Our music program has historically served as a focal point of our worship. In fact, we hosted the first performance of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. Today, the Madison Avenue Baptist Church hosts a sextet of Broadway and off-Broadway singers led by our music director, Paul Stephan. Our music ranges from plain chant and classical to gospel and Bruce Springsteen. A typical example of our creative use of music is our Good Friday Country Western Service, featured by the New York Times. Listen to some samples below.
Laudate Dominum by W.A. Mozart
MABC Choir: Ride on King Jesus by Howard Helvey
Hallelujah Chorus from Easter
Paul Stephan, Minister of Music
Paul Stephan is a graduate of Ithaca College, the University of Utah, and the BMI – Lehman Engle Musical Theater Workshop. His one act musical A Unicorn in the Garden, based on the fable by James Thurber, was performed at the Festival of Musicals in Miniature at St. Paul’s Church. He directed productions of La Cenerentola, La Clemenza di Tito, and La Scala di Seta; musical direction includes Free to Be You and Me, Godspell, Brigadoon, Stop the World I Want to Get Off, and the New York premiere of Heroes. He served as artistic director for Cooper OperaWorks and wrote English performing translations for several productions, including Le Astuzie Femminili (The Crafty Women) by Cimarosa, and Il Mondo della Luna (The Man in the Moon) by Haydn. His choral setting of the 23rd Psalm was sung at the anniversary services sponsored by the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church remembering 9/11, and he received a 2005 Bistro award for his collaboration on Three Tenors… In Search of an Act. He works as a freelance musician and teacher in New York City and his first CD, “Sue & Edd’s Fabulous Christmas,” was released in 2007.
Madison Avenue Baptist Church Choir
Alexandra de Suze
Brian Long
Richard Binder
Jennifer Townshend
Karen Rich
Doug Shapiro
