First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich will observe Good Friday this year with a full choral and orchestral performance rooted in the sacred music tradition that has long shaped Holy Week services at the church.
On Friday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m., the church will present Johann Michael Haydn’s Requiem Solemne in C Minor as part of its Good Friday service, performed by the Chancel Choir and orchestra under the direction of Music Minister Dr. Caroline Worra. The service will take place in the sanctuary at 1 West Putnam Avenue and is open to the public.
The Good Friday service has become a central moment in the church’s annual calendar, shaped by the inclusion of large-scale sacred works presented within a liturgical setting. This year’s performance continues that approach, pairing a traditional observance with a historically significant choral composition.
Composed in Salzburg in 1771, Requiem Solemne in C Minor was written following the death of Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach. The work follows the structure of the Mass for the Dead, moving through sections including the Requiem aeternam, Dies irae, Offertorium, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Its scoring for choir, soloists, strings, brass, timpani, and continuo reflects the formal clarity of the Classical period alongside passages of heightened intensity, particularly in the choral writing and brasssupported sections.
The composition holds an established place in the development of sacred music of the period, with scholars frequently noting its influence on Mozart, who worked in Salzburg during the same era. The work offers a perspective on the evolution of the Requiem form at a moment when liturgical composition and emerging classical style met with particular force.
At First Presbyterian, the performance will be delivered by the church’s Chancel Choir, a standing ensemble that forms the core of its music program. The choir includes Leslie Craigie, Margaret Mack, Susie Huang, Diane LaSala, Debra Quay, Heather Antonissen, Carolyn Cleveland, Carolyn Hahn-Re, Mary McDowell, Elisabeth Shoup, Judy Soto, Fred Schlick, Colleen Giambo, Brian Wallin, Kreg Gotschall, Jeb Dennis, and Billy Neves.
Solo roles will be performed by Leslie Craigie, Margaret Mack, Heather Antonissen, Fred Schlick, and Kreg Gotschall, all members of the choir, reflecting a structure in which solo lines emerge from within the ensemble.
The accompanying orchestra will include Melanie Sasaki and Liz Wright on violin, Jacob Nordingler on cello, Mike Strange and Thomas Zoubek on trumpet, and Matthew Bauer on timpani. Organist Jesse Pieper will provide continuo support, reinforcing the harmonic foundation throughout the performance.
Dr. Worra has shaped a music program at First Presbyterian that places choral and instrumental works at the center of worship life. Under her direction, the Good Friday service continues to bring together trained musicians and community members in a setting that emphasizes musical discipline and shared purpose.
The sanctuary itself plays a defining role in the performance. Its acoustics support a blend of voices and instruments that allows the full dynamic range of the Requiem to emerge, from sustained choral passages to sections driven by brass and timpani. The setting situates the music within a space designed for both projection and reflection.
Attendance typically includes both congregants and members of the wider Greenwich community, reflecting the service’s dual role as worship and a significant musical presentation. The inclusion of a full Requiem offers an opportunity to encounter a work heard less frequently than later settings of the text, while remaining central to the historical repertoire.
As Greenwich continues to sustain a wide range of cultural offerings, events such as this reflect the role of longstanding institutions in supporting access to live performance. Through the participation of local musicians and the continued presentation of major works, the Good Friday service at First Presbyterian remains a point of connection between tradition, artistry, and community presence.
