Music at Risk at St. Thomas’s, 5th Avenue

Music at Risk in Financial Crisis at St. Thomas’s, 5th Avenue, New York City.

[ Image: The St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys ]

From the St. Thomas Church website, accessed 19 March 2024: “Music is at the heart of our mission, one of the primary ways in which we worship, love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.”

However, Norman Lebrecht, from _Slipped Disc_ (website for news about classical music), reported the following on 17 March 2024.

One of the oldest religious edifices in New York is heavily in deficit.

St Thomas 5th Avenue has warned parishioners of dire consequences for its music:

Our music program now accounts for almost half of our operating budget, and 89% of the cost of running the school comes from invested funds and the annual appeal.

The general fund has now depleted to a point of critical concern and the Vestry has advised the Choir School Board of Trustees that the current Choir School is at risk of closure.

Some FAQs:

Q. Will Saint Thomas abandon its commitment to traditional choral music?

A. The Vestry is 100% committed to excellence in its liturgy, music, preachings, and teaching. If anything, we want to strengthen that tradition. We recognize that the current music program with a residential choir school is unsustainable; that does not mean we are not committed to excellent music-making in the future, and we may need to find new ways of enabling children and professional musicians to participate and collaborate in our music program going forward.  The kind of repertoire that the choir sings will not change.

Q: If the school closes, what will happen to the students?

A: Saint Thomas is unwavering in our commitment to the education and wellbeing of the students and, of course, we will honor all of our contracts with parents, faculty and staff. If the school closes, we will provide assistance to parents and staff to ensure a smooth transition.

Q: What will it take to keep the school open and in what form?

A: We won’t be able to answer this question fully until the Sustainability Task Force completes its work. However, we do know that we would need to raise at least an additional $50 million in endowed funds or an extra $2.5 million in annual revenue to continue to operate the school in its current form. This extra revenue would need to be combined with substantial budget cuts to close the operating shortfall of $3-4 million per year.