Musical Notes for June, 2022

As I mentioned several months ago, the Choir has been invited to return to sing at the Washington National Cathedral in a few weeks’ time. Our first choral visit there was in May, 2001, singing the choral Prelude to a service in which Pennsylvania was being foregrounded for what was then a regular feature of Cathedral life, the “state’s day” celebrations (long since discontinued, alas). A nice memory of that visit was being invited on the spot to join with the Cathedral Choir in their rendering of Tallis’s If ye love me, during the service itself.

Soon after that trip, a “visiting choir” program evolved at the Cathedral, to allow willing and able choirs to come sing for services during the Cathedral choristers’ summer break, Six times across the last 20 years, we have returned, to sing for the Sunday services, and for Evensong on one or two of the flanking weekdays. The last time, I was shocked to realize, was in 2017, and I’ve been eager for us to renew our acquaintence with that beautiful and holy building, and to take part in its liturgy.

(The webcast of the Sunday morning service in 2017 is still archived, at https://youtu.be/Bdctsq-Bf30. You’ll note that, after singing an Introit from the rear of the Nave, the choir was arrayed on platforms across the Crossing, facing the congregation—audible, yes, but a bit “showy.” I was happy to learn that, in light of pandemic cautions, the choir has been restored to its former position in the Great Choir, behind the Rood Screen, where we are accustomed to being at Calvary!)

 This time, we’ll sing in the Sunday morning service on July 17, and at Evensong that day and on the following Monday. I’m grateful to all the singers who are so willingly giving of their time and making the personal investment in having this weekend away together.

 Meanwhile, work on repairing the organ-damage from last summer’s lightning strike continues (and with it, the silence of the organ itself, for several more weeks). Some photos of the work in progress are below.

Ed Helgerman installs the console input boards and prepares over 800 wires to be individually attached to quick connectors that will allow for ease of access for future service work.

In the North Transept, output driver boards have been installed, and around 750 wires have been attached to quick connectors and await testing and final trimming. Every board is individually fused for added electric surge protection. Each location that contains pipes (North, South, Reredos, and Antiphonal) will have a panel similar to this. Fibreoptic cabling will transmit data between each location.


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Music at Calvary

On June 16, 2019 the Calvary Choir sang for the 11 a.m. service at St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, in New York City. Below are two pieces of music from that day. The entire service webcast is available here.


Calvary Friends of Music

Musical programming at Calvary is underwritten in part by the generosity of the Friends of Music, making possible the residency of Chatham Baroque and other enhancements of services throughout the year. Please consider making a contribution to this annual fund, benefiting both the parish and the wider community.

Please indicate how you would like your gift to be acknowledged in printed programs (e.g. as above, as a memorial, anonymous, etc.)

All gifts are tax deductible.
Please make checks payable to:
Calvary Episcopal Church

The Calvary Choir rehearsing at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.

The Calvary Choir rehearsing at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Our Instruments

We are lucky to have a number of wonderful instruments to complement our choirs. The principal instrument in the church is the Organ by Casavant Frères Limitée, Opus 2729, 1963. Other instrumental resources include a continuo organ (Taylor & Boody, 2007) Bechstein grand piano, ca. 1890, an Italian-style harpsichord (Dupree, 1984), a pair of Ludwig timpani, a set of Dutch-style handbells, and a dozen cast-bronze bells housed in the tower.

About our organs