2018_19 Music BrochureUpload_8_22

CHRIST CHURCH 

CHRISTIANA HUNDRED 

2018 – 2019 

CONCERTS • CHORAL EVENSONG • SPECIAL CHORAL SERVICES 

2018_19 Music BrochureUpload.indd 1 8/22/18 11:33 AM

SING • PRAY • REJOICE 

When in our music God is glorified, 

and adoration leaves no room for pride, 

it is as though the whole creation cried 

Alleluia! 

Let every instrument be tuned for praise! 

Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise! 

And may God give us faith to sing always 

Alleluia! 

Hymnal 1982: 420 vss 1,5 

Ruth Beresford 

Rector 

Bruce J. Barber, II 

Director of Music 

Just for a moment, place yourself in a church full of music as the whole congregation heartily sings, “Jesus 

Christ is risen today,” with organ resounding, trumpet and timpani. These are moments when the profound 

and glorious combine in worship’s music. At other times, the anthems and hymns comfort us – assuring us 

of God’s everlasting care. Music becomes the instrument for the expression of our faith. It tells us the sacred 

story. Music is our prayer. It is the highest expression of our praise to God, resonating through the 

Church as we rejoice. 

In all our music, I want you to know the love of Jesus Christ, the liberation inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the 

life-giving nature of God, who is swift to shower grace and favor for our souls. Join us for worship and for the 

special offerings of the Christ Church Choir as they lead us to sing the glory of God’s praise. 

Welcome to the 2018-19 season of music-making at Christ Church Christiana Hundred! This season is filled 

with music in worship and concerts featuring the musicians of Christ Church, the Christ Church Choir, and 

collaborations with Piffaro, Tempesta di Mare, and the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. 

Highlighting our concert season is the Christ Church Choir’s performance of Handel’s magnum opus, Messiah, in 

collaboration with Tempesta di Mare, the region’s premier baroque orchestra. This performance will use Handel’s 

Dublin score – intimate, powerful, and timeless. 

The people of Christ Church Christiana Hundred invite you to partake in the abundant beauty God has lavishly 

bestowed upon us through music, liturgy, and song, to learn more about the faith community that is Christ 

Church, and to open yourself in body, mind, and spirit to the very presence of God. Join us – Christ Church’s 

doors are open to you. 

Rejoice 


LETTY DOWNS MUSICIAN IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM 

Letty Downs 

One of the great blessings at Christ Church is the Letty Downs Musician in Residence program. The 

Musician in Residence program began in 1983 and brings a world-renowned musician to Christ Church 

each year. And, what stellar people we have had working in our midst: Stephen Cleobury, Gerre 

Hancock, Sir Philip Ledger, James Litton, Andrew Lumsden, Philip Moore, James O’Donnell, Simon 

Preston, Christopher Robinson, John Rutter, and Sir David Willcocks. All have rehearsed and directed 

the Christ Church Choir; some have presented lectures, seminars, and organ recitals; and others have 

included a premiere or a commission. With great thanks to Letty Downs’ vision, with the official 

endowment being established in 2011, and the generous support of the Letty Downs Musician in 

Residence Fund, we continue this tradition today. 

Andrew Nethsingha, 

St. John’s College, 

Cambridge 

This season, we welcome Andrew Nethsingha as our Musician in Residence. Performing globally, 

Andrew Nethsingha has been Director of Music at St. John’s College, Cambridge since 2007. He has 

helped to set up a new recording label, ‘St. John’s Cambridge,’ in conjunction with Signum. His first disc 

on the new label, DEO (music by Jonathan Harvey), was a 2017 BBC Music Magazine Award winner. 

Andrew Nethsingha was a chorister at Exeter Cathedral, under his father’s direction. He later studied 

at the Royal College of Music, where he won seven prizes, and at St. John’s College, Cambridge. He 

was Director of Music at Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals and Artistic Director of the Gloucester Three 

Choirs Festival. Andrew’s concerts conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra have included: Mahler’s 8th 

Symphony, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Britten’s War Requiem, Brahms’ Requiem, Elgar’s The Dream of 

Gerontius and The Kingdom, Walton Belshazzar’s Feast, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Duruflé’s Requiem. He 

has also worked with: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London 

Mozart Players, Britten Sinfonia, Orchestra of St. Luke’s (New York), Aarhus Symfoniorkester, and BBC 

Concert Orchestra. Venues have included the BBC Proms, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Verbier Festival, 

and Tokyo Suntory Hall. 

MUSICIAN IN RESIDENCE SCHEDULE 

Saturday, February 2, 2019 

10 AM - Noon Open Rehearsal (Parish Hall) 

12:15 - 1 PM Lunch (Parish Hall A – $10) 

1 - 1:30 PM Conversation with Andrew Nethsingha 

1:45 - 3:45 PM Open Rehearsal (Church) 

Sunday, February 3, 2019 

11 AM Choral Eucharist (Church) 

4:30 PM Evensong Prelude 

5 PM Choral Evensong (Church) 

6 PM Reception 


CHRIST CHURCH CONCERTS 

October 

21 

Tempesta di Mare 

3 PM 

Paris Quartets 

February 

3 


3 PM / Chapel 

Broken 

September 

16 

Piffaro Band 

3 PM 

Water, Wind, & Waves – 

The Wind Band at Sea 

December 

16 

Christ Church Choir 

with Tempesta di Mare 

3 PM 

Handel’s Messiah 

March 

17 

Piffaro Band 

3 PM 

Michael Praetorius’ 

Terpsichore 


September 16, 2018 

October 21, 2018 

December 16 , 2018 

February 3, 2019 

March 17, 2019 

Piffaro Band 


Christ Church Choir with 



Piffaro Band 

3 PM 

3 PM 

3 PM 

3 PM 

3 PM 


the Wind Band at Sea 

Ships, sailors, and sea 

creatures – this fall program 

is inspired by 17th century 

Dutch sea paintings at the 

National Gallery of Art, 

where we will perform on 

September 30th. 

Join us on a voyage of 

imagination to the 

fantastic deep! 

Tickets: 

$49 Premium 

$39 Preferred 

$29 General Admission 

Free (Youth & Full-time 

Students) 

Tickets & information: 

http://www.piffaro.org 

Paris Quartets – Chamber 

music by the sensation of 

1737 Paris: Georg Philipp 

Telemann 

Tempesta di Mare Chamber 

Players: Gwyn Roberts 

(recorder & flute), Emlyn 

Ngai (violin), Lisa Terry 

(viola da gamba), Richard 

Stone (lute), Adam Pearl 

(harpsichord). 

Telemann’s two sets of 

“Paris” Quartets for flute, 

violin, viola da gamba, and 

continuo became immediate 

successes upon publication 

and hands-down his most 

famous chamber music. Cast 

in sonata, concerto, and 

suite forms, they set the 

quartet genre’s standard for 

generations. 

Tickets: 

$39 Preferred 



Students) 


https://tempestadimare.org/ 

concerts-events 

Handel’s Messiah – In its 

original version as 

premiered in Dublin in 1742, 

Handel’s choral masterpiece 

as he first conceived it: 

intimate, fresh, and passionate. 

The Christ Church Choir will 

perform with the Tempesta 

di Mare orchestra soloists: 

Julie Bosworth, Janna Critz, 

Jacob Perry, and Corbin 

Phillips, directed by 

Bruce Barber. 


Philadelphia Baroque 

Orchestra 

Gwyn Roberts and 

Richard Stone, directors, 

Emlyn Ngai, 

concertmaster. 

Tickets: 

$35 Admission 

http://bit.ly/ccch-messiah2018 

Broken – Music from 

Elizabethan and Restoration 

era London with soprano 

Julianne Baird and Tempesta 

di Mare Chamber Players. 

Julianne Baird (soprano), 

Gwyn Roberts (recorder), 

Emlyn Ngai (violin), 

Lisa Terry (viol), 

Mark Cudek (cittern), Richard 

Stone, and Christopher 

Morongiello (lutes). 

A flute, violin, viol, lute, 

and the wire-strung cittern 

and bandora make up 

the Elizabethan “broken” 

or mixed consort. Guests 

Julianne Baird (soprano), 

Christopher Morongiello 

(lute), and Mark Cudek 

(cittern) join Tempesta for 

late renaissance music by 

Dowland and Morley and 

early baroque consorts by 

Locke and Lawes. 

Tickets: 

$39 Preferred 



Students 


https://tempestadimare.org/ 

concerts-events 

Michael Praetorius’ 

Terpsichore – 

The Cloisters at the 

Metropolitan Museum of 

Art’s resident viol 

consort Sonnambula and 

Piffaro romp through the 

Renaissance! 

Terpsichore is the era’s 

largest publication of 

dance music. Piffaro’s 

many winds combined with 

Sonnambula’s strings 

provide a wide palette of 

color with which to bring 

pavanes, gaillardes, 

bransles, and courantes to 

rollicking life. 

Tickets: 

$49 Premium 

$39 Preferred 



Students) 


http://www.piffaro.org 


CHRIST CHURCH CONCERTS 


Organ Recital 

Renée Anne Louprette 

March 

31 

Organ Recital 

3 PM 

Renée Anne 

Louprette 

3 PM 

“She presented herself as 

a communicative player 

with no shortage of 

imaginative ideas, with 

fingers fully capable of 

backing them up, and with 

feet which are not just 

nimble on the pedals, but 

every bit as expressively 

articulate as her fingers.” 

(Michael Dervan, 

The Irish Times) 

CO-SPONSORED WITH 

American Guild of Organists 

Philadelphia Chapter 

America’s First Chapter 

Hailed by The New York 

Times as “splendid,” and 

described by The Irish 

Times “as a communicative 

player with no shortage of 

imaginative ideas…”, Renée 

Anne Louprette continues to 

impress her colleagues and 

audiences with insightful, 

rock-solid, immaculate, and 

engaging performances as 

organ soloist, harpsichordist, 

continuo player, and choral 

accompanist. She is 

University Organist and 

Coordinator of the Organ 

Department at Mason Gross 

School of the Arts, 

Rutgers University. 

Requested Donation: $20 pp 


ORGAN HISTORY 

At Christ Church, music has long been recognized not only 

as an integral part of the worship of Almighty God but also 

as an outreach of the larger community. After 143 years of 

opening its doors for worship and prayer, the original organ 

at Christ Church was in need of great repair. After numerous 

evaluations and the advice of experts, Christ Church had 

determined the organ would need to be replaced. We engaged 

Charles Krigbaum, University Organist and Chairman of the 

Organ Department at Yale University. Mr. Krigbaum, along with 

a host of other specialists, had determined we would be best 

served by a “tracker” organ, which uses traditional mechanical 

linkages between keyboard and pipe, rather than by another 

electropneumatic instrument. 

Christ Church hired John Brombaugh and Associates, Inc. of 

Eugene, Oregon to build the organ. The case for our organ was 

designed copying the organ at Christ Church Oxford, completed 

in 1685, the year of J.S. Bach’s birth. Tonally, the instrument 

itself follows classical principles of organ building, combined 

with elements of the Willis organs at St. Paul’s, London and 

Salisbury Cathedral. Several ranks from the previous organ were 

incorporated into this organ, thus continuing the gifts of 

generations past. 

The scope of the project grew as we learned we would 

require a new electrical system, resurfacing of the walls, 

and reconstruction of the supporting framework. Since the 

nave is essentially the “sounding board” of the instrument, 

each of the planks of the ceiling would be renailed, caulked, 

and surface-coated with polyurethane. Following this arduous 

task came the design of a new recording and amplification 

system. The project continued to grow with updates to the 

wiring and lighting which were 40 to 70 years old. When the 

heating unit was replaced and the pews and floors required 

cleaning and refinishing, the scope of the work had reached 

substantial heights. 

Members of Christ Church moved out of the Church the Sunday 

after Easter in 1990, and the long list of updates was completed 

by September of the same year. 

Thanks to the devoted generosity of many and to the wise use 

of our resources, we have a shining sanctuary and one of the 

world’s great musical instruments to enrich our worship of 

God. The organ is given in memory of Eleuthére Irénée du Pont 

(1771–1834) and of his daughters, Victorine Elizabeth, 

Evelina Gabrielle, and Sophie Madeleine, who founded this 

parish in 1848. 


CHRIST CHURCH CHORAL EVENSONG 

November 

4 

Remembrance of the 

Beloved Departed 

Organ Prelude 

Kevin O’Malia, First 

United Methodist Church, 

Germantown, PA 

February 

3 

Fourth Sunday after 

the Epiphany 

Organ Prelude 

Bruce J. Barber, II, 

Christ Church, 

Greenville, DE 

October 

7 

The Feast of St. Francis 

(Transferred) 

Blessing of the Animals 


December 

2 

Advent Lessons 

& Carols 


March 

3 

Last Sunday after the 

Epiphany 

Organ Prelude 

Jack Burnam, 

Immanuel on the Green, 

New Castle, DE 


October 7, 2018 

Choral Evensong: 

The Feast of St. Francis 

November 4, 2018 


Remembrance of the 

Beloved Departed 

December 2, 2018 

Advent Lessons 

& Carols 

February 3, 2019 


Fourth Sunday after 

the Epiphany 



Last Sunday after 

the Epiphany 

5 PM 

4:30 prelude / 5 PM 

5 PM 



The Christ Church Choir will 

lift their voices to celebrate 

the Feast of St. Francis. 

We celebrate the Feast of 

St. Francis at this service, and 

you are invited to bring your 

pets, great and small, with 

you. Weather permitting, we 

will gather in front of the 

Church and process in at 

5 PM. Each pet will be given 

a St. Francis medallion with 

a prayer of blessing inscribed 

upon it. Treats and water will 

be provided prior to 

the service. 

Sumsion 

Jennings 

Willcocks 

Music will include: 

Evening Canticles in G 

Benedicite omnia 

Lord, we pray thee 

Kevin O’Malia, Director 

of Music at First United 

Methodist Church of 

Germantown in NW 

Philadelphia, will play 

the organ prelude. Kevin 

graduated summa cum laude 

with a Master’s Degree of 

distinction from Westminster 

Choir College, the school of 

music of Rider University. 

Kevin also serves as organist 

at Temple B’nai Shalom in 

NJ, holds a private piano 

and organ studio, and 

concertizes frequently. Kevin 

has concertized in the US, 

UK, and France. He has also 

appeared on the National 

Public Radio production 

Pipedreams. 


Martin 

Phos hilaron 

Thevenot 

Responses 

Friedell Evening Canticles in F 

Lewis The souls of the righteous 

Walker Funeral Anthems 

Christ Church Christiana 

Hundred will 

celebrate Advent with 

“From Darkness into Light.” 

This service is patterned 

after the great service in 

Salisbury, England. We will 

welcome guests from the 

community to read the 

prophesy / fulfillment 

lessons, and the Christ 

Church Choir will lead our 

singing. Join us as we allow 

the light, scripture, prayer, 

and music to open our 

hearts to the coming 

of Christ. 


Lehman Matin / Vesper 

Responsories 

Poston Jesus Christ the 

Apple Tree 

Boles Adam lay ybounden 

Guerrero Canite tuba in Sion 

Ferko Annunciation Motet 

Pärt Bogoroditsye Dyevo 

Elgar Never weather-beaten sail 

Wood O thou the central Orb 

Bruce J. Barber, II, Director 

of Music at Christ Church 

Christiana Hundred, will 

celebrate the Fourth Sunday 

after the Epiphany with the 

organ prelude at 4:30 PM. 

Mr. Barber served as 

Director of Cathedral Music 

of St. James Cathedral 

in Chicago, IL, Canon 

Precentor & Director of 

Cathedral Music at the 

Cathedral Church of 

St. John, Albuquerque, NM, 

and as Parish Musician 

at Christ and Holy Trinity 

Church, Westport, CT. He 

has recorded three CD’s, 

two critically acclaimed 

with musicians of St. John’s 

Cathedral and one with the 

Choir of St. James Cathedral. 

Phillips 

Caracciolo 

Leighton 

Harris 


Phos hilaron 

Responses 

Evening Canticles 

(2 nd Service) 

Holy is the true light 

Jack Warren Burnam, 

Choirmaster and Organist 

at Immanuel on the Green 

Church in New Castle, 

Delaware, will play the 

organ prelude at 4:30 PM. 

Jack has participated in 

Delaware’s musical life for 

over forty-five years. Prior to 

his current role at Immanuel 

on the Green Church, he 

was Organist and Director of 

Music for Immanuel Church, 

Highlands and Congregation 

Beth Emeth; he taught 

choral music at Tower Hill 

School and served for many 

years as Artistic Director 

of the local chamber choir 

CoroAllegro. 

Lehman 

Thevenot 

Kelly 

Britten 


Phos hilaron 

Responses 

Evening Canticles in C 

Festival Te Deum 


CHRIST CHURCH CHORAL EVENSONG 

April 

7 

Fifth Sunday of Lent 

Organ Prelude 

Chad Fothergill, 

Temple University Fellow 

Philadelphia, PA 

June 

2 

Sunday after the Ascension 

Organ Prelude 

Sonya Subbayya Sutton, 

Global Performer, 

Baltimore, MD 

May 

12 

Fourth Sunday of Easter 

Organ Prelude 

David Heinze, St. Mark’s 

Episcopal Church, 

Philadelphia, PA 


April 7, 2019 


Fifth Sunday of Lent 

May 12, 2019 


Fourth Sunday of 

Easter / Mother’s Day 

June 2, 2019 


Sunday after the 

Ascension 




Chad Fothergill, University 

Fellow at Temple University, 

Philadelphia, PA, will 

play the organ prelude. 

Mr. Fothergill studied at 

Gustavus Adolphus College 

and the University of Iowa. 

In addition to his work at 

Temple, he serves Cambridge 

University Press as editorial 

assistant for the journal 18C 

Music and is a frequent 

contributor, both as writer 

and composer, to the 

Association of Lutheran 

Church Musicians and the 

Evangelical Lutheran Church 

in America. 

Smith 

Gibbons 

Byrd 


Responses 


(Short Service) 

Ne irascaris Domine 

David Heinze, a University 

of Cambridge Organ 

Scholar at Selwyn College, 

will play the organ prelude. 

David has won First Prize 

and Audience Prize in the 

L. Cameron Johnson Young 

Organists Competition and 

First Prize in the Annamae 

Rotman Organ Competition. 

In April 2018, David was 

appointed Gerre Hancock 

Fellow in Church Music at 

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 

in Philadelphia. As a 

recitalist and accompanist, 

he has performed 

throughout the US, UK, 

and Europe. 


Martin 

Phos hilaron 

Rose 

Responses 

Friedell Evening Canticles in F 

Rheinberger Abendlied 

Sonya Subbayya Sutton is 

thrilled to again be 

playing for Furia Flamenco 

with Conjunto Capricho. She is 

a pianist, organist, conductor, 

blogger, and founded 

The Carya Ensemble, which 

includes her multidimensional 

work with other 

musicians. Carya projects 

include a tour in southern 

France with women’s chorus 

and harp this summer and 

two-piano, choral, and opera 

performances. Since 2013 

she has been the Music 

Director of the World Bank/ 

IMF Chorus, which 

presents large-scale works 

for chorus and orchestra 

twice a year. She is married 

to the Episcopal Bishop of 

Maryland, the Rt. Reverend 

Eugene Sutton. 

Radcliffe 

Howells 

Finzi 

Matthews 


Responses 


(Collegium Regale) 

God is gone up 

Save us, O Lord 

Saturdays 

SERVICE SCHEDULE 

All are welcome at the 5 PM weekly Saturday service in the 

Chapel (beginning September 22, 2018). 

Sundays, September 16 – May 12 

8 AM • Holy Eucharist, Rite I (spoken without music) 

9 AM • Holy Eucharist, Rite II (spoken with organ and choral music) 

11 AM • Holy Eucharist, Rite II (sung with organ and choral music) 

first, third, and fifth Sundays 

• Choral Matins second Sundays 

• Morning Prayer fourth Sundays 


SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE 

SEPTEMBER 

___________________________________ 

16 3 PM Piffaro Band 


the Wind Band at Sea 

OCTOBER 

___________________________________ 

7 5 PM The Feast of St. Francis 

(Transferred) & 

Blessing of the Animals 

Choral Evensong 

21 3 PM Tempesta di Mare 

Paris Quartets 

___________________________________ 

NOVEMBER 

4 9 / 11 AM The Feast of All Saints 

(Transferred) 

4:30 PM Organ Prelude 

5 PM Choral Evensong 

22 10 AM Thanksgiving Day 

Service 

25 9 / 11 AM The Feast of Christ the 

King: Christ 

Church Feast Day 

DECEMBER 

___________________________________ 

2 5 PM Advent Lessons 

& Carols 

From Darkness into Light 

16 3 PM The Christ Church Choir 

with Tempesta di Mare 

Handel’s Messiah 

24 2 PM Créche Service and 

Communion 

4 PM Holy Eucharist (Church) 

4 PM Candlelight, Carols, and 

Communion Service 

(Chapel) 

6 PM Christmas Lessons 

& Carols 

(non-communion liturgy) 

10 PM Festival Holy Eucharist 

JANUARY 

6 9/11 AM The Feast of the 

Epiphany 

FEBRUARY 

___________________________________ 

2/3 See pg. 2 Musician in Residence 

Andrew Nethsingha 

3 3 PM Tempesta di Mare 

(Chapel) 

Broken 



MARCH ___________________________________ 

3 4:30 PM Organ Prelude 


6 7 PM Ash Wednesday Service 

17 3 PM Piffaro Band 

Terpsichore 

31 3 PM Organ Recital 

Renée Anne Louprette 


APRIL ___________________________________ 

7 9 / 11 AM Lent 5 

The Choir School of 

Delaware 



14 9 / 11 AM Palm Sunday Services 

18 7 PM Maundy Thursday 

Service 

19 7 PM Good Friday Tenebrae 

Service 

20 8 PM The Great Vigil of Easter 

21 9 / 11 AM The Feast of the 

Resurrection: 

Easter Sunday 

MAY ___________________________________ 

12 Fourth Sunday of Easter/ 

Mother’s Day 

observance 



19 9 AM The First Sunday 

of Easter 

Followed by 

Annual Parish 

Meeting (10:30 AM) 

30 7 PM The Feast of the 

Ascension 

JUNE ___________________________________ 

2 4:30 PM Organ Prelude 


9 10 AM The Feast of 

Pentecost 

CONCERTS 

SPECIAL CHORAL 

SERVICES 

CHORAL EVENSONG 

At Christ Church, we come together to 

grow in our love for God, 

to love and serve our neighbors, 

and to make disciples of Jesus Christ. 


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 

Tradition 

truh-dish-uh n 

the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., 

from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. 

The Christian Church is replete with traditions 

of every kind: giving, receiving, sharing, building, 

empowering, sending, and on and on. Christ 

Church Christiana Hundred is no exception. Since 

its founding, the offering of music has been a core 

tradition of this great parish: through instruments 

and voice, through worship and concert – from 

generation to generation. 

you may place your contribution for the 2018-19 

season of Christ Church Concerts. You may also 

make a contribution online at 

www.christchurchde.org. 

Our gracious contributors will be recognized ‘in 

thanks’ and by levels of giving within the concert 

bulletins for this coming season. 

We are grateful for the continual stream of 

support for this living musical tradition. Touching 

those who have gone before us whose gifts help 

sustain it, and those who currently engage in this 

ministry, the great musical tradition of Christ 

Church Christiana Hundred gladdens the hearts 

of the people of Christ Church as well as invites 

visitors and friends to be nourished by God’s own 

bounty. For this support we give thanks. 

You are invited to be a Friend of Music at Christ 

Church. In this brochure is an envelope in which 

Above all, we want you to know that YOU are 

invited to join us for all the events listed in this 

brochure – concerts and liturgies. Bring your 

friends, neighbors, and families. Celebrate and 

rejoice in the beauty of God’s gift of music. We 

will be blessed by your presence here. 

If you have any questions regarding support of 

the Concert Series through the Friends of Music, 

please contact Bruce Barber in the Music Office at 

302-655-3379 or bbarber@christchurchde.org. 

Thank you 


ABOUT THE CHOIR 

1850s 

Records date back to this 

time with Joanna Smith 

(Mrs. Alexis du Pont) playing 

the newly procured organ 

1890-96 

Rev. Hamilton M. Bartlett 

(Rector 1890–96) took 

an active interest in the 

choir and increased its 

volunteers from 5 to 21 

1913 

The Choir Fund was listed 

on Christ Church pledge 

cards 

1919 

The choir was enlarged to 

10 paid singers 


The choir was enlarged 

to 18 paid singers 

2014 

Christ Church Choir begins 

singing monthly services 

of Choral Evensong 

2018 

Christ Church Choir makes 

its first pilgrimage / 

residencies to England 

singing at Bristol Cathedral 

and Westminster Abbey 

1894 

Regular entries in the 

church’s ledger reflect a 

paid organ boy whose job 

it was to operate the 

bellows for the service. 

His annual salary was $20 

1899 

There were about 20 

people in the choir, 

including a paid quartet 


The Choir Fund was 

established (Henry Francis 

du Pont, Treasurer) and 

the Christ Church Choir 

became a fully 

professional ensemble 


The Vestry voted to 

enlarge the choir by three 

2011 

Created the Letty Downs 

Musician in Residence 

Fund to sustain program 

founded by her in 1983 

2016 

The Joe Thompson Choral 

Scholar position 

was created 

Throughout its 104-year history, the Christ 

Church Choir has been at the center of the 

worship life of Christ Church. Whether in 

liturgy, concert, small ensemble, or full 

choir, the work of these talented musicians 

has been widely recognized for its 

excellence and beauty. 

This amazing group of people comes together, 

away from their “day jobs” as music teachers, 

opera singers, voice coaches, choral/ 

instrumental conductors, piano teachers, 

interior designers, bankers, medical 

professionals, computer experts, etc., – to 

create this marvelous instrument known as 

the Christ Church Choir. 

The Choir offers some of the finest music in 

the Anglican tradition, both in liturgy and in 

concert, and it continues to serve as one of 

Christ Church’s most important and dynamic 

evangelistic and outreach tools. Through 

the work of this choir, Christ Church reaches 

out to the wider Wilmington community 

and even across the Atlantic to the great 

homeland of our faith tradition, England. 

If you have any questions regarding support 

of the Concert Series through the Friends 

of Music, please contact Bruce Barber in the 

Music Office at 302-655-3379 or 

bbarber@christchurchde.org. 

Known Organists and Choirmasters of 

Christ Church Chrisitana Hundred 

George Powick 1890 – 1902 

Leslie Cook 1902 – 1905 

Horace Harrison 1906 – 1924 Choirmaster 

Elizabeth Wilson 1906 – 1924 Organist 

Firmin Swinnen 1925 – 1956 

Clarence Snyder 1956 – 1983 

William Owen, III 1983 – 2014 

Bruce Barber, II 2015 


PO BOX 3510, GREENVILLE 

WILMINGTON DE 19807-0510 

CHRIST CHURCH CHRISTIANA HUNDRED 

Christ Church Christiana Hundred is an Episcopal Parish with members attending from all 

three counties in Delaware and across the Eastern border of Pennsylvania into the Kennett 

Square, Avon Grove, and Glen Mills areas. We have a beautiful 22-acre wooded campus 

near the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware, located just down Buck Road – behind 

Janssen’s Market and next to Hagley Museum. 

The Parish was founded in 1848, and the present Church 

building was completed in 1856. It has long been a center 

of religious life for thousands of communicants, many of 

whom have been dedicated contributors to the life of our 

Christ Church community and the needs of our local 

community. Sacred music has historically been of special 

importance in the worship of the parish, and that tradition 

continues today. Please join us for any and all of these 

beautiful celebrations – our doors are open to all! 

“ 

Music gives a soul to the universe, 

wings to the mind, 

flight to the imagination, and life to everything. 

” 

– Plato 

NON-PROFIT ORG. 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

WILMINGTON, DE 

PERMIT NO. 654

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