Who pays for a free concert at Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive? The church's own budget doesn't directly fund the Hyacinth Series. Donors cover the series' annual budget, and the plate offerings taken at intermission bring in less than 10% of total revenue.
That arrangement explains more than the free admission. The grand pianos that filled the stage for the season opener on November 15 were gifts, and so is the pipe organ that takes over on December 6. The series is now in its 44th season, according to Naples Press. Nearly every piece of it, from the artists' fees to the instruments, was paid for before anyone sat down.
Four Grand Pianos, All of Them Gifts
"A Piano Extravaganza" opened the season on Sunday, November 15. Dr. Michael Baron, a professor at FGCU's Bower School of Music & the Arts, returned with an ensemble of pianists. The church billed it as a performance on all four of its grand pianos, placed together on one stage. The event page called it a return engagement "back by popular demand after last season's overwhelming response."
A four-piano concert needs four pianos, and the church's instruments page shows how recently its collection reached that number. Two of the four arrived within the last eighteen months.
| Instrument | How it arrived | When | Usual role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fazioli F278 concert grand | Purchased with gifts from members and friends | April 2017 | Principal concert piano |
| Steinway Model A | Donated as a memorial gift | 1998 | Chapel |
| Yamaha C6 | Donated by an anonymous individual | May 2025 | Moss Hall |
| Steinway Model B | Donated | February 2026 | Choir Room |
The Fazioli is the instrument the church singles out. It's a handcrafted F278 from the Fazioli Piano Company, which was founded in 1981 in Sacile, Italy. The church says it believes the piano "serves and enriches the larger community." The other three spend most of the year in working rooms. The Model B supports choir rehearsals, the Model A plays for worship in the Chapel, and the C6 serves concerts, recitals and community events in Moss Hall. For one afternoon in November, all four were on the same stage.
December 6 Belongs to the Organ
The organ gets the next turn, and on Sunday, December 6, it plays twice.
Earlier this fall the church began a monthly series of Felix Mendelssohn's six organ sonatas, played before Sunday worship by Christopher Dekker, Moorings Director of Music and the series' artistic director, and John Stansell. Each one comes with a short talk on its musical and historical background, Naples Press reported. The first was on November 1. The second falls on the same day as the next Hyacinth concert.
- 9:30 a.m. A brief talk on the Mendelssohn sonata.
- About 9:45 a.m. Dekker and Stansell play the sonata, about 15 minutes before worship begins.
- 4:00 p.m. Nathan Laube gives his Hyacinth Series organ recital.
Laube is Associate Professor of Organ at the Eastman School of Music. His Eastman faculty bio notes an international recital career, including a BBC Proms recital at the Royal Albert Hall in August 2022. Naples Press describes his December visit as a return, with a new program. The church describes the program as varied but hasn't listed the pieces.
He'll play the Sterritte Family Organ, which follows the same pattern as the pianos. According to the church's history page, the pipe organ was installed in the sanctuary in 2008 through the generosity of the Marjorie Sterritte family. About six years later, a bequest from Ruth McNeal paid for the Solo division. The builder, Nichols & Simpson, publishes the organ's full stoplist, which records its first use in worship on August 10, 2008.
The church puts the instrument at 4,315 pipes across 57 stops and 75 ranks. The Solo Organ adds reeds named for the instruments they imitate, including the English Horn, French Horn and Tuba, plus a Solo Diapason, Gamba Celeste and Flauto Mirabilis. A five-rank Grand Cornet sits on top of the entire organ. A recitalist on a new program will likely use much of that range in an afternoon.
Where the Money Comes From
The support page explains why free admission works. "Funding for the series comes entirely from donors," the church writes, and the church budget "does not directly support the Hyacinth annual budget." The intermission plate covers less than a tenth of total revenue, so the church calls lead gifts "the backbone of the series."
That support has a long history. The church's history page credits Dick and Martha Crofts, Minister of Music and Music Associate from 1980 to 2013, with building the music program that still exists. It places the start of the Hyacinth Series during their tenure. On its support page, the church calls the series the longest-standing church concert series in South Florida. In early 2023, Naples Illustrated reported that the series had presented more than 150 concerts.
The donor-funded model also shapes the guest list. This season's six programs include a touring men's ensemble, a wind quintet founded in New York and two university choirs. They're brought to a church in The Moorings, and nobody at the door is asked for a ticket.
What Follows the Organ
The church's 2026–2027 brochure sets the rest of the season. All concerts are at 791 Harbour Drive.
- Sunday, January 31, 2027, 4:00 p.m. Chanticleer. The men's ensemble's program covers Renaissance music, spirituals, jazz and contemporary works. Naples Press notes the group is often called "an orchestra of voices."
- Sunday, February 21, 2027, 4:00 p.m. Borealis Wind Quintet. Juilliard students founded the quintet in 1977, and the church describes it as Grammy-nominated. Naples Press notes that flutist Keith Bonner played on the Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga album Love for Sale. This is also a Mendelssohn sonata Sunday, so the organ plays in the morning and the winds in the afternoon.
- Friday, March 5, 2027, 7:00 p.m. "Lift Every Voice: The Dordt University Concert Choir." This is the season's only evening concert and the only one not on a Sunday. Ryan Smit directs the choir, which, per Naples Press, made a European tour in spring 2026.
- Sunday, March 21, 2027, 4:00 p.m. FGCU Chamber Choir. Trent Brown directs a program that ranges from early music to contemporary choral works.
The remaining Mendelssohn sonata Sundays are January 10, March 7 and April 11. That means the organ series continues for three weeks after the last Hyacinth concert.
The House Rules
Every Hyacinth concert follows the same terms. Admission is free, you don't need a ticket, there's no reserved seating, and a free-will offering is taken. The church's visitor page says the campus has ample parking, including accessible spaces. Find the full season on the church's Hyacinth Series page.
On December 6 the doors at 791 Harbour Drive open for the organ twice, once for the morning sonata and again for Laube at 4:00 p.m.
The Hyacinth Series is one of the things that make The Moorings feel like home to the people who live there, and it's part of the local knowledge we bring to every conversation about the neighborhood. If you're weighing what a Moorings address means through the seasons, The Beachfront Team would be glad to talk it through. Experience the Beachfront Difference. Schedule a Confidential Consultation.
