O come, let us sing to the Lord.
Music is our favorite kind of beauty at St. Barnabas. We have one of the best choir programs in the New York City area, who sing in a beautiful mid-century building, led by an exceptional director and organist. Come experience for yourself.
MARNUS GREYLING
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Marnus leads our music ministry, directing our choir program, playing at services, and collaborating in worship planning. He hails from South Africa, is married to Nathan Lively, and has an incredibly large cat named Pi. He is a graduate of the University of Pretoria and the University of Cambridge.
Meet the Choir
The St. Barnabas Choir is comprised of eight professional singers, many of whom are members of the congregation or have longstanding relationships to St. Barnabas. They are joined seasonally and for special events, concerts, or services by volunteers from our congregation to form a Family Choir.
Sarah Bleasdale
mezzo-soprano
Christi Bye
soprano
Megan Friar
mezzo-soprano
Kevin Ray
tenor
Alan Rasmussen
bass
John Rose
bass
Barbara Zay
soprano
Matthew Zay
tenor
OUR ORGANS
St. Barnabas is fortunate to make music with two incredible instruments in an acoustically stunning building.
The Richards, Fowkes Opus One organ has become an internationally-recognized instrument for its tonal qualities and musical versatility. It contains 35 stops over two manuals and pedal. Commissioned by St. Barnabas in 1988, the organ was installed in 1991 with then-director of music Michael Roush playing the dedication recital. Since then, international organist, Gillian Weir has played two concerts, as have many other international and local organists. In 2016 Michael Roush repeated the original dedication recital celebrating a quarter century of the very first Richards, Fowkes organ. Recordings have been made by Bruce Neswick and Johannes Unger.
St. Barnabas also has a 2008 Dutch continuo instrument of 5 stops built by Henk Klop. It is used for more subdued services such as those during Lent and Easter, as well as for concerts and other gatherings.
The Richards, Fowkes Opus One organ has become an internationally-recognized instrument for its tonal qualities and musical versatility. It contains 35 stops over two manuals and pedal. Commissioned by St. Barnabas in 1988, the organ was installed in 1991 with then-director of music Michael Roush playing the dedication recital. Since then, international organist, Gillian Weir has played two concerts, as have many other international and local organists. In 2016 Michael Roush repeated the original dedication recital celebrating a quarter century of the very first Richards, Fowkes organ. Recordings have been made by Bruce Neswick and Johannes Unger.
St. Barnabas also has a 2008 Dutch continuo instrument of 5 stops built by Henk Klop. It is used for more subdued services such as those during Lent and Easter, as well as for concerts and other gatherings.
Our Director of Music Emeritus
J. Michael Roush
Director of Music 1979-2023, Emeritus 2023
Michael was hired in 1979 after graduating from Juilliard. He served St. Barnabas faithfully for four and a half decades, building a renowned music program practically from scratch and serving as faithful pastor and counselor to families as they marked life's joys and sorrows in worship. He produced decades of remarkable concerts from large-scale pieces with orchestra to intimate a cappella works, including his farewell concert in 2023, at which he presented “Songs of Farewell,” a gem of the English choral tradition by Hubert Parry. For over twenty years, he was also the Artistic Director of Fairfield-Westchester Concerts, Inc., which presented concerts at St. Barnabas, sponsored recordings, commissioned new works, and introduced young performers. He also started Bach@415, a new series which brought artists and groups from across the nation to join the St. Barnabas Choir in major works that are performed outside of worship. On July 25, 2023, the title director of music emeritus was bestowed upon Michael by resolution of the St. Barnabas vestry in recognition of his years of service and the continued impact of his legacy.