Music Ministry
Click here to listen to sample of our new organ!
Corporate worship lies at the heart of Christ Church’s spiritual life, and music plays an important role in almost all of the worship services that we offer. The 7:45 service begins each Sunday morning with the spoken word but concludes with the singing of a hymn and an organ postlude. Our 9:00 worship is the most musically blended; it is led primarily by the Praise Band of guitars, piano, bass, violin, and other instruments but also includes traditional hymns accompanied by pipe organ and from time to time the voices of the Junior Choir and the playing of the Bell Choir. Worship at 11:00 is entirely traditional, led by the adult choir and the organ and alternating between the service of Holy Communion and the Office of Morning Prayer with sung canticles. The 5 p.m. service is the most contemporary, led entirely by the Praise Band. Between September and May Choral Evensong is sung at 4 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month.
It is the mission of Christ Church’s music ministry to aid the congregation in offering up praises to God and as well as to provide opportunity for those with particular musical talent to make their own special offering. Opportunities to participate at a more dedicated level are outlined below.
We encourage you to become a participant in the Music Ministry at Christ Church. Whether as an active member of the congregation, or as a regular or seasonal member of an ensemble, may the music we offer together draw us ever closer to Jesus Christ, and emanate from our hearts as true worship “in spirit and in truth.”
Weekly Sunday Worship Services
- 7:45 a.m. – Rite I Holy Communion, spoken, organ music during communion followed by a closing hymn
- 9:00 a.m. – Rite II Holy Communion, variety of musical styles, led by Praise Band, also includes organ and traditional hymns
- 11:00 a.m. – Rite I Holy Communion (first/third/fifth Sundays), Morning Prayer (second/fourth Sundays) followed by Holy Communion at St. Anne’s Chapel); Adult Choir, accompanied by the organ, leads traditional hymns and anthems
- 5:00 p.m. – Rite I Holy Communion followed by dinner, music led by Sam Bush
Choral Evensong
Choral Evensong is currently on hold until our new organ arrives. It will resume the first Sunday of each month – the date is to be determined.
High Street Hymns
In April 2007, a team of musicians from Christ Church released this full-length album of hymns, a reflection of the worship provided at both the 9am and 5pm services. This recording features original musical settings to cherished texts found in the 1982 Hymnal, such as “Christ Whose Glory Fills The Skies” and “Praise My Soul The King of Heaven.”
For more on High Street Hymns or to download songs, visit the site.
Music Ministry Opportunities
Adult Choir: (Thurs, 7:30–9 p.m., Sun, 10:30 a.m.) Open to senior high youth and adults, the choir leads congregational singing and sings anthems at the 11 a.m. service and at Choral Evensong on the first Sunday of each month from September through May. Regular or seasonal participation is welcome. Music reading is helpful, but not required. Contact Paul M. Walker, paulmusic@christchurchcville.org.
Children’s Choir (gr. 2-6): (Wed, 4-5 p.m.) This choir is currently scheduled to sing at the 11am service once a month, and at occasional special services. Rehearsals are a dynamic mix of activities focused around the anthems chosen for our performances. Children will develop their confidence in singing, their knowledge of music, their knowledge of the stories and teachings of the church, and will grow in their faith as we put our hearts into singing together. Christ Church is blessed with many musical instruments that the children will get to use– a wonderful 3-octave set of handchimes, a huge collection of percussion instruments, and a new grand piano in the sanctuary that will make our performances heavenly! The Junior Choir is an important part of worship, and children will be taught to feel their value as worship leaders. Contact Sarah Kennedy, sarah@christchurchcville.org.
Handbell Choir: (Thurs, 6:30-7:30 p.m.) The handbell choir practices throughout the school year and performs at the 11am service and at special services. Music-reading is helpful but not a requirement for joining this group. Contact Sarah Kennedy, sarah@christchurchcville.org.
Praise Band: (Tues, 7:15 – 8:45, Sun, 8:15 a.m.) Combining vocalists, guitars, piano, bass and occasional percussion and other instruments, the Praise Band provides music for the 9 a.m. service. The music is blended with a contemporary bent, using more recent worship music as well as the Episcopal hymnal. Contact worship leader Sam Bush for more information (samuelpbush@gmail.com).
5PM Service Band: The musical style of the 5pm service includes contemporary arrangements of traditional hymns. Contact worship leader Sam Bush for more information (samuelpbush@gmail.com).
The Carillon: This beautiful instrument of 23 bells is played weekly and on special occasions by Clair Holland and Clair Robison. The carillon was built by Gillett and Johnson, Ltd. of Croydon, England, and was a gift from William James Rucker in memory of his wife, Sadie Woods Rucker, in 1947. It serves as a special musical witness to the downtown area.
Bach’s Lunch Series
Christ Church’s musical offering to the Charlottesville community is the Bach’s Lunch series. This series of informal noontime concerts takes place each Friday in May. Programs are quite varied and range from classical chamber music to organ and harpsichord to ethnic music from around the world. The concerts themselves are free, and a boxed lunch is available for purchase should one wish to eat during or after the half-hour program.
The Future
During the coming year 2011 Christ Church will be replacing its current pipe organ with a three-manual and 39-stop organ built by the E. and G. G. Hook Company in 1868. The Andover Organ Company of Methuen, Massachusetts is handling the rebuild.