Wall Street Christmas Tree & the Voices of the Ascension

I have yet to see the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year, but I hope to see it next weekend. One tree I did see, which is a little less known but also very beautiful, is on Broad Street between Wall Street and Exchange Place in front of the New York Stock Exchange.

Do you remember my recent blog post about Federal Hall? This is the view that the Federal Hall statue of George Washington has of the tree all season! I think he would have been quite pleased to see Christmas honored in this way.

There has been a Christmas tree outside the New York Stock Exchange since 1923, and the lighting ceremony is believed to be the city's oldest. This year’s NYSE Christmas tree is a 65’ high, 34’ wide Norway Spruce which hails from Ramapo, New York. Situated in front of the NYSE facade, the tree is decorated with 10,000 multi-colored lights, 250 multi-colored balls with the "NYSE Euronext" logo and a 6’ star on top, all supported on a 8’ x 10’ base fashioned as a gift box.

It certainly is beautiful viewed from any direction! (all photos will enlarge when clicked on)

It was wonderful to stand right under the tree and look up at all the large illuminated ornaments.

New York City is a wonderful place to visit during the holidays because no matter where you go there are many holiday lights and decorations.

This is Zuccotti Park,which is across from the Ground Zero construction site. It looked very magical and peaceful with all its white lights twinkling at dusk.

Even the old gravestones in Trinity Church were dressed with Christmas wreaths.

Almost every office building lobby has a Christmas tree. This is one that was inside a building I passed on Water Street. I took the photo through the window.

Last year we went with friends to a very beautiful choral musical production called "Fantasia on Christmas Carols" at Saint Ignatius Loyola Church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
This year we attended a "Candlelight Christmas Concert" at The Church of the Ascension, located on Fifth Avenue and Tenth Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan.

It was a performance by The Voices of the Ascension chorus and orchestra. They are one of the world's premier professional choral ensembles, with a distinctive artistic command of music from all periods and styles. They are in their 20th season under Artistic Director and Conductor Dennis Keene. The ensemble's concerts and recordings have received critical acclaim, and their latest CD "Song of the Stars" received a Grammy Nomination! You can listen to a sample of a selection of their recordings at this link.

The Episcopal Church of the Ascension was founded in 1827, when New York was a city of only about two hundred thousand people. The present edifice at Fifth Avenue and Tenth Street is one of the earliest churches designed by the English-born architect Richard Upjohn, who was working on plans for Trinity Church located on Wall Street, at the same time. The cornerstone was laid in 1840 and the church was consecrated on November 5, 1841. Soon after the church's completion President John Tyler, the first President to get married in office, chose the church as the location to wed Julia Gardiner in 1844. In 1987, the church was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The beautiful painting of "The Ascension of Our Lord" above the main altar is the work of John LaFarge. It was executed on canvas in place and completed in 1888. It is considered one of the finest murals of sacred art in America.

The church will soon be closed briefly for extensive repairs as they will be replacing their organ with one constructed by the great French builder, Pascal Quoirin. The church web site says that it will be one of the premier organs in the world and possibly the finest such instrument in America!

A view of the wood plank ceiling. The exterior brownstone structure has some age related cracks and there has been some rain damage to the interior walls, so before the new organ will be installed the church will do repairs and needed restoration.

One of the beautiful stained glass memorial windows near where we were seated.

The pews are cushioned in red velvet and each pew has an ornate door which opens and closes. Some of the pews in the church were private at one time, and they still have inscribed name plates attached to them. Many such prominent New Yorkers as August Belmont, William B. Astor, Frederick de Peyster and William C. Rhinelander have been parishioners.

When the musical production began the church lights were dimmed, and the flickering light from the multitude of candelabras gave a soft glow to the church and the chorus.

The combination of the soft light and the exquisite harmonic voices singing traditional Christmas carols and liturgical selections was a thrilling experience! I felt as if I were being transported up into heaven by angels!

A surprise guest artist who sang two solos that evening was the baritone Edward Parks, who makes his Metropolitan Opera debut this season as Fiorello in Il Barbiere de Siviglia. One of the selections he sang was the very lively and enjoyable aria "Largo al Factotum."

All in all it was a wonderful way to spend an evening in New York City and a prefect way to celebrate the Christmas season in Lower Manhattan and Greenwich Village. If you visit NYC do try to find a chorus production that take place in many of the churches in the city year round, and if you visit during the Christmas season try to visit the Christmas trees placed in different locations as you may be pleasantly surprised!

I am linking this post to Susan's blog A Southern Daydreamer "Outdoor Wednesday" event.. Please visit Susan's blog to see links to blogs with interesting and beautiful outdoor events.