The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields has a long tradition of choral and congregational singing as a fundamental component of our weekly 11:15 AM Solemn Eucharist. Anglican tradition has always held music as central to our liturgy: the chants, prayers and psalms were transcribed by John Merbecke (a musician and composer from the days of Henry VIII) and his colleagues in English during the early years of the Reformation. At St. Luke’s today, the sung service is immediate and accessible, honoring the musical richness of the past while employing congregation- friendly elements of modern catholic worship.

For more information about our choir, click here.

The Choir of the Church of Saint Luke in the Fields is a professional ensemble comprised of some of New York City's finest singers. We are blessed to have a wealth of talented artists equally versed in both ancient and contemporary repertoire and with special affection for the great masters of the Renaissance and Baroque. We are also blessed with a  “congregational choir,” regular worshipers who sing the congregational responses and hymns  as if inspired by the great English writer of hymn texts John Wesley, who wrote: “Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself or any other creature ...” Whether singers or not, newcomers often remark about hearing the harmonies in all parts sung around them in the congregation.  It is in the interaction between the choir, the worshipers, and the clergy that the solemn liturgies at Saint Luke in the Fields, are as immediate today as in ages past, and continually enhance and grace our communal worship.

To celebrate our abundance of musical gifts we alternate during the year between vibrant, congregationally sung settings of the mass ordinary (i.e.the Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) and seasonally and scripturally appropriate motets provided by the choir, with still other Sundays, Feast Days and solemn occasions at which the choir presents fully integrated musical mass settings, chants and motets.

On particularly special occasions the choral mass settings are often enhanced by the participation of instrumentalists ranging from the New York Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble – an Easter Sunday tradition for many years  - to modern players of brass, winds, strings and percussion. In addition to mass settings by Lassus, Palestrina, Mozart, Franck and Langlais, the choir has presented a number of premieres, including the New York premiere of Arvo Pärt's Berliner Messe and Missa Sillabica as well as Dan Locklair's Brief Mass.

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Our Organ

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Organ pipes of the organ at Saint Luke's.

The organ at Saint Luke's was installed in 1986. It was designed by William Entriken, Director of Music at the church from 1976 to 1988, in collaboration with the builders, Casavant Freres, Limitee, St.-Hyacinthe, Quebec. The instrument is, with one tonal change, a replica of its predecessor at St. Luke's, installed in 1979 and destroyed by fire barely 18 months later.

The organ has mechanical key action, electrical stop action, two manuals, 27 stops, 34 ranks, and 1,670 pipes. Classic in style, it has three divisions: Hauptwerk, Rückpositiv, and Pedal.
CASAVANT FRERES, LIMITEE
Op. 3550

Hauptwerk			Rückpositiv			Pedal
Praestant	8'		Gedackt	8'		Subbass	16'
Hohlflöte	8'		Praestant	4'		Oktave	8'
Spitzgamba	8'		Rohrflöte	4'		Oktave	4'
Oktave	4'		Oktave	2'		Mixtur	IV
Spitzflöte	4'		Quinte	1-1/3'		Posaune	16'
Nasat	2-2/3'		Sesquialtera	II		Trompete	8'
Gemshorn	2'		Scharf	III
Terz	1-3/5'		Krummhorn	8'
Mixtur	IV		Tremulant
Dulzian	16'
Trompete	8'
Tremulant
Zimbelstern