CCSY Choral Recordings

Copies of professionally produced live recordings at Christ Church are available for purchase through the Parish Office.

• Music for Advent
   
• Live Music at Christ Church South Yarra, Vol. 1
  - Festival of Christ the King (2014):
    Credomesse in C major, KV 257 - Mozart
    Contique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 - Fauré
  - Commemoration of All Souls (2014):
    Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 -  Fauré
   
• Live Music at Christ Church South Yarra, Vol. 2
  - A Service of Nine Lessons & Carols (2015):
    In memoriam of the Late Sir David Willcocks
    (this recording is also available on memory stick)

Christ Church Choir

Following the establishment of the Parish in 1855 and the completion of the first section of the church building, a choir of the women and men of the Parish was formed, with encouragement from Canon Tucker. Upon completion of the sanctuary and chancel in 1881, choir boys were introduced to form an all male choir of the English Cathedral Tradition, which served for more than a hundred years. Due to welcome modernisations and realigned priorities in the Anglican Church, women were welcomed back into this choir in the early 1980s.

As it is now, the Choir consists of men and women of all ages. Membership is open to anyone of any age with basic musical knowledge and the desire to perform to the best of their abilities within the ensemble. The Director of Music is happy to meet with potential new members and arrange an audition. The Choir rehearses on Thursday nights between 7.30 and 9.30pm, sings a weekly Choral Eucharist on Sunday mornings at 10am, and Choral Evensong on the third Sunday of most months. Special services, concerts and performances both liturgical and secular outside the Parish arise from time to time, such as Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne, College, or a concert and service in a rural parish.

Although Christian values necessarily pervade and inform all aspects of the Choir, membership is open to people of all faiths and none; diversity of background and experience is welcomed and celebrated amongst its members, and throughout the Parish.

Diversity is also embraced in the choir's repertoire, which extends from various types of chant to works newly commissioned and composed, and sung in languages as diverse as Latin, Ancient Greek, Old Church Slavonic, Icelandic, French, German, and English. In addition to standard English Cathedral and Collegiate repertoire the choir particularly enjoys Iberian polyphony of such as Victoria and Guerrero and composers from Scandinavian and Baltic countries.

In recent years, the choir has performed under the direction of Andrew Lumsden, Director of Music, Winchester Cathedral, and Andrew Reid, Director of the RSCM. In 2016, the choir gave the Australian premiere of the Missa Salve Reginaby Yves Castagnet, Organiste du Choeur of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. The organ soloist for that concert was 25-year-old Thomas Gaynor, winner of three international competitions.

In 2016, the choir also performed the Messe Solenelle of Widor at the Scots Church under the direction of Douglas Lawrence with Michael Fulcher at the console of the Rieger organ. The tradition of annual orchestral masses continues, one of which was recorded and released on the CD "Live Music at Christ Church South Yarra" in 2015.

The choir performs regularly with professional brass quartet in major services throughout the year and continues to be regularly invited to sing evensong at St Paul's Cathedral as well as for other occasions.

In Advent 2016, another recording of the choir was released: "Live Music at Christ Church South Yarra, Volume 2" - A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.

In Lent 2017, the choir joined with the St John's East Malvern Choral Scholars, guest singers, and the Melbourne Baroque Orchestra to perform Bach's St John Passion.