Join us for the Inaugural Festival celebrating The Manton Memorial Organ by Pascal Quoirin of Saint Didier, France. It is the first French-built pipe organ ever installed in New York City. With its 6,183 pipes, 95 stops, 111 ranks, and 2 consoles, it is the largest French organ built anywhere in almost 50 years.

This new organ is made possible by a grant from The Manton Foundation to honor the memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, who were active members of the Church of the Ascension for over 50 years.

From Dennis Keene about The Manton Memorial Organ and the Inaugural Festival:

“In the world today, there are just a handful of the absolutely top organ builders. Among those, we felt that Pascal Quoirin would build us the finest eclectic organ possible.

The results have exceeded my expectations by a margin greater than in any artistic endeavor in my entire career. The organ he and his team have built for Ascension is the most successful eclectic organ I have ever played. The instrument sounds entirely different depending on what combination of stops one draws. It is difficult to comprehend that a single instrument can play with timbres of such warm, rich, sonorous 19th century qualities at one moment, and then turn around and play North German Baroque or French Baroque music with such clarity, brilliance, and authority. I have never experienced such range in one instrument. And the fact that all of these sounds are so beautiful, so human is even more amazing.

Our first three organ recitalists are extraordinary individual artists, each with a very strong musical personality. They will use the organ in very different ways, and consequently the Ascension organ will sound completely different at these three events.

The choral concerts by the Voices of Ascension will feature the organ in a prominent role as we perform some of our most beloved signature works including the magnificent Requiem by Maurice Duruflé (which we have not performed in many years!), works by Fauré, Poulenc, Boulanger, Kodaly’s Missa Brevis, and Parry’s I was glad.

We invite you to join us for our celebrated choral concerts, our world class organ recitals, or both! You are also invited to attend the grand Dedicatory Mass with Blessing of the New Organ on May 1 at 4:00pm.”

All events take place at the historic Church of the Ascension, Fifth Avenue at Tenth Street.