Behind the Scenes

Videos Online

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:48:00 GMT

Don't miss the new videos posted here on the site, where you can see and hear the Manton organ as Maestro Dennis Keene describes and demonstrates the instrument. Choose "Organ Inauguration" from the menu bar, then find Videos as the newest item, far right, white menu bar.

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Sunday's Organ Program from Dennis Keene

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 14:45:00 GMT

Today we hear:
At the Prelude (10:50am)
CELESTES
A celeste is a string stop tuned a little bit sharp. When it is combined with another similar string stop that is tuned normally, the two strings together make a beautiful undulating sound, similar to a large string section in a symphony orchestra. Our new organ has two sets of strings, and, oh my, are they beautiful!
     Adagio (from Symphonie V)                   Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
Here I use the larger set of strings – the absolutely classic strings of 19^th Century France: the Gambe and Voix Céleste. This is a sound unmistakably French, gorgeous, and absolutely perfectly voiced for our church. In this movement the hands play on the strings and the feet play the melody from time to time on beautiful flute stops.
     Desseins Éternels (Eternal Purposes)             Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) (from The Nativity of the Saviour)
“God, in His love, has predestined us to be His adoptive children through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of His grace.” -Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
I’d like to quote Jon Gillock’s book on Messiaen: “This is one of Messiaen’s most beautiful slow movements. Like a hushed vocalize, it is filled with a deep inner joy from the knowledge that God has allowed lowly mortals to become his children, that man has the hope of salvation. Here, God’s all-encompassing love for humankind is expressed with a great inner emotion.”
The stops I have found for this piece make one of the most extraordinarily beautiful combinations I have found so far on our organ. The mélange of timbres is exceptionally poetic; each component is absolutely perfect for this beautiful piece of music.
Let’s start with the strings: they are the second set, the Aéoline and Aéoline Céleste. This set is quieter and more gentle than those in the Widor. They are joined by the Bourdon 16’, making an incredibly tender accompaniment.
Then, there is the melody, played on two very specific flute stops: the Quintaton 16’ and the Bourdon 8’ of the Positif division (the second keyboard from the bottom.) At the church where Messiaen played for 62 years, La Trinité in Paris, the Quintaton 16’ is a very, very special stop, and was one of Messiaen’s favorites. He composed many special movements, including this one, for the ravishing, poetic sound of the stop. About two years ago, Jon Gillock took Pascal Quoirin to the organ loft at La Trinité to show him some of the most unique Messiaen sounds on that magnificent organ for which Messiaen composed his entire body of organ works. The Quintaton 16 was one of the timbres demonstrated. And M. Quoirin replicated that stop on our organ. It is one of the most beautiful Quintatons I have ever heard. And when combined with the other stops it is exactly what Messiaen had in mind.
It is interesting in this piece to notice that when the melody and accompanying chords go higher, they seem to crescendo. And when they go down, they seem to diminuendo. That is not because of anything I am doing at the organ. It is the natural inclination of these specific timbres, which is exactly what Messiaen had in mind when he composed the work. Only in the last 4 notes do I close the swell shades.

At Communion:
Antiphon: I am black but comely                          Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
You heard me play this many, many times during Communion here at Ascension. And it sounded beautiful on the Holtkamp – but not like this! The Gambe and Voix Céleste are absolutely shimmering, and the Flûte traversière just spins in the room.
At the Postlude:
Prelude and Fugue in C Major               Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
We close the service with an early prelude and fugue of Bach, played on the principal choruses (the Plein Jeux or Plenos) of the Grand Orgue and Positif. I use a moderate pleno sound for the Prelude and a fuller one for the Fugue.

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France to New York!

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Manton Organ makes its way from the Pascal Quoirin workshop to Church of the Ascension

As many of you know, we are hearing the first sounds of the new Manton Organ in church each Sunday. Built by Pascal Quoirin of St. Didier, France, it is the first French-built organ ever installed in New York City, and will no doubt be one of the most significant organs of our time. During the Fall the organ was assembled here, the mechanisms all put together, and the glorious organ cases installed. The next and final phase - the tuning and "voicing" (the tonal regulation) of all the 6,183 pipes - began in mid-December. From now until the end of March, more and more pipes will be heard, week by week, as they are tuned and voiced. The organ will be gradually growing to its full size. We look forward to an extraordinary Holy Week this year, and, beginning May 1, the official inauguration of this magnificent instrument. Details of the inaugural events are listed on our Concerts / Tickets page. In these next few months, we invite you to join us each Sunday at the 11:00am service (come early for the Preludial music at 10:45-10:50!) as we discover all the new sounds, week by week.

January 2010 (Dennis Keene)

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First Notes Heard

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:45:00 GMT

Yesterday, we heard the first notes from the organ. Pascal Quoirin and his team are now in residence, making daily progress on giving voice to this enormous instrument. Of the 112 ranks of pipes, the first six ranks have been tuned, cut, and voiced. The church congregation eagerly anticipates a return to the sanctuary for services, and we are counting the days to our Organ Inaugural Concerts in May and June. Check the photo gallery for work in progress.
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Organ Assembly Progress

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:45:00 GMT

The Pascal Quoirin Team is making incredible progress assembling the organ. The organ is being built in two separate organ galleries flanking the altar. There are four facades with graduated pipes in a beautiful modern wooden case embellished with peacocks and birds of paradise inspired by the marble reredos behind the altar. The 32-foot pipes are in place, as are the bombardes. The four-manual tracker console has an enormous frame of wires - currently visible - that resemble a loom, linking each key to the organ chamber above. Every day brings us closer to completion. Check the photo gallery for work in progress.
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Organ Shipping Complete

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:15:00 GMT

The final container arrived early this morning, and the church is filled with steel frames, thousands of wooden and metal pipes, two consoles, and all of the mechanical and electrical equipment required to assemble this extraordinary organ. We anticipate eight weeks of assembly and installation followed by voicing of each and every pipe. The project will be finished in time for Easter services at Church of the Ascension as well as the Voices of Ascension Inaugural Organ Concert Festival in May and June 2011.
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Unloading Day

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:00:00 GMT

The truck arrived around 10:45am. After inspecting the container and breaking the seal, the maritime insurance representatives gave the go-ahead to begin unloading. Francois and David gave instructions to the workmen, and the odyssey began!
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The Organ Arrives

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:10:00 GMT

A large group assembled in front of the Church of the Ascension at 6:00 this morning to await the arrival of the first container holding crates of organ pipes. First to arrive were members of the contruction team who opened the church, followed by Artistic Director Dennis Keene, architect Leo Blackman and photographer Tom Ligamari. They were joined by Francois and David from the Pascal Quoirin workshop, and a work crew of eight men to unload the crates under the direction of Francois and David. Also in attendance was long-time friend of Voices of Ascension and maritime attorney Charles Schmidt, as well as representatives of the shipping line including an insurance specialist to witness the breaking of the seal on the container. Each person was prepared to play his role in this remarkable event, when we received word that there was a delay with the trucking company. We now expect delivery later this morning.
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Organ in Transit

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:52:00 GMT

After months of painstaking planning, preparation and assembly, the Pascal Quoirin team has carefully packed our organ into large containers for the transatlantic journey. Shipped from Marseilles just a few days ago, the organ will reach New York via Malta at the end of September. Watch here for progress reports and photos marking the travel, arrival, installation, and voicing of this remarkable instrument.
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Spring 2010 Rehearsal Video: In Paradisum

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:52:16 GMT

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