Music Ministry

A beautiful Anthem is sung by the choir along with their guest

Mr. Ken Young on Easter morning.

Christ Church Choir, under the direction of Mr. Doug Murdock, 

on Palm Sunday 2013

Christ Episcopal Church Choir

Director of Music

Douglas Murdock

Fr. Justin A. Falciani and Doug Murdock

Doug Murdock received his Bachelor and Masters degree in vocal performance from the Indiana University School of Music where he also continued his doctoral studies.  As a classical musician, he has conducted music, both instrumental and choral, traditional and contemporary. 

He has sung the tenor roles in operas such as La Traviata, Tosca and Heracles and has been tenor soloist in large oratorio works such as Haydn's The Creation, Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, Beethoven's Ninth symphony, the Verdi Requiem and Mendelssohn's Elijah and in Barga, Italy, in Mortari's opera, Alfabeto A Sopresa. 

In the realm of musical theater, the Indianapolis Star describes Murdock's vocal prowess as, "riveting".  Murdock studied voice with such teachers as Raymond Buckingham, Vera Scammon, James King, Barbara Stevenson, Oren Brown and Walter Cassel.  He has studied piano with Richard Morris and Sidney Foster and organ with Barbara Kinsey.  He is well versed in the arenas of dance, acting and the Alexander Procedure (Inge Henderson), having studied these techniques in Italy and New York City. 

Doug teaches voice, piano and organ and has organized Murdock Musical Productions and Entertainment, LLC, which offers a variety of venues, performers and performances of operatic, choral, musical theater productions/reviews and concerts.  His large choral group, The Doug Murdock Meistersingers, have been performing in Southern New Jersey for several years. 

MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC!

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Choir member and Youth Choir Director,

Koren Cowgill of Swainton will debut her Requiem at an All Souls Day service at Christ Episcopal Church on Friday, November 2, 2012 at 7 PM.

Cowgill is a graduate of The Eastman School of Music where she received her Bachelor of Music and doctoral degrees in composition. She also received a Masters degree in composition from Yale University.

The composer is a featured soloist with The Doug Murdock Meistersingers, a choral group of 30 plus members who perform a variety of musical genre throughout the area. She was commissioned by Christ Church Director of Music, Doug Murdock to write the requiem for Christ Church. Last year the Christ Church choir and the Meistersingers sang an inspired performance of the Cherubini Requiem for the All Souls Day service. As a result, Murdock approached Cowgill to compose a Requiem for this year's All Souls Day service at the church.

The Christ Church choir and Meistersingers have been in rehearsals for the requiem since the middle of August.

Christ Church will also host the Meistersingers' annual Madrigal Concert and Dinner on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 5 PM. This annual event features a concert with singers in costume which begins in the church and proceeds into the church hall, bedecked as in medieval times. The scripted performance continues throughout the dinner with dancing, music, and song. Contact the church office at 609-927-6262 for tickets, reservations and information.

Christ Church Youth Choir Singing on Christmas Eve under the direction of Koren Cowgill

Musical Community Outreach

Christ Episcopal Church is home to two diverse singing organizations:  The Mainland Choral Society and The Doug Murdock Meistersingers.