"Music is one of the most visible and cherished aspects of life at Christ Church Cathedral. From week to week, music fills this historic and vibrant place with something bigger than everyone - inviting all, for a moment, to leave behind the cares and concerns of daily life and be transported into an atmosphere of great beauty. Music is an offering that serves to glorify God and, by its very nature, draws people into contemplation of God's grace."
Shane Parker ♰
Dean of Ottawa and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral
"We are inheritors of a laudable tradition of music-making at Christ Church Cathedral - one that is unique in Canada.
Our ministry to young people through the art of music is of particular note. Music has been, and continues to be, a gateway to a life of faithful service through which the boys and girls of the choirs enter. Through the music they make, they encounter God and learn of Him. They seek to know Him. They grow as individuals and as a community in the knowledge of Him.
The people of Christ Church Cathedral strongly support this ministry. The Music Ministry at Christ Church Cathedral is, in a very large sense, founded in tradition. At the same time, it is always new - as every year we welcome new members into our community and embrace them in a spirit of diversity and inclusiveness. Together, we celebrate our mutual love of music, of church, of community, and most importantly, of God. Indeed, it is our vocation to be telling His salvation from day to day, from week to week in this community and beyond."
Matthew Larkin
Organist and Director of Music
The Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, first formed in 1891, serves as the Cathedral's primary choir. Very few men and boys' choirs remain in Canada.
Under the direction of Matthew Larkin, Organist and Director of Music, the Choir sings for all major Cathedral services, and for many special events and concerts.
The Choir serves at Diocesan and Synod occasions, ecumenical and State events held at the Cathedral.
The Choir of Men and Boys takes the music of the Anglican and Cathedral tradition to many parts of Canada and abroad.
The Choir has formally toured Canada's Western Arctic, Maritime Provinces, Alberta and British Columbia.
The Choir sang at Washington Cathedral as part of the National Cathedral's Year of Dedication.
In 2007, the Choir delivered a number of performances in New York City.
At Trinity Wall Street, the Choir performed Choral Eucharist for a September 11 Memorial Service.
At St. John the Divine, the Choir performed Choral Evensong.
In 2008, the Choir was invited to perform at St. John's Church, Elora - a noted seat of choral excellence in Canada.
In 2009, the Choir served as Choir-in-Residence at Ely Cathedral in England, and performed at St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
The Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys regularly performs in Cathedral Arts concerts and other major arts-group concert ensembles and soloists.
The Choir's repertoire is rich and extensive.
Its recent repertoire includes: Bach's
St. John Passion, Handel's
Messiah, Stainer's
Crucifixion, Duruflé's
Requiem.
A showcase concert - "From Handel to Howells, and from Byrd to Britten" - was recorded by the CBC and broadcast in its Choral Concert series.
The Boys' Choir performs a large and wide-ranging repertoire of European and North American church music. It does so to wide acclaim - to a standard that rivals virtually any professional adult church choir in Canada.
The Boys' Choir performs most often as part of the Cathedral's Choir of Men and Boys. It also performs independently. The Boys' Choir participated in the Ottawa Choral Society's performance of Orff's
Carmina Burana. With the National Arts Centre Orchestra, it performed Kodaly's
Psalmus Hungaricus. The Choir has played a key role in the National Arts Centre's Children's Concert program, directed by Boris Brott.
The boys in the Choir are typically from seven to fourteen years of age. All boys wishing to join the Choir are welcome. No formal audition is required.
The boys of the choir are supported by a talented and professional group of men
- teenagers and adults - some of whom have been singing in the Cathedral choirs for many years... many from entry-level membership in the Boys' Choir. Additionally, the Men's Choir is privileged to count as members some of the most noteworthy choral and vocal artists in our community. They provide mentorship, role models and ministry to the younger members of the Cathedral choirs. Membership in the Men's Choir is by audition. Some stipendiary positions are available.
Founded in 2001, the Cathedral Girls' Choir performs under the direction of Timothy Piper, Associate Organist. The Girls' Choir sings regularly at Cathedral liturgies, and is a regular contributor to worship services throughout the Diocese of Ottawa. The Girls' Choir also serves with the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys to deliver choral music with a full complement of voices.
The Choir is known for its strength in performing a diverse repertoire which includes many new compositions by Canadian composers. This can be sampled on the Choir's
Glorificamus Deum CD and its upcoming
The Mystic Centre recording.
In June of 2008, the Choir participated in the ceremonies commemorating the 400th Anniversary of Quebec City by singing at Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral. In 2009, the Choir's performance of Pergolesi's
Stabat Mater drew wide acclaim.
Two other noteworthy performances were a concert at St. George's Cathedral, Kingston and a feature performance at the July 4th celebrations at the home of the United States Ambassador.
The age of girls in the choir ranges between eight and nineteen. All girls who wish to join the Choir are welcome. No formal audition is required.
Founded in 1975, Cathedral Singers is a mixed voice chamber choir which sings under the direction of Frances Macdonnell, Organist Emeritus of the Cathedral. Cathedral Singers functions primarily as an outreach choir. It sings regularly at Choral Evensong and other liturgies throughout churches in the Ottawa Diocese. The services of Cathedral Singers are offered at no charge to other parishes.
Often, the Cathedral Singers participate in events targeted to raise awareness and funds for specific issues and causes. For example, a Choral Evensong for the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, held at St. Barnabas Church, Deep River raised significant funds for the rebuilding of St. Jude's Cathedral, Iqaluit. Cathedral Singers also perform regularly at hospitals and nursing homes.
The Choir has won competitions for church choirs, and has a number of recordings and recording credits to its name.
Membership in Cathedral Singers is by audition.
The Chancel Organ, the principal organ in Christ Church Cathedral, dates partly from an instrument built by Samuel Warren and Company in 1879. Mostly, the organ consists of pipework from Casavant Frères, installed in the course of two rebuilding and enlargement projects - one in 1932, the other in 1969.
An antiphonal (horizontal) trumpet stop was added in 1997.
The console was updated and rebuilt in 1969, and made movable at that time. The interior circuitry of the console was redesigned and replaced in 1995 by Orgues Baumgarten.
There are forty-five speaking stops on the organ and forty-five ranks of pipes, spread over four divisions - Great, Swell, Choir and Pedal. The console has three keyboards and a full pedalboard. Two of the divisions - Swell and Choir - are enclosed. The action is electro-pneumatic, and the eight-level memory system is Solid State Logic.
The instrument currently providing organ music at the Cathedral is
not the pipe organ described above.
The Cathedral's Chancel pipe organ is in need of significant refurbishment or replacement. In its current condition, it is not able to provide an acceptable and/or stable level of performance. Until funds can be raised for refurbishment or replacement, a rented digital instrument is temporarily in use.
Organ Replacement Initiative
The one-manual, four-rank portative tracker-action organ was built by Karl Wilhelm of St. Hyacinthe, Québec. Its purchase, in 1987, was enabled by memorial bequests made to the Cathedral. This organ is used when the choirs sing music of earlier historical periods, such as renaissance and baroque repertoire.
The Gallery Trumpets - "Trompette en Chamade" - were installed and dedicated in May 1997 to celebrate the centennial of the consecration of Christ Church Cathedral.
The organ pipes are located in the second-story West Gallery, on both sides of the West Memorial Window. The sixty-one pipes are played from the Chancel organ - either by themselves, for fanfares - or together with the Chancel organ.
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