World Premiere Unveiled for Time-Honored Lessons & Carols at The Brick Presbyterian Church

NEW YORK, NY - Brick Church invites the community to a special seasonal celebration, Sacred Resonance: Lessons & Carols, on Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 PM, as part of the church’s Sacred Resonance evening series. The service will be located at 1140 Park Avenue, New York, New York, 10128. Attendance is free, and all are welcome.

Modeled on the beloved service first sung at King’s College, Cambridge in 1918, Brick Church’s Lessons & Carols unfolds by flickering candlelight. Weaving together Scripture readings, carols, and choral anthems, the service proclaims the message of Christmas, with light overcoming darkness.

This year’s service will feature the world premiere of “The Saviour of the World Is Come,” an original composition by New York–based composer Daniel Ficarri. Join us for an inspiring and beautifully crafted tradition that welcomes the season with hope, music, and community. For more information, please visit our Worship & Arts Website.

ABOUT DANIEL FICARRI

Named one of the top “20 under 30” organists by The Diapason, Daniel Ficarri (b. 1996) is Associate Director of Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC and a composer of organ, choral, and chamber music.

A native of Pittsburgh, Daniel moved to New York City in 2014 to study with Paul Jacobs at The Juilliard School (where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees). Since then, Ficarri has made appearances in concert halls and houses of worship around the world, from Carnegie Hall to Westminster Abbey. By the age of 18, he performed live on WQXR as a soloist in their Bach Organ Marathon; and by the age of 23, he was presented as a soloist at Lincoln Center under the baton of Marin Alsop in Samuel Barber’s Toccata Festiva. Other orchestral engagements have included concerts with the Boston Symphony, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Florida Orchestra, and the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Itzhak Perlman, Andris Nelsons, David Robertson, James Gaffigan, and Bernard Labadie.

Daniel’s compositions have been performed in venues from London to Los Angeles, with commissions from the Madison Symphony Orchestra, American Guild of Organists, and Choir & Organ magazine. He was chosen to write inaugural works for the Miller-Scott Organ at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and the Hazel Wright Organ at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, where two of his works were recorded by Gothic Records. Ficarri studied composition with the late Rachel Laurin. Much of Daniel’s music is published by ECS Publishing Group. Visit Sheet Music for a list of all available works.

ABOUT SACRED RESONANCE: THE SOUND OF THE SPIRIT

The Sacred Resonance Sunday Evening Series is not a typical concert series. It is designed to expand Brick Church’s presence as a spiritual home for all.

Whether you come from no faith, a different religion, or the Presbyterian tradition, these evenings invite everyone to encounter the sacred, life-empowering presence of God in a unique way. They open us to the movement of the Holy Spirit: how it speaks, acts, and stirs in our lives, while helping us engage in a broader spirituality.

Through music and worship that reach beyond traditional forms, these gatherings draw participants into the holy and divine presence of God. Our next event of the season will be Sacred Resonance: Moravian Lovefeast on January 25, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

ABOUT WORSHIP & ARTS

Brick Church’s concert series, Worship & Arts, welcomes all to experience the joyous, uplifting power of the performing arts. Worship & Arts offers concerts and special worship services throughout the year, featuring Brick’s superb Chancel Choir, recitals on the church’s magnificent Casavant organ, as well as performances by extraordinary guest artists and ensembles from New York City’s vibrant artistic scene. Now in its second season, the program has grown to become an important part of the Brick congregation’s offerings, and a valued part of the New York City arts community. To view the entire 2025–26 season, please visit this page.

At Brick Church, we believe that music, dance, and drama can comfort, inspire, challenge, and bring us closer to the divine, showing us God’s glory reflected in all beautiful things. Join us and share in the warmth, excellence, and energy of the performing arts at Brick!

ABOUT THE BRICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Brick Presbyterian Church is a lively, growing congregation that has been serving New York City since 1767. We worship every Sunday at 11 a.m. in our Sanctuary. Sunday Church School is offered for children from age two to seventh grade. We welcome all to come, visit, worship and see what Brick Church is all about.

The Brick Church is a member congregation of the Presbytery of New York City. The session appoints elders to serve as commissioners to meetings of the Presbytery. In addition, elders serve on various committees when elected or appointed. The Brick Church also supports the work of the Presbytery financially thorough assessments and apportionments and general mission giving. In addition to supporting the Presbytery’s mission, the church has traditionally supported a wide range of mission outreach efforts in New York City. Involvement on the national level of the Presbyterian denomination has been strong and supportive over the 250-year history of the congregation. Several ministers of The Brick Church have served as moderators of the General Assembly, the national body of our church. In fact, the Rev. John Rogers, the first minister of the Brick Church, was elected as Moderator of the First General Assembly in 1789.