Chairs would certainly allow for more versatile and occasion-specific arrangements. I can't believe that you have carpeting in a choir gallery! Bravo for getting rid of it. And really, babies in the choir gallery? Even extra ones??

I definitely want to get rid of the pews: but there are some people who are concerned about their "worship experience", which I presume is a horribly bureaucratic (? is that the right word?) way to say that they want to be able to kneel, and be able to see the sanctuary as much as possible--can't say that I blame them. Now, all the choir lofts I've seen with chairs they have no provisions made for kneeling, especially when they have any kind of riser-like steps.

And yes, babies - well, they're more pre-school age. Some of my adult choir members (not choristers) have children and will occasionally bring them upstairs with them. They're well behaved. And one of them actually fell asleep one Sunday during my postlude. (Perhaps he'll be a future organist-since he isn't bothered by organ music.)

It's nice to know that your choristers are concerned about their worship experience. For some choirs in galleries this seems to be of little concern. I suggest that you look into chairs made specifically for churches, which have pull-down kneelers on the back. They usually have rush seats and are not uncommonly found in Episcopal churches. For front row chairs pillow type kneelers can easily be provided. This would really make your space far more versatile.

CCooze: The floor of the gallery is slanted, which is not easily seen in the photos, and with a wonderful feat of engineering/architecture you can easily see the Original High Altar from anywhere in the church, even if you are kneeling in the back of the gallery or the back of the nave - and this would have been true of our former raised pulpit (trashed, alas, in the '70's-the high altar was spared because the chairman of the parish council at the time threatened to throw the priest bodily out of the parish if he removed the high altar). The new freestanding altar is not as visible as the old one, either in the front of the loft or after the first five rows of pews in the nave. (Ironic, really, since the I thought the whole point of freestanding versus populum altars was to allow the people to see better!)

Thanks: for the suggestion of the chairs, I'll look into them.

I would not keep the pews anywhere. This would allow for a more spacious and worshipful atmosphere, and could be used for instruments on occasion, or more effectively used with moveable chairs when you have a larger choir.

I am all for chairs - and I do think that provision needs to be made in choral setups for singers to kneel. My own preference would be for choral chairs (like from Wenger) with individual kneeling cushions for those that want them.

An issue to keep in mind is hymnal and music storage at the chairs. Now, in your gallery, there is a lot of material in the pew hymnal holders. Singers will have to put their music somewhere at times during the Mass when they are not using it. I don't think the Wenger chairs have any storage, but many of the chairs (of the type referenced above) come with some sort of storage.

Usually in a situation like that shown in the photos, the more singers that can be out from under the organ overhand the better. Weaker sections may balance better if they are closer to the rail.

Don't forget to keep lighting in mind.

I agree, of course, that the carpet must go.

Do you like your off-center console position? If you have a separate organist, it is probably ideal. If you are conducting from the console, a center location could be better. YMMV on that one.

Go luck with this. It is important work!

...music storage...

The type of chairs being recommended generally have storage beneath them.

One thing you might start with is minimizing the amount of "stuff" needed in the loft. If there's another place to locate the music storage and get rid of several of the bookshelves, I think that would make a big difference. Do you use all of the books in the pew book holders every week? I've seen those kneeler chairs before, too. They do have a shelf underneath that is probably deep enough to hold a binder and a hymnal.

I wondered, also, how much of that stored music gets used. Maybe a little file purging and recycling might help.

On the console position, I have a center mounted console from which I direct every Sunday. With a good mirror, I see everything that is happening on the altar half a city block away. I am also able to see the singers right in front of me, and give appropriate dirty looks to malfeasants and off-keyers.

I was informed that the pictures of the chairs I posted above are from this website: http://www.newhollandwood.com/Liturgical/Products/Chairs/tabid/99/page_523/3/Default.aspx and that they are chair number 810 (Customization available upon request).

"Placement/existence of book racks, kneelers, padded seats, etc., all are customizable options. I’m told that normally the chairs on the front row have side book racks because those people can’t reach for the chairs in front of them. Apparently the placement of the book rack (if any) also has a bearing on whether or not you can stack the chairs."

If you're referring to some of the padded chairs, they aren't the ones I was suggesting.

The chairs I suggested (as pictured above, and now here) are just solid wood (the ones with cushions included are, I guess just the same general model?), and so are of the 3rd of the 4 pics that include the number 810.
(http://www.newhollandwood.com/Portals/0/Images/CatholicLiturgical/Chairs/810wood.jpg)

That doesn't mean that some people don't need *a* cushion, though.
(at 8 months pregnant, it's much easier for me to get up out of a cushioned seat than a non-cushioned seat)

Salieri, here's a photo showing what we ended up with 9 years ago as we remodeled our choir loft for our new organ. We have chairs that are moveable with side racks for hymnals/folders that connect 2 chairs together. It's easy to move them around to accommodate instrumentalists and such. We ripped out the carpet (I helped with that myself with much glee) and put down an oak floor. The choir is on 3 levels facing the sanctuary. I direct from the console but it's easy for the choir to simply turn towards me to watch as I direct (singer's watch the director, right?). Those who wish to kneel are accommodated with padded kneelers against the balcony railing. Hope this helps.

The organ is a 31 stop, 37 rank mechanical action organ by Wech Orgelbau from Buchloe, Bavaria. Information about the organ can be found at www.sccathedral.org or www.orgelbau-wech.com. The cathedral's website has a recording of the Bach Passacaglia. Enjoy.

It's quite versatile. I wouldn't necessarily ask anyone to do an all French-romantic concert (though I played Vierne 2 without missing anything other than maybe a 4' chorus reed). Franck works really well, Reger, Rheinberger, Messiaen (yes, even Messiaen) works well, and French Classic is easily played too. For the cathedral's limited budget we got a LOT of bang for the buck. Most importantly, it supports the congregation very well without overpowering them.

If that's supposed to sound like a whine, you're not whining hard enough.

Just curious. I thought the recording sounded good, but that is not the same as actually hearing an instrument in person. There are some German instruments in town that can't do much besides German Baroque. They are museum pieces, not service instruments. They are patterned more along the lines of the North German school of organ building. I had thought this Bavarian instrument would be less that type of instrument and more versatile. Good to hear that it is. Next time I am in that part of the country, whenever that may be, perhaps I can hear it.