An Organ Recital at NYC's Riverside Church

The five-manual behemoth Aeolian-Skinner organ, the world's 14th largest, at NYC's Riverside Church, was magnificent to hear.

Riverside Church. New York City. 02 August 2011. Riverside Church in NYC is the tallest church in the US, and its Gothic architecture reminded me of Canterbury Cathedral, which I visited recently while in England. The church houses the second largest pipe organ in NYC and the 14^th largest in the world. I eagerly attended a organ recital there last night (2 August 2011) and heard an accomplished organist, Edgar Alan Moore, play a varied program of mostly short, unknown compositions. As in most organ recitals I’ve attended, the instrument itself is the star, and this five-manual behemoth sounded magnificent both in the tutti passages and the piano ones. An altogether wonderful evening in an inspiring setting.

A major problem in attending organ recitals, almost all of which are in churches, is that the organ console and the organist are not visible to the audience, thereby eliminating the exciting visual element. Riverside Church solved this problem by placing a large screen in front of the audience and having a closed-circuit TV camera focused on the organ and the organist. It increased my enjoyment and appreciation a lot.

The Gothic interior of Riverside Church was a perfect setting to listen to gorgeous organ music.

The tallest church in the US, Riverside Church, is located in upper Manhattan adjoining Columbia University in Morningside Heights.