MUSIC IN OUR PARISH


         Just as the body of the church signifies the church militant, while the chancel, that of the church triumphant, so the choir which comes between, presents to us the church expectant. It is usually cut from the nave by the rood screen or chancel arch and is elevated above it by several steps. It is the place set apart for those who lead in the worship. As Morning and Evening Prayer are conducted from the choir, they are known as Choir Offices. When the services of Christ Church were held at the Armory, there was an organ in use there, but it was so badly damaged in the fire of 1824 that it was never used afterwards. This organ was played by Mr. Stevens. The singing was led by Mr. John Kirkham.
         When it came time to buy an organ for the State Street church, one was bought from St. John's Church, Providence, which had been built for them by E. and G. G. Hook in 1833. It was bought by Christ Church sometime in the 50's, and was a two manual organ with tracker action. The Ladies' Society raised $687.50, a large sum in those days, toward the payment of this organ, with a promise of more, if it were needed. This instrument was not a great success, and one of our former organists remembers vividly, crawling inside during the reading of the lessons, and with a tallow candle to give him light, fixing something that had gone wrong. In the State Street Church it stood first in the rear gallery-from which it was moved to the nave of the church under the crossing at the right of the chancel. This organ was moved to the present edifice, but was replaced, through the efforts of Henry Chapin, by a Steere and Turner, three manual instrument. This was a great improvement over the old one-and was used until 1911, when it in turn gave place to the present organ, plans and

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