Need a Good Manhattan Church for Christmas Eve Services
December 9, 2015 10:07 AM Subscribe
My parents and brother are coming to NYC, where I live, for Christmas this year. Thankfully, I'm not having to house them (as I would be unable to do so) but I do need to have some ideas for where to go, etc. The only one that's really stumping me is where to take them for Christmas Eve services.
I'm not religious myself and so don't have a church. My parents are Methodist, but are probably pretty flexible as far as this goes. What they'll be looking for is singing and a warm feel of the congregation, and what I'm looking for is that it also be a beautiful place if at all possible, so it doesn't look like I just picked this place out of the yellow pages. Manhattan will be preferred here, but accessible parts of Brooklyn, particularly say Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, etc. would also work just fine. I also realize I have no idea how crowded to expect these to get in NY. Huh.
Super dope double-awesome bonus points if the service ends with a candle-holding "Silent Night" rendition. In fact, that consideration might trump all others.
Thanks!
I'm not religious myself and so don't have a church. My parents are Methodist, but are probably pretty flexible as far as this goes. What they'll be looking for is singing and a warm feel of the congregation, and what I'm looking for is that it also be a beautiful place if at all possible, so it doesn't look like I just picked this place out of the yellow pages. Manhattan will be preferred here, but accessible parts of Brooklyn, particularly say Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, etc. would also work just fine. I also realize I have no idea how crowded to expect these to get in NY. Huh.
Super dope double-awesome bonus points if the service ends with a candle-holding "Silent Night" rendition. In fact, that consideration might trump all others.
Thanks!
Riverside Church is great (MLK preached there!). They do a huge candlelight carol festival on Dec. 20, though. Not sure what their Christmas Eve tradition is (although they are UCC, and every UCC church I've ever attended did the Silent Night, but YMMV.
posted by General Malaise at 10:30 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by General Malaise at 10:30 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Trinity Episcopal on Wall Street
posted by PinkMoose at 10:38 AM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by PinkMoose at 10:38 AM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah, there's a ton of good options, all of the above are good. St. Thomas is a classic, and has the best boy's choir in the city, but like, you have to line up about three hours early. Seriously. These people take Christmas Eve mass REAL REAL SERIOUS, do not mess around.
Also do not go in jeans. I mean you CAN and people do. But like, these people still dress up.
Some of the churches distribute passes/tickets to congregants in advance.
ALSO beware that midnight mass is often at 11 pm or even 10 pm!
Oh and—my favorite midnight mass is rather simple but elegant, at Church of the Transfiguration. They have a beautiful music program.
Be aware that a lot of these churches go realllll hard with the incense. It always makes me a little gaspy.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 10:54 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also do not go in jeans. I mean you CAN and people do. But like, these people still dress up.
Some of the churches distribute passes/tickets to congregants in advance.
ALSO beware that midnight mass is often at 11 pm or even 10 pm!
Oh and—my favorite midnight mass is rather simple but elegant, at Church of the Transfiguration. They have a beautiful music program.
Be aware that a lot of these churches go realllll hard with the incense. It always makes me a little gaspy.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 10:54 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
St. Thomas Fifth Avenue has historically had a very, very good music program (as in world-renowned organist-choirmasters: the last two were Gerre Hancock and John Scott, formerly of St. Paul's Cathedral London, though John Scott died recently and I don't know who 's the interim). If you want music in the Anglican choral tradition (and how could you not?) this is probably the place to go in the U.S. The St. Thomas website has guides to Advent services and Christmas services .
I can't speak to the character of the congregation---I've only been once or twice, and that years ago. St. Thomas is, as I recall, reasonably high-church ("smells and bells and lace to the waist"); depending on which wing of the Methodist church your parents come from, this could be no problem or somewhat off-putting. (In undergrad I attended a large, urban Methodist church with a very serious music program and a certain liturgical bent; St. Thomas Fifth Avenue was a bit of a culture shock but pretty cool, and totally worth it for the music.) As I recall, it's a beautiful building, too.
Christmas Eve services there will I'm sure be packed, but that's true of just about every church you could go to (including my tiny little under-resourced church in a relatively-irreligious corner of a relatively-irreligious city in a relatively-irreligious state). Go very early, or---better yet---take them for one of the Lessons and Carols services listed on the "Christmas services" page. I don't see a music list, but it'll most likely include a whole bunch of familiar carols and anthems, done with more skill than you can possibly imagine.
On preview: it seems RJ Reynolds beat me to the punch on St. Thomas. I'll second Trinity Wall Street, purely for the sake of its change ringing tower. This is where I'd be; Christmas isn't Christmas without bells, and there's no ringing like change ringing. (I'm sure it has a fine choral program etc., but for me, personally, all that is a distant second in importance compared with ringing.)
posted by golwengaud at 10:58 AM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I can't speak to the character of the congregation---I've only been once or twice, and that years ago. St. Thomas is, as I recall, reasonably high-church ("smells and bells and lace to the waist"); depending on which wing of the Methodist church your parents come from, this could be no problem or somewhat off-putting. (In undergrad I attended a large, urban Methodist church with a very serious music program and a certain liturgical bent; St. Thomas Fifth Avenue was a bit of a culture shock but pretty cool, and totally worth it for the music.) As I recall, it's a beautiful building, too.
Christmas Eve services there will I'm sure be packed, but that's true of just about every church you could go to (including my tiny little under-resourced church in a relatively-irreligious corner of a relatively-irreligious city in a relatively-irreligious state). Go very early, or---better yet---take them for one of the Lessons and Carols services listed on the "Christmas services" page. I don't see a music list, but it'll most likely include a whole bunch of familiar carols and anthems, done with more skill than you can possibly imagine.
On preview: it seems RJ Reynolds beat me to the punch on St. Thomas. I'll second Trinity Wall Street, purely for the sake of its change ringing tower. This is where I'd be; Christmas isn't Christmas without bells, and there's no ringing like change ringing. (I'm sure it has a fine choral program etc., but for me, personally, all that is a distant second in importance compared with ringing.)
posted by golwengaud at 10:58 AM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
the Grace Church is Episcopal, has wonderful organ music, and is just beautiful. (I've attended their organ mediations on Saturdays in the past, and it's just a beautiful church)
I don't know how crowded they get on Christmas, as I haven't attended mass there.
posted by larthegreat at 11:27 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't know how crowded they get on Christmas, as I haven't attended mass there.
posted by larthegreat at 11:27 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
St. Bart's, four events on Christmas eve alone. (Mind you, I'm prejudiced - my parents were married there.)
posted by BWA at 12:27 PM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by BWA at 12:27 PM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Trinity is amazing simply from the historical perspective. People were celebrating Christmas Eve mass there in 1697.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:46 PM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:46 PM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
West End Church on the Upper West Side is having a Christmas Eve evening candlelight service. I follow one of their pastors on Twitter. She's cool.
posted by koucha at 2:32 PM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by koucha at 2:32 PM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
My sister sang at First Presbyterian for a while, and I have been to their candlelight carol service. It's lovely.
posted by zorseshoes at 7:32 AM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by zorseshoes at 7:32 AM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by merocet at 10:16 AM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]