We welcome adults of all ages. Whilst good music reading skills are vital to achieving our weekly performance obligations, we also welcome less experienced singers seeking a friendly environment in which to build a knowledge of some of the world’s most beautiful sacred music.

Christ Church warmly welcomes spiritual seekers at any stage in their journey, and this includes as members of the choir. All enquiries about membership of the choir should be directed to the Director of Music.

The choir SINGS WEEKLY at the 9.00am Sunday Eucharist (from 1 February – 25 Dec) and on major Feast Days of the Christian calendar.

Choral bursaries are offered from time-to-time to encourage young choristers to expand their repertoire and experience. An Organ scholarship is offered to encourage and mentor emerging church musicians.

Enquiries regarding choir membership, choral or organ scholarships should be directed to the Director of Music cwrench58@gmail.com (0412-226 714).

THE LUCIAN SINGERS: An historical perspective (2006) by Prof. John Mainstone OAM

The following CD’s by the Lucian Singers conducted by former Music Director Graeme Morton are available on iTunes:

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Christopher Wrench was appointed Director of Music at Christ Church St Lucia in 2013, following 18 years as Organist/Music Director at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point.

A graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium, the Vienna Conservatorium and the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts, Wrench gained global recognition as a prize-winner of international competitions in Melbourne (1st Prize 1985), Dublin (2nd Prize 1988 & 1990), St Alban’s (Audience Prize 1989), Calgary (European Finalist 1990) & Odense (1st Prize 1992). He returned to Australia in 1991 as Lecturer in Organ at the Queensland Conservatorium.

Equally skilled as soloist, liturgical musician chamber player, and pedagogue, Wrench has given solo recitals throughout Australia (including the Melbourne International Festival of Organ and Harpsichord, the Sydney Festival, the Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Baroque, the New England Bach Festival, Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields, Mofo, and the Barraba Festival; and concerto performances with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata of St John’s, the Queensland Youth Symphony, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra.

20 international tours have taken Wrench to Austria (incl. St Stephen’s Cathedral, Augustinerkirche, Klosterneuburg), Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England (incl. Westminster Abbey, King’s College-Cambridge & Bournemouth International Festival), Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Norway, New Zealand and Sweden.

Wrench is principal organist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and has performed continuo with the Badinarie Players and Camerata. He has made numerous broadcasts on ABC ClassicFM and MBS community radio networks was awarded the Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Cultural Award in 2008 for his contribution to the musical life of Brisbane. Wrench commands a broad solo repertoire spanning many centuries including the complete organ works of J.S.Bach, Brahms, Buxethude, Mendelssohn, Mozart & Duruflé. His Melba Recordings SACD of J.S.Bach’s Six Organ Sonatas at the Garrison Church, Copenhagen received rave reviews from around the globe.

In 2017 Christopher Wrench was appointed Principal tutor at the ACT Organ School in Canberra, where he enjoys the opportunity to train and inspire a new generation of young organists.

Wrench began playing the harmonium within his home parish of All Saints, Chermside at the age of 10 before becoming Organist at St Michael & All Angels, New Farm (1975-77) and Organist & Choirmaster at Christ Church St Lucia (1977-82). Following post-graduate study in Vienna, Christopher held church music positions at St Salvator Catholic Church, Vienna (1984-86), Christ Church, Vienna (1986-90) and St Mary’s Kangaroo Point (1994-2012).

Christopher is married to renowned choral director Emily Cox AM.

For more information (including performance diary), please visit Christopher’s website.

Christopher Wrench BMus, FTCL, LMusA, GradDipPerf (Vienna)

Mob:      0412-226 714

Email:   cwrench58@gmail.com

Organist / Music Directors

2013-   Christopher Wrench

2010-2012      Greg Mayer

1994-2009      Graeme Morton

1988-1993      Ian McKinley

1983-1988      Graeme Morton

1982-1983      Duncan Frewin

1977-1982      Christopher Wrench

1970-1977      Dr Ralph Morton

1967-1970      Ian Bridge

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In August 2017, a new 3 manual, 66 stop Allen Digital Organ was installed at Christ Church by All Organs Australia.

Click here to view the ORGAN SPECIFICATION.

Christopher Wrench and the Lucians Singers (with guest conductor Emily Cox) performed the ORGAN DEDICATION CONCERT on Saturday 18 November 2017 at 2pm.

Click here to view VIRTUAL BACH RECITAL (28 July 2020)

Former PIPE ORGAN (1969-2017)

Originally situated on the west wall of the church, the first pipe organ at Christ Church was built in 1969 by Hill, Norman & Beard (Melbourne).  In 1993/4 the organ was rebuilt, enlarged and relocated with new case work to the east end of the church by Pierce Pipe Organs.

By 2016, the pipe organ was again in need of major refurbishment.  Another refurbishment however, would not overcome the limited capacity of the pipe organ to provide adequate support for our music programme.  In February 2017, after evaluating all the options and taking account of musical requirements and lack of workable space to house a pipe organ of appropriate size; the Parish Council approved the purchase of a Digital Organ.

Click here to read a full history of the former pipe organ.

Notable organs in St Lucia at the University of Queensland are located at:

St John’s College (Tickell, 2011) and The James and Mary Emelia Mayne Centre (Pogson, 1976).

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CHORAL RESOURCES

• John Fletcher’s REHEARSAL FILES

• 10 Ideas for the SINGER who doesn’t think they can PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN

• BASIC MUSIC READING SKILLS (Buderim)

• Sight Singing School (Young Voices of Melbourne)

• How to do a lip trill (Pt.1)

• Singing Posture I

• Singing Posture (5 Elements)

• Anthem Texts/translations

• Composer Biographies (Cathedral Music)

• Choral Public Domain Library

• Anglican Church Music

• Choral Net: Resources

• IMSLP Petrucci Music Library

• Choral Evensong finder (UK only)

• Anglican Chant

ORGANISATIONS

• The Royal School of Church Music

• RSCM (Queensland)

• American Guild of Organists

• Association of Anglican Musicians

CHORAL SERVICES online

• Trinity College Cambridge

• St John’s College, Cambridge

• Kings College, Cambridge

• EVENSONG (BBC Radio 3)

• St Thomas 5th Ave, New York

• Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

• Washington National Cathedral

• Trinity Wall Street

LISTEN on YouTube

• King’s College, Cambridge – 3 hrs of Psalms

• Guildford Cathedral – ‘Archives of Sound’

• Collegium Regale – Sacred Music

LITURGICAL RESOURCES

• Together in Song (AHB II)

• Australian Hymn Book (AHB I)

• Ancient & Modern

• HYMN suggestions (Yr A)

• HYMN suggestions (Yr B)

• HYMN suggestions (Yr C)

• The Liturgical Psalter

• BCP Psalter

• Glossary of Liturgical Terms (ECUSA)

• Liturgy Commission (Anglican Church of Australia)

• Liturgical Commission (Church of England)

• Music & Liturgy - ECUSA (Episcopal Church USA)

• Musical Resources ACNA (Anglican Church North America)

CHRIST CHURCH (elsewhere)

• Christ Church St Lawrence, Sydney

• Christ Church, South Yarra (VIC)

• Christ Church, Brunswick (VIC)

• Christ Church, North Adelaide (SA)

• Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle

• Canterbury Cathedral (UK)

• Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal

• Christ Church, Rochester (USA)

• Christ Church, Tacoma (USA)

• Christ Church, Vienna (Austria)

• Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church, NZ

• Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

• Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, Texas (USA)

CREATIVE WORSHIP

• St Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco

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