William Owen, Organist/Choirmaster
David Hearn, Assistant Organist/Choirmaster
Nadine DiLorenzo, St. Nicholas Choir Director

Music is a special focus at Christ Church and is of high quality and major importance to the congregation. An 18-voice professional choir, a volunteer choir, and a youth choir participate in services on Sundays and on other occasions. Several times a year, special programs of religious music, open to the community, are offered.

Sunday, February 19
Epiphany Choral Evensong, 5:00 PM
Service: Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for St. John's College, Michael Tippett
Anthem: Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars, Jonathan Dove

Sunday, March 4
Lenten Choral Evensong, 5:00 PM
John Rutter, Musician in Residence

Palm Sunday, April 1
Mass in B Minor, J. S. Bach
with full orchestra
A $25 donation is requested.

John Rutter: 2011-12 Letty Downs Musician in Residence - March 3 & 4

Saturday March 3
10 AM to 1 PM Open Rehearsal
2 to 3 PM Lecture

Sunday March 4
11 AM Choral Eucharist
5 PM Choral Evensong

The eminent composer and conductor John Rutter will be this year’s Musician in Residence at Christ Church. The Musician in Residence Program was endowed by the family of Letty Downs, who was an active lifelong member of Christ Church and Chairman of the church’s Music Committee. The Musician in Residence Program brings a major figure in Anglican music to Christ Church each year to teach, rehearse, and perform with our treasured 18-voice all professional choir.

John Rutter was born in London in 1945 and received his first musical education as a chorister at Highgate School. He went on to study music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he wrote his first published compositions and conducted his first recording while still a student. His compositional career has embraced both large and small-scale choral works, orchestral and instrumental pieces, a piano concerto, two children’s operas, music for television, and specialist writing for such groups as the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the King’s Singers. His larger choral works, Gloria - 1974, Requiem - 1985, Magnificat -1990, Psalmfest -1993, and Mass of the Children -2003the chamber version of which had its U.S. premiere at Christ Churchhave been performed many times in Britain, North America, and a growing number of other countries. He co-edited four volumes in the Carols for Choirs series with Sir David Willcocks, and, more recently, has edited the first two volumes in the new Oxford Choral Classics series, Opera Choruses - 1995 and European Sacred Music -1996. From 1975 to 1979 he was Director of Music at Clare College, whose choir he directed in a number of broadcasts and recordings. After giving up the Clare post to allow more time for composition, he formed the Cambridge Singers as a professional chamber choir primarily dedicated to recording, and he now divides his time between composition and conducting. He has guest-conducted or lectured at many concert halls, universities, churches, music festivals, and conferences in Europe, Africa, North and Central America, and Australasia, and this will be his third visit to Christ Church. In 1980 he was made an honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, and in 1988 a Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians. In 1996 the Archbishop of Canterbury conferred a Lambeth Doctorate of Music upon him in recognition of his contribution to church music. He was honoured in the 2007 Queen’s New Year Honours List, being awarded a CBE for services to music. John Rutter’s music is published by Oxford University Press, Hinshaw Music Inc. and Collegium Music Publications.

Benefit Concert for SOAR - March 11

On Sunday, March 11 at 2 PM, Christ Church hosts Emily Samson Tepe, soprano and Barbara Prugh, trumpet in concert to benefit SOAR, Survivors of Abuse in Recovery. Paul Fleckenstein will join on organ with music for voice and trumpet, including arias by Bach and Handel and music created especially for this concert. SOAR is a statewide recovery program which provides counseling, referral, and education services to adult, adolescent, and child survivors of sexual abuse and assault. Suggested donation is $20.

Barbara has been called “the finesse player who captured the audience with her playing” by the International Trumpet Guild Journal and has appeared as a guest artist with many of the Philadelphia area’s top musical organizations. You may have heard her beautiful playing at our Christmas Eve and Easter services. Barbara’s website is www.trumpetsinger.com.

Emily Samson Tepe, soprano, returns to Christ Church after singing in Europe for seven years. Described as “The absolute brightest shining star of the evening” by Smålandsposten, she traveled to Sweden in 2004 on a Fulbright Scholarship to study Scandinavian classical music. Trained in New York, she performs her own music under the name of IVA. A lifelong member of Christ Church, Tepe sang as a child at Christ Church with Bill Owen in the children’s choir. Emily’s website is www.ivavoice.com.

Paul Fleckenstein is the Organist and Director of Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. Noted for the diversity of his musical activities, he has performed extensively as solo organ recitalist, conductor, piano and organ accompanist, and organ soloist with orchestras.

Choral Trip to England - February 2013

Ruth Kirk, Anne Gross, and Bill Owen will lead this biannual pilgrimage to England to hear some of the finest choirs in the world singing Services in some of the great Cathedrals and Collegiate Chapels during the first week of February 2013. We will stay in London for several nights and journey outside of London for three nights. The cost is approximately $3,000 a person, which includes airfare, hotel, buses, admissions, tours, and many meals. Contact Anne Gross for information.

Christ Church Choir

The Choir of Christ Church Christiana Hundred began in 1851 when Alexis du Pont "arranged for some male singers for the choir." We know that a volunteer choir existed in 1882 and that "musical instruction was provided in the Sunday School to ensure its future success." By 1900, the choir had 20 members, including a paid quartette. The "Choir Fund" began at the time of the 1914 restoration of the church and was established by the treasurer, Henry Francis du Pont. During this time, the choir became a fully professional ensemble. The Rev. Frederick T. Ashton enlarged the group to 10 members soon after his arrival as rector in 1919. The choir flourished under Firmin Swinnen, who served as organist/choirmaster from 1925 to 1956 and Clarence Snyder, who, from 1956 to 1983, enlarged the choir to its current size of 18 singers. William Owen has served as organist/choirmaster since 1983.

Join the Friends of Music

For many years, music has been especially important at Christ Church. Loved and appreciated by parishioners and people throughout the wider community, our internationally recognized program is well known for its contribution to the advancement of Anglican music. We are pleased to announce that a new group has been formed to support this ministry: the Friends of Music at Christ Church. Please consider becoming a member of the Friends of Music today! CLICK HERE TO JOIN and receive advance notice of all special services, concerts, special events, and receptions, as well as informative and interesting anecdotes and lectures from our Organist/Choirmaster, William Owen.

Christ Church Choir CDs Available

St. Cecilia Choir

Christ Church's volunteer choir sings at the 9:00 AM service on second, third, and fourth Sundays, on Christmas Day, and on other special occasions. They rehearse two Thursday evenings each month. All adult members of the congregation are invited to join. If you would like more information, please contact William Owen, Organist/Choirmaster, by filling out this contact form.

St. Agnes Choir

Our new youth choir is open to girls in 6th through 12th grades. The group rehearses once or twice a month on Sunday afternoons and sings on special occasions at Christ Church. If you would like more information or would like to join this group, please contact William Owen, Organist/Choirmaster, by filling out this contact form.

St. Nicholas Choir

Children in 1st grade on up may join the St. Nicholas Choir. The choir rehearses on Thursdays at 4:15 PM and sings for the 9:00 Church service on the first Sunday of every month and on special occasions such as the Christmas Pageant. If you would like more information, please contact Nadine DiLorenzo, Director, by filling out this contact form.