MUSIC AT CHRIST CHURCH

The music program at Christ Church enhances the worship experience through congregational participation in hymn singing and liturgy as well as by providing music for reflection and inspiration. Organ and piano music are a part of the 8:00 am Rite One Eucharist and are supplemented by hymns and traditional liturgical music at the 11:00 am Rite Two Eucharist.

Music for weekly services is led from the organ. The sung parts of the liturgy are taken from a mass written by our music director specifically for Christ Church. Click for Dr. Todd’s settings of the Gloria, Sanctus, and Memorial Acclamation.

SPECIAL MUSIC AT CHRIST CHURCH

Christ Church regularly has special music provided by a ensembles and soloists.

The Christ Church Choir is an semi-professional ensemble of parishioners and community members that sings that sings for the annual Lessons and Carols service and the annual Good Friday service.  

On festival occasions, special music is provided by a quartet of local musicians performing selections from oratorios and cantatas. Additional special music is provided by the Mesa State Brass Quintet.  Weekly soloists provide special music for the offertory and during Communion on ordinary Sundays.

The summer is an especially active and musical time at Christ Church. Young musicians from the Aspen Music Festival and School offer special music weekly at the 8am and 11am services. Furthermore, on the third Sunday of July Christ Church celebrates God’s gift of music by having a service called “Music Sunday.” On that Sunday students of the Festival perform works sacred works like Bach Cantatas and Mozart’s Exsultate jubilate.

OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR

Music at Christ Church is under the direction of Dr. Andrew Palmer Todd, who has been on staff at Christ Church since 2002. Andrew is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists (CAGO). In addition to serving at our pastoral musician, Andrew is the Executive Director of Aspen Public Radio. He remains active as a soloist and collaborative musician throughout the country. In Colorado he has made appearances in recital and as chamber musician at Fort Lewis College, Metro State College of Denver, University of Colorado, the Colorado Music Festival, and the University of Denver. As soloist he has appeared with the Aurora and Littleton Symphony Orchestras, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Pikes Peak Philharmonic. To learn more than you ever wanted to know about our music director, please visit www.andrewtodd.com.

NOONDAY KEYBOARD SERIES

On the fourth Wednesday of each month (except in December) at 12pm, guest musicians of our community perform an informal 30 minute recital. These recitals are free and open to the public. Please note that we will not be offering these recitals when Christ Church undergoes its renovation project beginning in late March.

SUMMER WEEKLY PIANO RECITALS BY ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL STUDENTS

During the summer, every Wednesday at 12pm Christ Church presents a thirty minute recital given by the talented students of the Aspen Music Festival and School. These concerts are free and open to the public! Please note that we will not be presenting these recitals during the summer of 2008 during our renovation project.

THE MUSIC IN THE WEST END CONCERT SERIES

Christ Church supports a community concert series, Music in the West End, now in its fifth year. Music in the West End combines music and outreach ministries by providing free concerts of exceptional quality for Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. The concert series is intended to raise the profile of the church as a caring neighbor as well as a community focused on worship and spiritual growth. Concerts are presented during the winter months of December, January, February, and March. No tickets are sold for the concerts, but those who attend are invited to make a donation. (For more information, please visit www.musicinthewestend.com.)

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AT CHRIST CHURCH

The church currently has a two-manual electric Allen organ (installed in 1986) and a new Steinway grand piano (Model L, installed in 2005). The electric organ will be donated to a sister church when the renovation begins.  Here is some good news, as seen in the May-June 2008 issue of the Christ Church Chronicle:

Christ Church to Acquire Pipe Organ!

Background: At its March meeting, the Vestry was presented with a proposal by our Music Director, Andrew Todd, for a pipe organ for our new church building. The Vestry voted to have Andrew continue with his research and acquire a suitable pipe organ. The Vestry also agreed that the funding for a new organ would come from a bequest last year to Christ Church from the estate of Carole Alford, and that the organ, when installed, would be a memorial to her.

And here, a progress report from Andrew:

Christ Church is in the final stages of selecting a builder and finalizing a contract for a new pipe organ for our remodeled sanctuary. As your music director, I have been searching for just the right builder for the past two and a half years. The cost of pipe organs has risen so dramatically over the past ten years that finding a builder that combines excellent craft with good value is more important than ever.

The new pipe organ will be exactly suited to the size of our remodeled sanctuary. The case for the pipes will be in the center, front wall of the sanctuary. The case and facade pipes will be designed to accentuate and highlight the design of the new front window. Having the organ front and center is the optimal placement of the instrument for distribution of sound. (And given the shape of our building, it was clear that there were simply no other options for placement!)

I have personally designed the stop list to suit Christ Church's current and future needs and the instrument, although small, will be wonderfully flexible when completely finished. Because of our tight budget, the organ will have four stops in preparation when it is installed. That means that Christ Church could easily and quickly finish the organ when additional funds become available. Even with stops in preparation, the organ is going to be a jewel of an instrument.

Construction of the organ will begin later this year and will be installed in the new sanctuary during September or October 2009. After years and years of an electric organ, you will not believe your ears when you hear Christ Church's new pipe organ! This instrument will faithfully serve generations to come at Christ Church.

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