The Organ Forum

Hi myorgan,

St. Peter's Church at the corner of Lexington Ave. and 54th street is an ELCA Lutheran parish. The priest who helped to secure the parcel of property under the Citibank building was Dr. Ralph E. Peterson who took courses under my father's tutelage at Augustana Seminary in Illinois.  He was very much a Lutheran until he retired from active ministry.

Cheers,

K-Phone 

So Citibank had the original St. Peter's torn down in 1970 during the 'Jazz age"?

SimonS:

To this day I still can't believe the generosity I was shown there. Isn't it great when something like that happens?

PS I love New York. It I go through my whole life without living there for even a little while, I'll be very disappointed.

That is one thing that many people do not know about New York - underneath the brusque exterior of many New Yorkers you will find very warm, generous people.

New York can't be beat, when it comes to finding famous pipe organs (almost on every block!) and excellent organ recitals.  You can also find some very inspired church services.  It is also the place to be for concerts of any kind... also museums, theatre... and shopping!

Last but not least - one of my favorite subjects: restaurants!    How I can survive without a real cheesecake... I just don't know.

Hey K-phone - nice to know you are a fellow New Yorker.    Once you've lived there, it remains with you forever.

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Soubasse32

Hi robmcw,

Dear Sir, It wasn't because of the "Jazz Age" that the old Church was razed. 

 New York Architecture Images- St. Peter’s Church

 

I shall mention that St. Peter's received $9,000,000 for the air rights above the Church.  This so that the Citibank building could be built.  Also, the Church is an integral part of the masterplan of the whole complex - seamlessly integrated into the town square as delineated by 53rd and 54th Street and Lexington and 2nd Avenue.

Of course, many were saddened that the neo-Gothic Sanctuary had to be razed - I was one of those who were greatly saddened, but to see how the Church is now such an integral part of the whole community and complex and how it serves the needs of many, my sadness is somewhat mollified.  Rev. John Garcia Gensel really reached out to the Jazz community and was their "Spiritual Father".  The Church runs a soup kitchen for the needy, there is great Church Music ably performed by Dr. Schmidt and the collaborators of the Music Ministry and guest artists.  Btw, Dr. Schmidt got his DMA from Yale University and his mentor for many years was the eminent concert pianist named Paul Badura-Skoda. 

Of course, there are critics of the whole complex and I can somewhat understand and entertain their views.  I feel that Citicorp now Citigroup wanted to be a respectful and responsible player in the civic neighborhood.  Show me another place where a Church sanctuary is such an integral part of such a business enterprise, tower and shopping complex - from one set of Church doors you can access fine dining, shopping, and live music and also climb aboard the double-decker elevators inside the tower.  The complex is nothing short of a miracle in the worlds hottest Real Estate market called Manhattan, New York.

Maestro Soubasse32,

You can take a kid out of New York but you can't take New York out of the kid.  < ; - D

Humbly,

K-Phone 

soubasse32:

Ah, that's easy.    That is St. Peter's Lutheran Church, with a Klais organ:  http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/StPeterLuth.html

SB32,

What a treasure trove of information you are!!!  Thank you so much.  I've been hearing about Klais consoles, and now I realize I've actually played one.  Can't say that I liked the console that much, but that could be because it was so different from anything that I've ever played before.

Thanks again.

Michael

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Allen Organs (505-B & ADC-6000), Frazee Pipe Organ (2/13 w/chimes),
Pump Organs (Estey, Sears & Roebuck, Mason & Hamlin, Chicago Cottage, Williams & Sons, Angelius, Cornish)
Pianos (Ivers sq. grand ca.1865, Ivers & Pond Upright-1929, Technics SX-PR600)

Hello Keraulophone,

I did not mean it was the 'Jazz Age' that razed the church, I used that term in regards to the time the church was razed. I believe it was the AGO site that mentioned the church was razed "during the Jazz Age".

Hands down! St. Peters new church is beautiful and serves the community in a very unique way, and your right, Citicorp was very respectful and responsible to towards their civic responsibility to the neighborhood. I'm just saddened that such a beautiful church was razed for no other reason than valuable real-estate.

myorgan:

soubasse32:

Ah, that's easy.    That is St. Peter's Lutheran Church, with a Klais organ:  http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/StPeterLuth.html

SB32, What a treasure trove of information you are!!!

You are a treasure trove of info, yourself!  I used to walk by that church just about every day... but that is all I did.

YOU on the other hand... got to play it! 

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Soubasse32

Hello robmcw,

No worries mate < : - D  

Yes, I do agree with you that it was a pity that the old sanctuary was razed.  It would have been quite a clash with the "modern" architecture had they tried to integrate the old Sanctuary with the Citicorp Center and tower.  Come to think of it, the old Sanctuary never made it on to any historic registries so there was no "impediment" from a cultural standpoint.  I believe that most sensible people want to preserve significant buildings from an earlier era and if a particular building gets classified as one of cultural worth then it must not be razed even if it is situated on hot "real estate".

Cheers,

K-Phone 

Maestro Soubasse32,

You walked by the Church so many times but never sought out to try the organ?  Dr. Gordon Jones was one of the friendliest and most affable human being one could ever come across. Had you sought him out at the Sanctuary, he would have gladly let you play the instrument. He was a tireless promoter of organ music for both sacred and concert performance.  He had also been the Secretary for NYCAGO. 

Respectfully,

K-Phone 

Kéraulophone:

You walked by the Church so many times but never sought out to try the organ?

Believe it or not, I was not always an organist! 

In my New York days I was a very young pianist who would not dream of playing the organ.  I did attend lots of organ recitals though - mainly at St. Thomas and several other places. 

I think it was Calvin Hampton's midnight recitals at Calvary Episcopal that finally pushed me over the edge.    Once bitten by the organ 'bug' I've never looked back.

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Soubasse32

Dear Maestro Soubasse32,

Yes, Calvin Hampton had a wonderfully effective way to recruit future organ buffs and players by those midnight recitals.  And of course Gerre Hancock at St. Thomas.......New York is a fabulous environment for those looking to sate themselves with organs and the music of the Czar of instruments.  Gosh, SB32, you really make me long to move back to Manhattan.  < : - )

Humbly,

K-Phone