The Choirs of Christ Church

Under the leadership of Scott Hanoian, Director of Music and Organist, the Christ Church choirs continue a long tradition of excellence in sacred music.  Among the finest Anglican choirs within the United States today, the choirs of Christ Church sing at over 50 choral services each year, regularly offering their voice to our collective prayer and praise. With a remarkable annual repertoire of over 200 anthems, the Christ Church Choirs offer a beauty and depth to our worship that is unique not only in Grosse Pointe, but through the metropolitan Detroit area.
In addition to our commitment to offer music at the highest standard for the praise of God, the Christ Church choir program seeks to provide excellence in musical education for choir members, including music theory and performance, while supporting the overall development, spiritual and personal, of each chorister.

The Christ Church Choir

A Choir of Men and Boys was founded in 1930 by Beecher Aldrich to lead the congregation in liturgy. In 1955, Robert Hawksley organized a Choir of Men and Girls to provide music leadership for an additional service on Sunday morning. Since the inception of both choirs, music has been an integral part of the life of the Christ Church parish. In 2009, Christ Church introduced the Schola as an advanced choir to compliment the fine tradition of the Choirs of Men and Boys and Men and Girls and to expand the repertoire of sacred music offered at Christ Church.
The Novice Program:  Becoming a Chorister
The Choir of Christ Church Grosse Pointe has provided outstanding music opportunities for Grosse Pointe and Detroit area children for nearly a century.
The Novice Program is the first step in our after-school choir program for a child who loves to sing! Young people in the Novice Program learn the basics of singing, reading music, and fundamental musical structure. The Novice Program provides children and families a first experience of our world-class choir program in a fun group environment, while providing an opportunity to explore the choir’s role in our community. Children with enthusiasm for music are encouraged to email Jackson Merrill, Assistant Director of Music at jmerrill@christchurchgp.org.

The Schola
Founded in 2009, Schola is an advanced choir made up of select girls in grades 9–12 and professional singers from Grosse Pointe and the surrounding area.
As an advanced choir for senior girls, the Schola also affords choristers an opportunity for musical excellence and performance unique in Detroit. With a repertoire that includes over 250 anthems and motets spanning 7 centuries and ranging from plainsong chant to 21st-century compositions, the Christ Church Schola is among the finest choirs in Detroit and the Midwest.

The Christ Church Chorale
Under the direction of Director of Music, Scott Hanoian, the Christ Church Chorale is a community oratorio society of volunteer adults offering concerts for the community each year as part of the Soaring Sounds in a Sacred Space concert series. Performing with orchestra at Christ Church, and in other venues throughout Southeastern Michigan, the Christ Church Chorale is known for its performances of great choral/orchestral masterworks. Recent performances have included Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, and Haydn’s Creation.
The Chorale rehearses weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7:30–9:30 pm from September through May.