Choir History

As early as 1862, our church history mentions that the rector was interested in having a choir formed at Calvary. While we don’t know if a choir actually began at that time, it’s obvious that early in our history the interest was there. The fact that in the second church an enlarged chancel was added some eight years after the building was completed suggests that there was a choir at the time. In 1887 a boy choir was formed.

When the present church was erected, what is now the chapel, underneath the altar, was the original choir room. In the late 1920s, at the same time as the enlargement of the parish hall, the choir room was added on the south side of the church. Its prominence as an architectural feature of the building, and its close proximity to the actual worship space is a strong indication of the importance of music in this parish. That this place supports not only its music, but also its music-makers, is revealed in the fact that since the 1920s there have been only three organist/choirmasters at Calvary: Franklin W. Helms, Howard W. Vogel, and James S. Little. In 1927 the importance of the choir was reinforced when Mrs. Edward Hummel donated a house at Beach Haven, NJ to be used as a choir camp.