A New Schoenstein for a New Chancel

Schoenstein & Co. is building a three-manual, 29 voice, 34 rank organ for Saint Philip’s Episcopal Church in Coral Gables, Florida. The church, in connection with its prestigious day school, offers a robust music program including an RSCM chorister curriculum and semi-professional parish choir. The choristers and parish choir sing together throughout the year, and as their enrollment has increased, they have outgrown their current position in the rear gallery. Terry Byrd Eason Design was engaged to design a larger chancel area to accommodate choirs, clergy, and the organ; he also designed the new chancel furniture and organ case. Saint Philip’s church has a resonant, clear acoustic that’s ideally suited for choral singing; the musicians’ new placement will highlight these properties and better serve the liturgical needs of the parish.

Our new organ for Saint Philip’s, opus 187, needed to be expressive enough to accompany music in the Anglican tradition while leaving as much floor space as possible for the choirs and clergy. We therefore prioritized smaller, enclosed divisions over number of voices, and took advantage of the intimate acoustical properties of the church to move some stops of the Great division to the rear gallery. This organ features our double-expression but in an unusual place: the Choir division. The inner-Choir houses the loudest (Tromba) and softest (Erzählers) voices in the organ, maximizing expressive capabilities in this sensitive acoustic.

Christopher Harrell, Director of Music and Liturgy, and the staff at Saint Philip’s have coordinated a smooth-running project; we all await the result, with installation planned for first quarter of 2026.