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.

Join the Christ Church Summer Choir

Join the summer choir and enjoy the fun and fellowship of singing and leading worship. Beginning on Sunday, June 14, we will gather at 9:15 AM for a brief rehearsal and then sing at the 10 AM service. You do not have to commit for the entire summer just turn up on the Sundays when you are in town. No audition necessary.

English Choirs Weekend - July 10-13

Plans are in place for our "festival" of visiting English choirs in July. First to arrive on Friday, July 10 will be the Cheltenham College Chamber Choir, under the direction of our good friend Alexander Ffinch. On Monday, July 13 we welcome the Choir of Christ's College from the University of Cambridge under the direction of Julian Black. Join us for these free concerts sponsored by the Parish Life and Music Committees of Christ Church. A goodwill offering will be taken at both events to help the students defer the cost of their tours.

• Friday, July 10 - 8 PM
  Cheltenham College Chamber Choir
  Parish Potluck Picnic at 6:30 PM
  
  
• Monday, July 13 - 8 PM
  Choir of Christ's College, Cambridge

After causing a sensation at a recent recital in the University of Oxford, the Cheltenham College Chamber Choir is garnering quite a reputation. Highly in demand for concerts, recitals, and guest Evensongs across the United Kingdom, and with a record deal recently brokered with a leading classical music label, 2009 has truly been an Annus Mirabilis for the Chamber Choir. Before leaving for the USA, the Chamber Choir is opening the renowned Cheltenham Music Festival, performing as part of a lineup with other luminaries of the musical world. This is an achievement all the more remarkable for the fact that the Choir was founded only in 2008! The rise has been truly meteoric and exhilarating for all involved. The Choir is fortunate to be a close-knit group of singers many of whom have promising musical careers ahead of them after leaving school, and to be under the inspired direction of Alexander Ffinch alma mater, Keble College Oxford, previously Director of Music at St. Catharine’s College Cambridge, who is, in his spare time, a familiar face on the international organ recital circuit. Reflecting the religious values of the school as well as the great tradition of choral music in the UK, the Choir has decided to base this year’s repertoire around the music of the early English renaissance, with highlights from composers such as Tallis, Byrd, and Sheppard, some of Britain’s greatest musical gifts to the world.

In this 800th anniversary year of the University of Cambridge, the Choir of Christ’s College will be visiting the East Coast of the USA. Christ’s is famed among the Cambridge colleges for its exceptional academic record and provides an environment in which music and many other extracurricular activities flourish among its students. This year the College is also celebrating the bicentenary of its alumnus Charles Darwin and the 500th anniversary of the death of its foundress Lady Margaret Beaufort. The tour starts with concerts in Beverly and Wakefield, Massachusetts. After visiting several more venues in New England including Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Newport, Rhode Island, and Nantucket, Massachusetts, the choir will reach NYC and sing Eucharist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on July 12. Following concerts in Philadelphia and Wilmington, the tour will end in Washington where the choir will sing Evensong at the National Cathedral on July 14. Christ’s College Choir is widely recognized as one of the best mixed choirs in Cambridge. As well as singing Evensong twice a week in the College, they perform frequently in Cambridge and London, broadcast regularly on BBC Radio, and undertake an international tour every year. In recent years they have toured Australia, Canada singing at St. James’s Cathedral, Toronto, and the West Coast of the USA singing at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Their CD releases include Of a Rose: Carol Settings by Britten and Leighton 2007 Stanford Magnificat for Double Chorus, Parry Songs of Farewell 2004 Howells Requiem, and Britten Rejoice in the Lamb 2002. In December 2008 Sir Philip Ledger conducted them in a CD recording of his music.

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.

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. 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. In addition, they combine to sing with the St. Cecilia Choir at the 9:00 service when there is a fifth Sunday of the month. The choir also sings for festival days 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.