Music Program: education, training programs, and Ensembles
Liturgical Music Education
Christ Church's proximity to, and symbiosis with one of the world’s most highly respected music schools, the scientifically reconstructed baroque Pipe Organ, the internationally acclaimed Schola Cantorum, and Christ Church's regard for liturgy work together to support a formidable Music Program and also foster high-level vocational development and training for future leaders in sacred music. Together with the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester and the Eastman School of Music, Christ Church offers a convergence point in sacred music education. We nurture vocational development and training for future leaders in church music through practical application. Programs that foster this training are our Organ Scholar and Choral Scholar positions, as well as ensembles such as the Christ Church Schola Cantorum, the Christ Church Choir, the Christ Church Consort.
Christ Church Apprentice Programs are funded through the generosity of Dr. Alan Curle, and David Higgs
Christ Church’s Organ Scholar provides support, modeling, and teaching through mutual enrichment of parish and future church musicians. This program offers a supervised training ground for one Eastman student per year for the purposes of developing and enhancing skills in organ playing, accompanying, choral singing, chanting, conducting, composing, and arranging.
Specific duties include:
- Play the organ for services (preludes, postludes, service music, hymns, and psalms)
- Accompany the Christ Church Choir and Christ Church musicians in motets, anthems, and psalms
- Rehearse the Christ Church Consort in a separate weekly rehearsal
- Conduct the Christ church Hand-bell Choir
- Conduct and rehearse the Christ Church Choir (occasionally)
- Exercising leadership in all tasks assigned by the Music Director
The Choral Scholar Program provides support, modeling, and teaching through mutual enrichment of parish and future church musicians. Choral Scholars also help to provide a backbone of support to our volunteer choir. Scholars are encouraged to develop skills in various areas of church music.
ENSEMBLES
Christ Church Choir (currently 32 singers: youth, young adult, adult)
The Christ Church Choir's principal function is to sing for the 11:00 A.M. Sunday Eucharist. This auditioned choir builds upon a long tradition of musical quality through a broad variety of musical styles. Repertoire includes Gregorian Chant, Anglican Chant, and motets from the Renaissance to the 21st Century. Membership is drawn from parishioners of Christ Church as well as individuals from the Rochester community. Rehearsals take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., as well as on Sunday mornings at 10:00 A.M. Christ Church Choir's season begins after Labor Day, and continues until the day of Pentecost.
Schola Cantorum (currently 34 singers: young adult and adult)
“The Christ Church Schola Cantorum… sings beautifully” Fanfare, Jan/Feb 2010. The Schola was founded in 1997 by Stephen Kennedy for the purpose of performing the weekly Office of Compline at Christ Church. The intention was to provide a service to the community in which musical art and liturgy were seamlessly interwoven. Since its inception, the Schola has performed the Office of Compline on Sunday evenings from October through April. Participation in the Schola is offered for course credit at the Eastman School of Music. Specializing in Renaissance and Baroque music, the ensemble has been featured in various festivals and concert series, including the annual Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative Festival. The ensemble is also devoted to choral improvisation and to new music, having commissioned, premiered, and recorded works by a growing list of composers. Minnesota Public Radio and “With Heart and Voice” have featured the Schola in national broadcasts on many occasions. Our reissued 2004 debut recording was originally distributed by Gothic Records and has garnered considerable critical acclaim. The Schola’s second CD of the music of David Conte was released in 2008 on the ARSIS label. A recording of Mendelssohn’s choral and organ works featuring the Schola Cantorum and the Craighead Saunders Organ at Christ Church will be released on the LOFT recording label in 2012. Several new recording projects are currently in planning stages. The Schola is comprised of Parishioners of Christ Church, Rochester-area musicians, and Eastman School of Music faculty and students, all who volunteer their time and talent.
Recordings of the Schola Cantorum
The Schola’s 2004 debut album, distributed by Gothic Records has garnered considerable critical acclaim. The group’s second CD of the music of David Conte on the ARSIS label was recorded at the request of the composer. A recording of Mendelssohn works will be released this year on the Loft recording label. To new recording projects are being planned for in 2012. Recordings are available throught the church office at $20.00 each.
The Christ Church Consort (currently 5 players)
The Christ Church Consort is made up of Eastman School of Music students who are studying instruments of the renaissance and the baroque. Instruments presently include sacbuts, cornetto, and gut-string violin, viola, and violoncello. Students gain experience and learn historic performance practice methods by performing early music repertoire with the Christ Church Choir and the baroque Organ for the 11:00 A.M. Sunday Eucharist.
Lauren Densinger, violin
Angelina Weber, violin
Erin Kirby, viola
Jake Hanegan, cello
Samuel Pierce-Ruhland, cello
Handbell Choir—Steven Seigart, Conductor
This ensemble is open to all ages. Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings at 8:00 P.M.