FROM DR. DAVID HURD: THE 2025-2026 FEAST DAY RECITAL SEASON

The organ at Saint Mary’s, Aeolian-Skinner Opus 891, dates from 1932 with additions in 1942 and 2002. It is a world-famous instrument largely due to its high rear-galley installation and the resultingly rich musical voice it has given to the dynamic worship life of Saint Mary’s. Its tonal refinement (in contrast with its strikingly unfinished appearance), and its thrilling engagement of the church’s gracious acoustics, have been brought to life by the remarkable musicians, too many to name, who have performed a remarkably wide range of music on it through the years in the liturgy, in recital, and on recordings. This has largely been made possible by the dedicated work of Lawrence Trupiano who has curated this landmark instrument generously and expertly for decades.

In the 2025-2026 season, our recital series will include programs on Sunday, November 2, when we will be observing All Saints’ Day, on Monday, December 8, when The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated, on Tuesday, January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, on Monday, February 2, the Feast of the Presentation, on Wednesday, March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, and on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 14.

Here is an introduction to the musicians who will present our Feast Day organ recitals this season: 

Sunday, November 2, All Saints’ Sunday – 3:30 PM
Bruce Neswick

Bruce Neswick is Artist-in-Residence at Saint James’ Episcopal Church, La Jolla, CA, having retired in 2022 as the Canon for Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, OR. Prior to his time in Portland, he served as Associate Professor of Music in Organ and Sacred Music at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and Assistant Organist of Saint Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, Louisville, KY. Before moving to Indiana, he was the Director of Music at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City, where he directed the choirs and had oversight of the musical life of that historic church. Earlier in his career, he served as the first director of the Washington Cathedral Girl Choristers. Active in the field of church music, Mr. Neswick holds the Fellowship degree from the Royal School of Church Music, for whom he has conducted several courses for boy and girl choristers. In the summer of 2024, he was the Guest Director of the annual Saint Thomas Course for Girl Choristers, in NYC. He has served on the faculties of and performed for several church music conferences, among them, Master Schola, the Mississippi Conference, the Association of Anglican Musicians, Westminster Choir College Summer Session, the Montreat and Westminster Conferences of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, the Conference of Lutheran Church Musicians and the Sewanee Church Music Conference. In recent years, he has performed at Saint Florian Abbey, in Austria, as part of the annual BrucknerFest; at the Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative conference; and in May 2024 he performed at a hymn festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music. Mr. Neswick has been commissioned to compose for dozens of performers, churches, and special occasions throughout the United States, and his organ and choral music is published by Paraclete, Augsburg-Fortress, Selah, Vivace, Hope, Plymouth, and Saint James’ presses. Mr. Neswick’s skill at improvisation garnered him three first competition prizes: the 1989 San Anselmo Organ Festival; the 1990 American Guild of Organists' national convention in Boston; and the 1992 Rochette Concours at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and of the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music, Mr. Neswick’s teachers have included Robert Baker, David Dahl, Gerre Hancock, Margaret Irwin-Brandon, and Lionel Rogg. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, Mr. Neswick has served the Guild in many capacities, including chapter dean, regional convention chair, regional education coordinator, member of the national nominating committee, and member of the national improvisation competition committee. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee and in 2024 was named Honorary Canon at Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston, SC. As a recitalist, Mr. Neswick has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe and has been a frequent performer at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. In 1994, he played the opening convocation for the national AGO convention held in Dallas, Texas, and he was a featured artist at the national AGO conventions in Seattle (2000), Washington, DC (2010) and Boston (2014). Mr. Neswick is exclusively represented in North America by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists. His program on November 2 will include works by David Schack, Charles Ore, Olivier Messiaen, and Bruce Neswick.

Monday, December 8, Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 5:30 PM
Robert McCormick

Described by Choir & Organ as “indomitable and immensely gifted” and by The Macon Telegraph as “an artist of rare sensitivity and passion,” Robert McCormick is widely heralded by his colleagues as one of the finest concert and church musicians of this era. Known for his creative and unique abilities in organ improvisation, Mr. McCormick was named a semi-finalist in the 2005 Saint Albans International Organ Festival Improvisation Competition, the only American to merit that distinction. Concert appearances across the United States include Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, the Summer Organ Festival at the Riverside Church (New York), the Pittsburgh Organ Artists Series, the East Texas Organ Festival, Basically Bach Festival at Saint Peter’s Lutheran (New York), the Great Organists series at St. John’s Cathedral in Albuquerque (New Mexico), the Atlanta Summer Organ Festival, and recent recitals and workshops for Harrisburg, PA, Little Rock, AR, and Tulsa, OK, American Guild of Organists chapters, among many others. He presented workshops in organ improvisation at the 2024 National Convention of the AGO in San Francisco. His concerto appearances with orchestra include Samuel Barber’s Toccata Festiva, Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony, and Joseph Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante. He has been a featured artist and clinician at numerous conventions and conferences of the Association of Anglican Musicians and the Royal School of Church Music in America, playing recitals and services, and leading workshops in choir training, service playing, and organ improvisation. He is an adjunct Assistant Professor of Organ at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in New Jersey, where he has taught both repertoire and improvisation, and was recently featured as organist on Westminster’s commercially released 30th Anniversary Recording of An Evening of Readings and Carols on the GIA label. As a composer, his choral and organ works are published by Encore (UK) and Selah and have been performed throughout the U.S. and in Europe. His recording from St. Paul’s, K Street, We Sing of God, was released in June 2010 on the Pro Organo label. Choir & Organ’s review of the disc describes the choir as “one of the most responsive and adaptable choirs on the Eastern seaboard” and further states that “[McCormick] also shines at the organ.” Mr. McCormick is Organist and Director of Music at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont (Bryn Mawr), PA. This follows nearly eight years as Organist and Choirmaster of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, Locust Street, Philadelphia, a parish deeply rooted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. From 2008 to 2016, he was Director of Music at Saint Paul’s Parish, K Street, Washington, D.C. Under his direction, the Saint Paul's choirs performed at conventions of the AGO, the Organ Historical Society, and the Association of Anglican Musicians, and were heard nationally on the radio programs Pipedreams and With Heart and Voice. From 2001 to 2008 he served as Organist and Music Director at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, New York. He served for two years as sub-dean of the New York City chapter of the AGO and was co-chairperson of the 2014 National Conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians. He holds the Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance, summa cum laude, from Westminster Choir College, studying with Robert Carwithen. During his time at Westminster, he was also Assistant Organist at Trinity Church, Princeton. Further study in repertoire and improvisation was with McNeil Robinson. Robert McCormick is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.

Tuesday, January 6, The Epiphany – 5:30 PM
Buck McDaniel & Derrick Meador

Composer Buck McDaniel and organist Derrick Meador have built distinguished careers shaped by a shared commitment to new music and collaboration. McDaniel, based in New York City, creates works that blend the American Minimalist tradition with personal storytelling, heard internationally on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, BBC Radio 3, WQXR, and NPR, and featured in Oliver Hermanus’s film The History of Sound at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. His projects have included collaborations with Sam Smith, Nico Muhly, and Sam Amidon. Meador, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, has performed across North America and Europe at venues including the Swinoujscie International Music Festival in Poland, National City Christian Church in Washington, and Saint James Cathedral in Toronto. He currently serves as Organist and Choirmaster at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Shreveport, and teaches at the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy. Over many years, McDaniel and Meador have developed a close artistic partnership, with Meador commissioning, premiering, and shaping new works that reflect their shared curiosity and trust. This program celebrates that collaboration with two major compositions written for Meador: Five Meditations on the Nativity (2021) for solo organ and Epiphany Service (2017) for organ four hands. The recital highlights the fiery character of Saint Mary's celebrated organ and offers a vivid portrait of music created through friendship and long-standing artistic dialogue.

Monday, February 2, The Presentation – 5:30 PM
Victoria Shields

Victoria Shields is the Director of Music and Organist at Saint James the Less in Scarsdale, NY (www.stjamesscarsdale.org). At Saint James the Less, she directs a semi-professional choir for adults and has recently established a chorister program for ages PreK through high school. In addition, she is the Artistic Director of the Concerts at Saint James the Less concert series. The series has include a Service of Choral Evensong for All Saints, Composers of St James with Historic Sermons, Jazz Mass, The Academy of Sacred Music, Brandenburg Concertos on New Year’s Eve, Thrills and Chills at the Organ, and Organ and Brass Fireworks. Prior to coming to Saint James the Less in Scarsdale, Victoria was the Director of Music at Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Westport, CT. There she directed an active choral program for children and adults, and was the artistic director of the Music & Arts concert series. She has also served in other notable positions as Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, CT, Saint Paul’s Episcopal, Rock Creek Parish in Washington, D.C., George Washington’s Church, Pohick Episcopal Church, and Episcopal High School, both in Virginia. Victoria has been a featured soloist at Saint Paul’s Chapel in New York City, West Point Chapel, Saint Mark's Cathedral, Seattle, Washington, Princeton University Chapel, the Washington Bach Consort and the Bach Society of Houston. Victoria is under representation with the Concert Artist Cooperative (www.concertartistcooperative.com). As an educator, she has served on faculty for the American Guild of Organists (AGO) Pipe Organ Encounter programs (POE), has served on the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) summer courses at Washington National Cathedral, and was the coordinator and teacher for the Potomac Organ Institute in the Washington, D.C. area. Victoria is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music with concentrations in Music Education and Organ Performance. Her primary teachers include organ with Michael Farris and Robert Oehme, piano with Vincent Lenti and Mary Ann Nilsson, and harpsichord with James Bobb. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists, Association of Anglican Musicians, the Royal School of Church Music, Saint Wilfred’s Club, and the professional women’s music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota. Her program on February 2 will include works by Maurice Duruflé, Charles Wood, César Franck, and Jiří Ropek.

Wednesday, March 25, The Annunciation – 5:30 PM
Eva Sze

Eva Sze teaches music theory at New York University and is the Director of Music at the Church of Saint Agnes in Midtown. She studied composition at the University of Toronto, music theory and analysis at the CUNY Graduate Center, and organ with Dr. William Entriken. She has presented compositions and research papers at local, national, as well as international conferences. A holder of the Fellowship Certificate from the American Guild of Organists, she served on the national Committee for Professional Certification from 2016 until 2024 and is on the Board of Examiners.

Thursday, May 14, Ascension Day – 5:30 PM
David Hurd

David Hurd is widely recognized as one of the foremost church musicians and concert organists in the United States, with a long list of awards, prizes, honors, and achievements, and immeasurable expertise in organ performance, improvisation, and composition. From 1976 until 2015, David Hurd was a faculty member at The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City, as Director of Chapel Music, Organist, and Professor of Church Music. For his work at General Theological Seminary and for his substantial contribution to church music, four other seminaries awarded him honorary doctorates. Dr. Hurd has also taught at Duke University, Yale University, Manhattan School of Music, and Westminster Choir College. He is the composer of dozens of hymns, choral works, settings of the liturgy, and organ works published by a number of major houses. He was one of the major contributors of new hymnody and liturgical settings for the Episcopal Church’s Hymnal 1982 and his music is seen in hymnals and choir libraries in churches of all religious denominations. In 2010 he became the fifteenth recipient of The American Guild of Organists’ Distinguished Composer award. From 1998-2013 he was Music Director and Organist at Church of the Holy Apostles (Episcopal) in New York City. Dr. Hurd is now Organist/Choirmaster of the famed Church of Saint Mary the Virgin at Times Square. As a concert organist David Hurd enjoys instant recognition both at home and abroad. Since winning both first prizes (in performance and improvisation) of the 1977 International Congress of Organists, he has performed throughout North America and Europe, has been a featured artist at numerous national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists He was invited to perform at the Internationaal Orgelfestival Haarlem, during which he received a diploma for improvisation at the Stitchting Internationaal Orgelconcours. He studied at the Juilliard School, Preparatory Division, and the High School of Music and Art in New York City before undergraduate study at Oberlin College and Conservatory and graduate study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His organ teachers have included Bronson Ragan, Garth Peacock, Arthur Poister, and Rudolph Kremer. David Hurd is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC. His program on May 14 will include nineteenth century French and German music.

We hope that you will come to Saint Mary’s a half hour before the liturgy on these major feast days and hear great organ music on a landmark instrument played by these fine artists as a thankful prelude to worship and to enjoy the God-given gift of music. Bring friends. — DH

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for the people and clergy of our sister parish, the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, and for the Episcopal Church, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Dolores, Violet, Tod, Peter, Tim, Phoebe, Peter, Pat, Allen, Vanessa, Melvin, Vicki, Valdez, Helen, Brendon, Nadia, Christian, Carol, Giovanna, Mary, Priya, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Marty, Lexi, Georgia, Desarae, David, Claudia, Nettie, Chrissy, Tony, Rick, Jan, Carlos, Liduvina, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Victoria, Suzanne Elizabeth, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and, Jay and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died and for those whose year’s mind is on October 19: William Henry Francis (1879), Alexander Curtis LaNauze (1891), Arthur Alexander Campbell (1912), Jerome Terrell (1993).

AROUND THE PARISH

Adult Formation — Dr. James Como concludes his class on C.S. Lewis at 9:45 AM on Sunday. On the following Sunday, October 26, Fr. Sammy Wood begins his five-part series on the Nicene Creed in honor of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Please click here for more details about the 2025-26 formation program.

Assisi Pilgrimage — Fr. Matt and Br. Thomas, SSF, are leading a pilgrimage to Assisi for Saint Marians and brothers from the Society of Saint Francis. Please keep them in your prayers!

Fleece be with you — Winter is coming! Join a group of crafters at 10:00AM on Saturday, November 8 to knit and crochet cold weather accessories for our Neighbors in Need program. Coffee, snacks, and patterns will be provided. Some yarn will be available, but BYO hooks and needles. For more information or to RSVP, contact Grace Mudd.

Annual Requiem Mass Guild of All Souls — The Annual Requiem Mass of the Guild of All Souls will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the Church of the Resurrection on 119 East 74th Street. The sermon will be by Fr. Martin Yost, Rector, St. Paul’s, Troy, New York, and Resurrection’s Professional Choir will support the liturgy.

Thursday Bible Study — Thursday evening Bible study in 2025-2026 will be based on the Sunday lectionary for the upcoming Sunday and generally will be led by the preacher for that day. We will meet over Zoom at 6:00 PM. If interested, please email Fr. Wood for the link.

Saint Marians about Town — Two museum trips are planned for this fall. On Sunday, October 26, after Solemn Mass and the rosary, we will visit the exhibit To the Holy Sepulcher at the Frick. On Sunday, November 30, after Solemn Mass, we will see Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art & Life at the Morgan Library. Please contact Father Wood to RSVP for either visit or with any questions.

Rosary Guild — The Rosary Guild next meets after the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, October 26, to pray the rosary. All are welcome.

Next E&B on November 2 — Evensong & Benediction will next be offered on Sunday, November 2, at 4:00 PM. Come early and enjoy an organ recital by Bruce Neswick at 3:30 PM!

Grant Writer Needed — From time to time, Saint Mary’s becomes aware of grant opportunities, and we are seeking a volunteer to research these opportunities and write persuasive proposals. Key skills include strong research, writing, organizational, communication, and project management abilities, as well as a deep understanding of our parish mission. If you are able to help, please contact Chris Howatt in the parish office.

Interested in being Confirmed? — Please contact Fr. Sammy Wood if you are interested in receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation or being received into the Episcopal Church (for those already confirmed in another Christian denomination). Confirmation class begins in early 2026 and will prepare candidates to be confirmed at Bp. Allen Shin’s visit on Pentecost.

Altar Flowers — November 16 is still available for a flower donation. The suggested donation is $250. Please contact Chris Howatt (chowatt@stmvnyc.org or 212/869-5830, ext. 10) to reserve a date and to have the dedication for your flower donation appear in the bulletin.

Neighbors in Need — With winter coming, our priority needs are for practical shoes (no dress shoes or high heels) and jeans and khakis for men and women. We also welcome jackets, sweaters and tops. Soon, coats will be in peak demand. Thanks to generous cash donations, we are able to purchase toiletries and underwear for our guests. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org.

THE ARTS AT SAINT MARY’S: KENDYLL HILLEGAS’ KEPT LIKE A SECRET

The parish is proud to host a showing of artist Kendyll Hillegas’s newest work, Kept Like a Secret, in Saint Joseph’s Hall beginning Friday, October 17. This new show explores the relationship between what wants to be noticed, and what cannot be kept, and features 12 new oil paintings with a focus on the quietly persistent images that call for our attention. Kendyll Hillegas is a commercial illustrator and fine artist based in southeastern Pennsylvania. Originally from Southern California, she earned her BFA in Fine Art before establishing herself in commercial illustration, working with notable clients including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, YouTube, A24 Films, and Coca-Cola. Her work for A24 Films was featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and she has collaborated on projects with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and The Rolling Stones. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, October 17, with the artist in attendance from 6:00-8:00 PM.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Dialogues on Divinity: Conflict and the Healing of Hatred — Join the Very Rev. Winnie Varghese in conversation with Hana Bendcowsky and John Munayer, peacemakers and program staff from the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue (Jerusalem), as they discuss their unique, trauma-informed methodology for addressing conflict at its deepest level, based on tools for spiritual counseling. Co-sponsored by the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue. The Dialogues on Divinity series seeks to address vital contemporary issues with a theological lens. It is presented by the Community at the Crossing, an ecumenical community for young adults, in residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The series is co-sponsored by Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII). Sunday, October 19, from 1:00 - 2:30 PM at the Cathedral. Click here for tickets.

PIPES: David Hurd — Saint Mary’s organist and music director, Dr. David Hurd, will be honored with a concert at Trinity Church on November 4 at 6:00 PM. “Trinity organists past and present—Bruce Neswick, Alex Leonardi, and Alcée Chriss III—team with Trinity Choir to spotlight the artistry of another former Trinity organist: the incomparable David Hurd. A leading composer and organist in Episcopal church music for decades, Hurd will direct his own choral works, which blend spiritual depth and bold harmonies.”

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Jean Adam Guilain is the composer of Sunday’s organ voluntaries. His dates are not certain, his nationality was actually German, and his original name was Johann Adam Wilhelm Freinsberg. However, he came to Paris sometime before 1702 and probably soon became a student of Louis Marchand (1669–1732). In 1706 he published his two-volume Pièces d’orgue pour le Magnificat sur les huit tons différents de l'église (Organ pieces for the Magnificat on the eight church tones). Only the first of these two volumes is extant. It contains a suite of seven pieces for each of the first four church modes. The lost volume undoubtedly contained pieces of very similar character for tones five through eight. Guilain’s suites were intended to be played at Vespers, their movements in alternation with chanted verses of the canticle. Despite his German origin, Guilain’s organ suites are idiomatically very French. Typical of organ suites of his time, each movement is designated by a description of the character of the piece, indicating the organ stops intended to be used. Thus, in the course of such a suite, one hears the characteristic timbres of the instrument in stylized segments. The first three movements of Guilain’s suite on the second tone are played for the prelude this morning, and the sixth movement is the postlude.

The setting of the Mass on Sunday is the Mass for Four Voices of William Byrd (c.1540–1623). Byrd composed settings of the Latin Mass for three, four and five voices. The Mass for Four Voices dates from about 1592 and was probably the first of the three to be composed. The whole business of Latin Masses in post-Reformation England needed to be a somewhat clandestine matter to protect those involved from the possibility of arrest. This being the case, Byrd’s part books were undated and without title page or preface, nor was the printer (Thomas East) identified. Fortunately, Byrd’s settings survived the period in which their performance, if not their very existence, was illegal and are now they rightly regarded as great treasures of Western music. Although composed with the Continental Tridentine liturgy in mind, Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices was also influenced by the pre-Reformation Mean Mass of John Taverner (c.1490–1545), particularly in the opening of the Sanctus. The older Taverner setting had already served as a model for settings by English masters Christopher Tye (c.1505–c.1573), John Sheppard (c.1515–1558) and Thomas Tallis (c.1505–1585). Byrd’s four-voice Agnus Dei ends with a particularly expressive Dona nobis pacem.

Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ, composed by Saint Mary’s music director, David Hurd, and sung as the communion motet this Sunday, was commissioned by the 2006 Association of Anglican Musicians Conference and the Anglican Musicians Foundation in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Association of Anglican Musicians in Indianapolis, Indiana. In this choral setting of a hymn by the Finnish theologian Frank von Christierson (1900–1996), the text alternates between chant-based and freely-composed statements of each of its three stanzas. The melodic foundation of the chant-styled sections is drawn from the plainsong Lord’s Prayer as previously adapted by Winfred Douglas and well-known to Episcopalians for generations. Since Christierson’s text centers on the pursuit of right prayer, this musical reminder of the most foundational and seminal prayer of all Christians, which Jesus himself taught his disciples, seemed particularly apt.

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Saint Mary’s is a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness in the heart of NYC. With our identity in Christ and a preference for the poor, we are an inclusive, diverse community called to love God and each other for the life of the world.

This edition of The Angelus was written and edited by Father Matt Jacobson, except as noted. Father Matt is also responsible for formatting it on the parish website and distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt, parish administrator, and parish volunteer, Clint Best. If you have an idea for an article that you would like to publish in an upcoming issue of The Angelus, Father Matt would be happy to discuss it with you.