Past Seasons
On Tuesday evening, March 25th, 2025, gather at Christ Cathedral for a Choral Adoration in celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation. This reflective night of music will include Marian Choral classics, Congregational Marian Hymns, and the world-premiere of a new hymn arrangement by Benjamin LaPrairie, Associate Director of Music at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
No tickets or reservations required.
Celebrate the Christmas season at Christ Cathedral with the centuries old tradition of the Service of Lessons & Carols. Immerse yourself in a candlelit evening featuring Choral Christmas favorites and Congregational Carols complementing some of the most beloved scripture readings about the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Click HERE to download program booket.
No tickets or reservations required.
In celebration of the new Schoenstein Organ in St. Callistus Chapel underneath Christ Cathedral, concert organist Steven Ball will present a recital of fabulous French music with special guest artist, our own Lauren McCaul, Cathedral Music Administrator and Soprano!
40+ Organists | 200+ Pieces | 17,000 Pipes
As the GRAND FINALE to Christ Cathedral’s Bach-a-thon MICHAEL HEY is presents a thrilling all-Bach recital program to close out BACHATHON 2025! An International Concert Organist and currently the Director of Music & Organist at Marble Collegiate Church, NYC Michael Hey previously served as Organist at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Members of the Los Angeles and San Diego Chapters of the American Guild of Organists play as part of Bach-a-thon 2025.
International Concert Artist, Professor of Organ at UCLA, Organist at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, CHRISTOPH BULL presents “A FLIGHT OF FUGUES” - a collection of some of Bach’s most tuneful fugues for organ as part of BACHATHON 2025!
Christ Cathedral Organist David Ball is joined by the Diocesan Children’s Choir; the Diocesan Adult Choir; Emma Whitten, Associate Organist; Patrick Flahive, Bass; and Alyce Reynaud, Soprano in presenting THE BEST OF BACH - an introduction to the music of the greatest composer from Jesu Joy of Our Desiring to movements from the monumental B Minor Mass.
Christ Cathedral’s current organ scholars and alumni from the scholar program present solo works of Bach as part of BACHATHON 2025!
Christ Cathedral presents concert organist Alison Luedecke, Founder/Keyboardist of San Diego Baroque and Organist/Choir Director at the Church of the Nativity, Rancho Santa Fe, California, playing favorite works of Bach including TOCCATA AND FUGUE IN D MINOR, BWV 565 as part of BACHATHON 2025!
Dr. Emma Whitten - Christ Cathedral Associate Organist and Director of Music, Community Church Congregational in Corona del Mar - presents the entirety of one of Bach’s greatest collections of organ music: The Clavierübung III.
Peter Bates, Adan Fernandez and students play some of Bach’s LARGEST and SMALLEST Preludes and Fugues for organ as part of BACHATHON 2025!
Legendary Cathedral Organist, Choirmaster, and Concert Artist, Bruce Neswick (currently Artist-in-Residence at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church | La Jolla, California) presents solo organ works by JSB as part of Bach-a-thon 2025.
Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard returns alongside Philip Hoch, Hour of Power Organist and last student of Fred Swann, to present solo works of Bach as part of Bach-a-thon 2025. They are joined by former Hour of Power Sub-Organists Timothy Howard and W. Wayne Ritchie, as well as Ty Woodward, Christ Cathedral Sub-Organists.
Christ Cathedral Sub-Organist Charles Raasch presents the Chorale Partitas as part of Bach-a-thon 2025.
Members of the Long Beach and Orange County Chapters of the American Guild of Organists play as part of Bach-a-thon 2025.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Spem in Alium | Hope in God Alone
A Choral Adoration
As part of the Eucharistic Revival, Christ Cathedral welcomes you to a solemn, musical evening of Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In addition to singing O salutaris hostia and Tantum ergo, the prescribed hymns for Exposition and Benediction, spend a holy hour in quiet adoration and reflection while listening to some of the most beautiful sacred choral and organ music including Gregorio Allegri's famous Miserere (featuring Alyce Reynaud, Soprano soloist), Jessica French's recently composed Tantum Ergo, and a new arrangement of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Master Tallis's Testament that will feature both of the Hazel Wright Organ's five-manual consoles played simultaneously. The evening's musical meditations will culminate with Thomas Tallis's rarely-performed motet Spem in Alium (Hope in God Alone), written for 40-parts, sometimes referred to as the "Mount Everest" of choral music.
Click here to reserve seats: https://adoration.eventbrite.com
Saturday, January 20, 2024 @ 2pm (Prelude begins at 1:30pm)
Choral Service in Honor of Dr. Frederick Swann (1931 – 2022)
Presented by the Mark Thallander Foundation
Co-sponsored by the Los Angeles and Orange County Chapters
of the American Guild of Organists
NO TICKETS REQUIRED!
COME ONE, COME ALL TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF DR. FREDERICK SWANN!
Hearing the majestic sound of hundreds of voices singing the enduring music of faith at a Mark Thallander Foundation Festival is a one-of-a-kind experience. For more than a decade, The Mark Thallander Foundation has joined communities of faith through music and has created opportunities for children and youth to hear, participate and enjoy this genre of music. Sing, pray, and worship at this ecumenical service in honor of the repose of the soul Dr. Fred Swann, Organist-Emeritus of Christ (Crystal) Cathedral.
This service will feature Festival Organist Bradley Hunter Welch, internationally-acclaimed organist and official organist for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Join us for a candle-lit evening of Christmas Carols and Choral Music to ring in the most wonderful time of the year!
Click here to reserve tickets: https://cathedralchristmas2023.eventbrite.com
Co-Sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
Christ Cathedral Organists in recital on the famed Hazel Wright Organ in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the birth of composer Max Reger. Come enjoy a special evening of Max Reger's loud organ music - one of the only composers whose works are as epic as the Hazel Wright Organ, and will truly use the full sonic resources of all of Hazel's 17,000 pipes!
Click here to reserve tickets: https://reger150.eventbrite.com
This evening’s performance and special ticket price for all, thanks to our generous underwriters - The Ahmanson Foundation.
As the Grand Finale to the 2022 – 2023 Year of Hazel, Paul Jacobs joins the Pacific Symphony & Chorale on an special evening program including the world premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s Fiat Lux “Let There Be Light”. Leading Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan has been hailed by The New York Times as “ceaselessly inventive, evocative and penetrating.” This major commission, entitled Fiat Lux (“Let There Be Light”), utilizes a text by Dana Gioia, the internationally acclaimed poet, California poet laureate and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Carl St. Clair directs the performance, which opens with thrilling works for organ and orchestra featuring soloist Paul Jacobs, the only GRAMMY-Award-winning organist, playing the Hazel Wright Organ.
Come hear the next generation of organists as Christ Cathedral’s own Organ Scholars take the stage and perform on the famed Hazel Wright Organ. These young organists, all students of Cathedral Organist and Head of Music Ministry David Ball, are nationally recognized for their musical achievement. Enjoy their incredible music making and celebrate that the Hazel Wright Organ is already inspiring the future of organ and sacred music!
Juilliard-trained organist David Ball serves as Cathedral Organist and Head of Music Ministry at Christ Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange, California (formerly the Crystal Cathedral). David is a recognized and well-lauded young performer—The New York Times declared his appearance in Juilliard’s FOCUS! Festival “a rousing performance,” and as a winner of the AGO/Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists, David performed as a Rising Star at the 2016 National AGO Convention in Houston where he "used the organ evocatively... displayed a wide palette of colors in his artistic registration and... brought Mozart's K. 608 to a thrilling close, earning an enthusiastic response from the audience." (The American Organist) In recognition of his accomplishments, David was named one of The Diapason’s 2017 Class of 20 under 30, a peer-selected group of young people at the forefront of the organ field.
As Christ Cathedral Organist, David is the primary steward of a variety of instruments, principally the renowned Hazel Wright Organ. His musical contributions underpin the Cathedral's vast array of weekly services and events–following in the footsteps of Fred Swann, David plays, conducts the choirs, and supports the parish’s diverse congregation, all from Hazel’s 5-manual console. Additionally, David’s role involves training and mentorship of the next generation of sacred musicians and organists. His current and former students have gone on to hold prominent positions and have been accepted to prestigious programs and conservatories, including The Juilliard School.
- Biography courtesy of Dr. Paula Harper
Emma Whitten is an accomplished organist specializing in early Baroque and contemporary repertoire. She performs across the United States and internationally, captivating audiences and introducing the organ to new listeners. Her programs are engaging and diverse, drawing from an extensive repertoire spanning eight centuries of organ music.
Dr. Whitten serves as Associate Organist at Christ Cathedral, where she plays for major liturgies at the Cathedral and accompanies the Diocesan Choir. In celebration of the Dedication Year of the newly-restored Hazel Wright Organ, Emma is recording her debut album, “Hazel Is Back!” to be released on Gothic Records. Emma also acts as Music Coordinator at Church of the Immaculate Conception in San Diego, and she maintains a private teaching studio in Oceanside, California. In Fall 2022, Dr. Whitten joins the faculty of Concordia University Irvine as Adjunct Professor of Organ and Church Music and Interim University Organist.
Notable performance venues and festivals include the Dedication Year of the Hazel Wright Organ, the Los Angeles Presidents' Day Organ Festival, St. Paul's Cathedral (San Diego, CA), Catalina Organ Festival (Tucson, AZ), and Saints Simon & Jude Cathedral (Phoenix, AZ). Internationally, Emma has performed on historic organs in Germany, Spain, Colombia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Emma holds degrees in organ performance from the University of Notre Dame (2009), University of Kansas (2011), and Arizona State University (2014), where she received her D.M.A. studying with Kimberly Marshall.
Emma Whitten is represented by Seven Eight Artists.
Organist and composer Chelsea Chen is internationally renowned for her concerts of “rare musicality” and “lovely lyrical grandeur,” and a compositional style that is “charming” and “irresistible” (Los Angeles Times). Ms. Chen has electrified audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia in venues such as the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX, St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York City, and Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA. As a composer she is broadening the organ repertoire with her own works based on Asian folksongs. Ms. Chen has soloed with orchestras including the Wuhan Philharmonic in China, the Jakarta Simfonia in Indonesia, and the Juilliard Percussion Orchestra in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Additionally she has performed under the baton of eminent conductors including Jahja Ling, JoAnn Falletta, and Victor Yampolsky. She has championed contemporary works by esteemed composers Ola Gjeilo and Paul Desenne. The recipient of the 2009 Lili Boulanger Memorial Award, Ms. Chen is a graduate of Juilliard, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, having studied with John Weaver and Paul Jacobs. She was also a full scholarship student of Thomas Murray at Yale University, where she earned an Artist Diploma. Her playing has been aired on CNN.com, “Pipedreams” from American Public Media, Hawaii Public Radio, and Taiwan’s Good News Radio. For more information, visit https://www.chelseachen.com
PRELUDE BEGINS AT 2:15PM; Prayer Service at 2:30pm
Register your Choir or Group to Participate
Register as an Individual Chorister to Participate
Experience a multitude of singers from all faiths coming together to make beautiful music under the direction of Guest Conductor and Clinician Kent Tritle. This special day begins with Kent Tritle leading a choral workshop in the morning bringing choristers from all around Southern California and beyond, and culminates in a 2:30pm Prayer Service in the Cathedral accompanied by Festival Organist Daniel Ficarri playing the Hazel Wright Organ.
Choral and Organ Repertoire
Organ Voluntary: Ceremonial Dialogue - Daniel Ficarri*WEST COAST PREMIERE
In the year that King Uzziah died - David McK. Williams
Adinu (Sufi Song) - Sufi melody, arr. Shireen Abu-Khader and André de Quadros
Esto Los Digo - Kinley Lange
Hymn: Leoni “The God of Abraham Praise”
I was glad - Charles H. H. Parry
Magnificat - Daniel Ficarri*WEST COAST PREMIERE
Nunc Dimittis - Daniel Ficarri*WEST COAST PREMIERE
Hymn: Thaxted “O God beyond all praising”
Organ Voluntary: Grand Choeur Dialogue - Eugene Gigout
Choir Schedule for Participants:
8am: Arrival time/lineup/seating
8:30am - 10am: First rehearsal (for full rep participants)
10am - 10:30am: Short break/arrival time for abbreviated rep participants
10:30am - 12pm: Second rehearsal (for full & abbreviated rep participants)
12pm - 2pm: Lunch on your own
2pm: Choir Seating / Doors Open
2:15pm: Prelude begins
2:30pm: Interfaith Prayer Service begins
More about Kent and Daniel:
Kent Tritle is not only the Director of Music and Cathedral Organist from St. John the Divine in New York, the largest Cathedral worship space on this continent, but also the Organist for the New York Philharmonic. The last pipe organ that was in New York’s Philharmonic hall is actually currently installed in the Hazel Wright Organ, fulfilling Virgil Fox’s vision of combining that famous organ from New York with Ruffatti pipework to complete the mammoth Hazel Wright Organ. Learn more about Kent Tritle at https://kenttritle.com/
Also featured at this Festival is the brilliant organ playing of Daniel Ficarri, Associate Organist at St. John the Divine and acclaimed composer. Named by The Diapason magazine as one of America’s most influential organists under 30 years old, Daniel’s incredible music has been featured many times at Christ Cathedral - his Fanfare on Adeste Fideles was commissioned for the opening of the Festal Doors on Christmas Day during the Covid Pandemic of 2020; his Fanfare-Introduction in D was the very first music played on the newly-restored Hazel Wright Organ on February 7th, 2022; and his latest piece for solo organ Ceremonial Dialogues, was commissioned as the premiere new work for the restored Hazel Wright Organ in 2022 celebrating Hazel’s 40th Anniversary and recorded by Cathedral Organist David Ball released on the Gothic Label. Scores are available from his publisher MorningStar Music/ECS Publishing. Learn more about Daniel at https://www.danielficarri.com/
Join us for a festive evening of Christmas Music - listen to seasonal choral favorites sung by a multitude of choirs including our Diocesan Children’s Choir, and sing along with many beloved Christmas Carols, this year especially featuring the Hazel Wright Organ for the very first time leading the music of the most wonderful time of the year!
No ticket required. Seating will be open in the Cathedral – first come, first served. Doors will open at 7:00pm. A free-will offering will be taken. RSVP to receive updates on all of our concerts.
5:00pm in the Arboretum - Hazel’s Restoration & Return
Enjoy savory hors d’oeuvres while Michael Barone of NPR’s Pipedreams leads guests through a video documentary about the restoration of the Hazel Wright Organ followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Piero Ruffatti of the Ruffatti Brothers (Leading International Pipe Organ Builders and Restorers of the Hazel Wright Organ), Dr. David Crean (Author of the new book The Hazel Wright Organ) and David Ball (Christ Cathedral Organist). Book signing will be available.
7:30pm in Christ Cathedral - Dedication Concert with Hector Olivera
Join us in the Cathedral for a stunning program of exciting music by Hector Olivera. Maestro Olivera played the very last recital ten years ago before the restoration project and it is an honor to have him back as the first recitalist on the newly-restored Hazel!
9:00pm in the Arboretum - Artist’s Reception with Meet & Greet