Music, please!

ChristChurch has many different opportunities for joining in our Music Ministry. Please read a bit more about our music minitry options below. We love new additions to our Chancel Choir, our handbell ensemble, or our group of instrumentalists! For more information, please contact the church office at 713-667-6574.

Chancel Choir
Children’s Choir
Handbell Ensemble
Instrumentalists
Our Organ

Chancel Choir
The primary musical ensemble for our worship services, the Chancel Choir presents music in a variety of styles, from classical masterworks to contemporary, gospel, and world music. In addition, two major works per year are performed. The choir welcomes high school and adult men and women. We rehearse weekly, and no audition is required. Child care is available upon request.

Wednesdays at 7:30pm
Music Room, Sanctuary Building

Children’s Choir
Sunday mornings following the 10:15 a.m. worship service, elementary-aged children meet in the choir room for children’s choir practice. Rehearsals include anthem preparation, training in worship and hymnody, prayer and sharing time, and lunch. The Children’s Choir performs anthems once per month in worship, and presents musicals at least once per year.

Sundays at 11:30am, following worship
Music Room, Sanctuary Building

Handbell Ensemble
The ChristChurch Handbell Ensemble is an upper-level handbell group which rings on five octaves of Schulmerich handbells and three octaves of Malmark Choirchimes. Prior experience in music reading is encouraged for potential ringers. The Handbell Ensemble rings in worship about once per month and has occasional concerts.

Wednesdays at 6:15pm
Music Room, Sanctuary Building

Instrumentalists
There is always a place for instrumentalists to share their talent and skill in worship.  ChristChurch is blessed to have flutists, string players, brass players, guitarists and drummers in its midst. Anyone interested in becoming involved with the music ministry should contact the music office of the church.

Our Organ
The Rudolf Janke Pipe Organ, built in 1982, is a mechanical action organ consisting of two manuals and 20 ranks. The organ case stands free in the chancel and is made of painted fir. The two keyboards have a compass of 56 notes each; the pedal has a 30 note compass. The keyboard naturals and sharps and the stop drawknobs are made of grenadilla, with the sharps being faced with bone. Key and stop action is mechanical. The decorative pipeshades and Brustwerk screen are hand carved with gold leaf used to accent an intertwining circular design. Most of the pipework is made of alloyed tin. There are 1055 pipes in the organ.

Of interest in the tonal desicn is the Principal 8′ of the Hauptwerk which has an unusually full, warm, singing tone; these characteristics were created partially by the doubling of pipes for each note from tenor F to high G. One sees this design visually in the two pipe displays on either side of the tall central tower where the doubling pipe hangs downward immediately below its identical pipe above.

The dedicatory recital was played on Sunday, September 12, 1982 by Dr. Clyde Holloway.

SPECIFICATION

Hauptwerk:

Principal 8′

Hohlflöte 8′

Octave 4′

Flöte 4′

Octave 2′

Mixtur 4r

Trompete 8′

Brustwerk:

Gedact 8′

Rohrflöte 4′

Nasat 2 2/3′

Principal 2′

Terz 1 3/5′

Larigot 1 1/3′

Pedal:

Subbass 16′

Principal 8′

Octave 4

Posaune 16′

Couplers: Hauptwerk/Pedal, Brustwerk/Pedal, Brustwerk/Hauptwerk

Compass: C -g’ in the manuals, C = f’ in the pedal

Tremulant for the whole organ