Music and Worship

Central to our praise of God, worship and music has always played an integral part of community life at Christ Church.

Arlin Rothauge begins his volume, The Life Cycle in Congregations, with a description of the Life Cycle Stages. Under the heading of "Birth and Formation" he writes:

A new congregation springs from nothing because someone believes in the possibility of it coming into being. That person, or core of people, gathers others around a vision and begins to make transitions from one size to another. They form a particular history, traditions and a distinct identity.

In part, Christ Church was founded by those whose vision desired a more liturgical worship style, and in fact, it was the Episcopalians who introduced the celebration of Christmas into Oberlin! In a letter from Oberlin resident Mollie Clark to a Mr. A. A. Wright, it is revealed that as late as 1863 most Oberlinians looked upon Christmas as "a sort of heathen institution" and treated December 25th exactly like any other day. An article in the December 26, 1866 issue of the Lorain County News reveals that Christmas services were held at Christ Church in Oberlin. The article also reveals that the local merchants "rejoiced in much buying of presents"!

The parish was founded during the Oxford Movement in England and America and "high church" practices were fostered by the academic nature of the community. This penchant for a more formal and "high" liturgy was most certainly firmly established during the tenure of the Reverend Louis Daniels between 1918 and 1943.

Fr. Daniels is the rector whom several elder saints of the parish still remember with great fondness. He was a stabilizing parent figure. Fr. Daniels was knowledgeable in Anglican church music and he established for the parish a reputation for services beautiful in music and liturgy. Following the English tradition he recruited and trained boy choirs for service in parish worship. A choir was added to the church, the sanctuary was remodeled to accommodate a Sarum altar reredos and canopy, and a Johnson pipe organ was installed in 1921, after building an addition to the north end of the building to house it, all in response to Fr. Daniels's liturgical views. When he retired in 1943, after twenty-five years, "The Old Gentleman" as Fr. Daniels is still referred to by surviving members of his boy choirs from the 1930s, had served as rector longer than any other person. In his brief history of the parish, Historiographer Richard P. Lothrop recalls Fr. Daniels as "a colorful and dynamic figure". Fr. Daniels continued to live in Oberlin until his death in 1954.

Since then, and regardless of whether the liturgy is "high", "low", "experimental", or "normative", the lay and ordained leadership of Christ Church have maintained a vision and practice for liturgy done well. Such commitment led to the purchase and installation of a Flentrop organ from Zaandam, Holland in 1964 and the placement of a Steinway piano in the nave in 1999.

The church's proximity to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music has been nothing short of a blessing. Notable church musicians and Oberlin Conservatory graduates such as Calvin Hampton and David Hurd are among scores of young and talented musicians who have been associated with, held leadership positions in, and worshiped at Christ Church.

Our current Music Minister is Katherine Plank. Our organist is Daniel Tappe, Oberlin Conservatory Class of 2008.

Anyone who is interested in joining the choir or sharing their instrumental musical gifts is welcome. Just contact Katherine, Daniel, or any choir member and you will be welcomed with open arms!