Music Ministry
The Chancel Choir
The church choir has long been the backbone of church music throughout history and across denominations, and Christ Church's adult Chancel Choir illustrates this well. Weekly rehearsals are fast-paced and focused, working on upcoming service music and developing proficiency in a variety of musical styles. Through the program year, Chancel Choir serves weekly at the 10:30 Sunday morning worship services and at special services and occasions. We have high school members and adults of all ages. Beginning singers are welcome.
Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 7:15 - 8:30 p.m.
Carillonneurs: The Bell Choir
A dedicated group of musicians comprise the handbell/handchime choir at Christ Episcopal Church. We are fortunate to have musicians who faithfully commit to the weekly rehearsal.
The Carillonneurs usually take part in one 10:30 worship service per month, seasonal worship celebrations, and occasionally accompany the singing choirs. We are blessed to have a vast library of bell and chime music plus four octaves of handbells and handchimes. Being part of a bell choir is an experience that can only be described as a musical form of prayer. Music selection and part assignments are based on the number of ringers and ringers’ abilities.
Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 6 - 7 p.m., with private lessons beforehand
Kids' Choirs at Christ Church
Choirs at Christ Church are available for kids from Kindergarten through the end of time! Our children and youth have choirs designed just for them, and we generally separate ourselves by school grade level and mark these progressions through color:
The Atrium Choir
Green Level: Kindergarten through Third Grade
Children "learn" music through singing and play, internalizing faith concepts as they explore. Appropriate choral habits are gained (posture, breathing, pitch-matching, rhythm) with creativity and fun, as we learn fun songs, anthems and hymns. Children also begin to learn to read music and music theory and we explore the church calendar, liturgical colors and the like.
The Schola Cantorum Choir
Red Level: Third through Fifth Grades
Blue Level: Middle School
Literally, "singing school", this age group tackles music theory, works on singing voices, and strives to understand the elements and intricacies of liturgical worship and role of the choir. High standards are set and are indeed met with humor and a sense of accomplishment.
These elementary/middle school levels currently rehearse as one choir, Wednesdays, from 6-7 p.m.
The Via Cantate Choir
Blue Level: Middle School
Purple Level: High School
White Level: Graduates
Rehearsals: As arranged
This group formed in 2004 as our growing youth population needed a choir to keep up with their continuing talents. The Via Cantate (the "Way/Road/Path of Song") Choir sings mainly SATB selections, accompanied and a capella, some in our own repertoire and some borrowed from the file cabinets our our adult Chancel choir. Several of our members also sing with the adult choir and most of our Via choristers are involved in advanced school choirs and music programs. Our graduates often return to sing with us on college breaks.
Because our Via Choir members are highly involved in school performances, rehearsals happen by arrangement of the group according to upcoming church music offerings.