By Elizabeth Barhydt
When my daughter was small, she never called it Christ Church. To her it was simply The Music Church. Anyone who has stepped inside the sanctuary, or heard the choirs and world renowned organ understands what she meant.
This fall, Christ Church Greenwich is once again living up to that nickname with a packed schedule of services, concerts, and special events running from September through Christmas Eve. At the center are the parish’s six choirs, led by Director of Music Jamie Hitel and Associate Director Jonathan Vaughn, and its landmark Harrison & Harrison organ, one of the finest instruments of its kind in the United States.
Weekly Evensong
Thursday Choral Evensong services return Sept. 11 and will continue weekly through Dec. 11. The services, sung by the Choir of Men & Teen Boys, will take place on Sept. 11, 18 and 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; Nov. 6, 13 and 20; and Dec. 4 and 11. Choral Evensong, rooted in the Anglican tradition, is one of Christ Church’s most enduring services and remains a cornerstone of its music program.
September and October Programs
On Sept. 21, the Choir of Men & Boys will be joined by the St. Cecilia Choir of Girls for Choral Evensong.
The Christ Church Singers will lead Evensong on Oct. 5. The combined choirs of men, boys, and girls will return for Evensong on Oct. 12.
On Oct. 19, the Choral Eucharist will feature the Kyrie from Louis Vierne’s Mass in C-sharp minor, along with other works inspired by the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. Later that day, Olivier Latry, principal organist of Notre-Dame, will perform a recital on the Harrison & Harrison organ. Latry has served for more than three decades at the Paris cathedral and is recognized internationally as one of the foremost interpreters of the French organ tradition.
Joyful Noise
The Joyful Noise contemporary worship series also returns this fall with Emmy Award winner Rob Mathes, fresh from his tour with Sting, and worship leader Anna Leinbach. The informal services combine traditional liturgy with contemporary music and are designed to be accessible to families and newcomers.
November Services
On Nov. 2, the Christ Church Singers will perform John Rutter’s Requiem for All Souls. The service will include the parish necrology and will be directed by Vaughn, with Hitel at the organ.
The combined choirs return for Choral Evensong on Nov. 16
A special Concert for the Feast of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music, will take place Nov. 22. The program will feature Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. Pianist Evelina Puzaite will perform, with Vaughn providing an organ transcription of the orchestral accompaniment. Proceeds from the concert will support new choir robes for the parish’s 2026 choir tour to York Minster.
This fall’s schedule—from weekly Evensong to international guest organists, from Rutter to Britten— shows why it is once again earning its nickname, The Music Church.
