Christus Chorale

Christus Chorale was an a cappella singing group, formed and conducted by Dr. Alton Bynum, the founder of the Music Department at  Gordon College in Wenham, MA.  During the late 1980s and early 1990s Alton was director of choral music at Gordon College and also choir director at Park Street Church in downtown Boston.

Here is a profile of Dr. Bynum:

Christus Chorale began in the 1980s as a post-Gordon College singing group for graduates who wanted to continue singing with Dr. Bynum.  By the late 1980s, singers from Park Street Church Choir were occasionally invited to participate as well.

Recordings from Concerts

Recordings from four appearances have been preserved, and the playlists are provided below.  Note that in the case of the Free Christian Church in Andover, a misunderstanding about the date meant that no one attended, but we sang anyway, and our singing was recorded.

Note that all the tracks are taken from normal recording devices in the churches where we were singing, and have not been otherwise modified.

Free Christian Church – Andover, MA – June 18, 1989

Byfield Parish Church – Georgetown, MA – May 25, 1990

Park Street Church – Boston, MA – March 16, 1992

Church of the Nazarene – Beverly, MA – May 23, 1993

Performance Locations

During the time period from 1989-1995, Christus Chorale sang in the following settings:

Alliance Church, Haverhill, MA

Bethel Christian Church, N. Billerica, MA

Beverly Church of the Nazarene, Beverly, MA

Byfield Parish Church, Georgetown, MA

Carlisle Congregational Church, Carlisle, MA

Community Christian Fellowship, Lowell, MA

Covenant School, Arlington, MA

First Baptist Church, Foxboro, MA

First Baptist Church, Haverhill, MA

First Baptist Church, Kittery, ME

First Baptist Church, Lynn, MA

First Baptist Church, Woburn, MA

First Congregational Church, Bolton, MA

First Congregational Church, Boxford, MA

First Congregational Church, Southampton, MA

First Presbyterian Church, Ipswich, MA

Fort Square Presbyterian Church, Quincy, MA

Free Christian Church, Andover, MA

Frost Elementary School, Lawrence, MA

King’s Grant Inn, Danvers, MA

Living Faith Foursquare Church, Onset, MA

North Shore Baptist Church, Beverly, MA

Park Street Church, Boston, MA

St. Mary’s Church, Lawrence, MA

The Lord’s Gathering, Woburn, MA

Trinity Baptist Church, Lynnfield, MA

Wareham Town Hall, Wareham, MA

Westgate Church, Weston, MA

Rehearsal Locations

The standard rehearsal day and time for the Chorale was Wednesdays at 7pm.  However, the location varied from year to year.  During the 1989-1995 years, rehearsals were held at the following locations:

The Lord’s Gathering, Woburn, MA

Trinity Baptist Church, Lynnfield, MA

Park Street Church, Boston, MA (rarely)

Gordon College, Wenham, MA (once)

Alton Bynum’s home, Hamilton, MA

Offering to Sing at Your Church

Here are fragments from a letter sent to Greater Boston area churches offering the Chorale to visit and perform:

I would like to introduce you to Christus Chorale, an a cappella singing group performing sacred music.  We are currently seeking churches that may wish to have us provide a concert during the Spring of 1994.

The music we present ranges from early Renaissance, through Baroque and Romantic to twentieth century works.  Also, we provide a number of spirituals as well as some contemporary music.  The enclosed tape includes samples of our singing.

We have held concerts in a variety of churches and other venues in the New England area, ranging from Cape Cod to Maine, and from the Boston area to western Massachusetts.  A list of some of the locations in which we have performed is provided.

The Chorale is directed by Dr. Alton Bynum, Director of Music at the Park Street Church in Boston, and member of the music faculty at Gordon College in Wenham, MA.  Dr. Bynum founded the group approximately fifteen years ago.  We are currently composed of seventeen singers from a variety of churches in eastern Massachusetts.

We have generally performed on Sunday evenings, although other times are not out of the question.  For example, since we rehearse on Wednesday evenings, this also is a time that we are able to perform (since our members have already set aside that time).

We provide our music as a labor of love, and do so to the praise and glory of God.  We don’t ask for a fee, although we accept an offering if one is taken, using the resources to support our activities.

If you are interested in securing the Chorale for a concert, please contact…..

Conclusion of the Chorale

The Chorale concluded its activities in December of 1995 when the entire soprano section (4 singers) resigned: moving out of the area and illness were the major issues.