orchestra. Musical Director and Organist Jared Lamenzo included music from the Jesuit Missions in the Americas (1609-1767) with a Mass by Domenico Zipoli, as well as selections from Handel’s Messiah, Gallus (Resonet et laudibus), Tu scendi dalle stelle, and more, accompanied by the 19th century sound of the monumental Henry Erben organ on the eve of its 150th anniversary. Upon hearing the Erben for the first time, Corey Kilgannon, writing for the New York Times said, “Something akin to an angel’s choir swirled out of the organ…”
Concert of Carols with instrumentalists and 1859 Hall & Labagh Chancel Organ
Christmas Eve Mass with the Erben organ, Basilica Schola, and instrumentalists
On Friday, December 29, 2017 at 8 PM, Artek performed a concert entitled Rosenmuller: Christmas Vespers. Johann Rosenmuller (1619—1684), was a successor of Monteverdi’s at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and a crucial force in the blending of Italian and German styles. Conducted by Gwendolyn Toth, the program included Vespers psalms, Dixit Dominus, Beatus Vir, Confitebor Tibi, and his Magnificat in C minor, as well as Christmas motets and instrumental music. The performance included 25 singers, strings, cornetti, sackbuts, and continuo, and special guest artists from Les Sacqueboutiers Ensemble de Cuivres Anciens de Toulouse. In its review of Artek, the New York Times noted the concert received “ovations from a sizable audience.”
Photos courtesy of the organizations listed. For more information:
Young New Yorkers’ Chorus
Amor Artis
Highbridge Voices
Sisters of Charity
Artek
Les Sacqueboutiers Ensemble de Cuivres Anciens de Toulouse

San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir of New York
2017-09-29 20:00
10th Anniversary Concert

Seán McCluskey Trio
2017-09-22 19:30
“[McCluskey’s] solos bubble with originality—but for all his inventiveness, his playing consistently reaffirms core jazz values like ear-catching technique and narrative propulsion” (Chicago Reader). With Tim Norton, bass, and Peter Kronreif, drums.
http://soundcloud.com/seanmccluskey

Monteverdi and More
2017-09-21 19:00
Internationally acclaimed countertenor Dan Bubeck and soprano Marcy Richardson, hailed by The New York Times for her “clear, pealing voice” (Scarlatti’s L’Arianna, Musica Nuova), with Jennifer Peterson on baroque keyboard, celebrate Monteverdi’s 450th anniversary with Italian baroque works through the time of Handel.

Viva Italia!
2017-09-16 19:00
Enjoy Italian opera favorites sung by tenor John Tiranno, whose voice has been called “ardent and mellifluous” by The New York Times; joined by Rod Gomez, baritone, and Marcy Richardson, soprano, and accompanied by Seth Weinstein.
http://www.johntiranno.com/

Jazz on the Steps with Randy Ingram
2017-09-15 20:00
Sunnyside recording artist Randy Ingram has been hailed as “gifted” (Jazz Times), “a formidable composer” (The San Francisco Chronicle), and “A young pianist drawn to contemporary harmony and a sleek rhythmic sensibility… Astute, self-possessed” (The New York Times).
http://randyingram.com/

San Gennaro Organ Recital with Kevin Birch Sponsored by the Friends of the Erben Organ
2017-09-15 19:00
Works of Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643), Georg Muffat (1653-1704), Gottlieb Muffat (1690-1770) performed on the 1859 Hall & Labagh Chancel Organ and Anonymous 18th Century works played on the 1868 Henry Erben Organ.
Since 1992 he has served as Director of Music at St. John’s Catholic Church in Bangor, Maine and as Executive Director of St. John’s Organ Society – an organization dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of E. & G. G. Hook’s Opus 288 built for St. John’s Catholic Church in 1860. He is a member of the music faculty at the University of Maine’s School of the Performing Arts in Orono and serves on the Liturgical Commission for the Diocese of Portland.
He has performed organ recitals in the United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia and South America and is especially devoted to the many fine historic organs in Maine. Recent highlights include recitals and lectures at organ festivals in Germany (Berlin and Potsdam) and programs for several national conventions of the Organ Historical Society.

Divaria Productions presents Italian Classics
2017-09-14 19:00
Praised for her range and mastery, Ashley Bell, soprano presents popular Italian opera and Neapolitan classics with Anna Tonna, mezzo-soprano (“knows how to sing Rossini”, Rossini Rossini Gessellschaft); Paolo Buffagni, tenor; and pianist Nicoló Sbuelz will present popular Italian opera and Neapolitan classics.
