Canceled: Celtic musicians to perform at Christ Church's St. Patrick's Day service
Effective immediately, all Christ Church worship services will move to livestream only. In-person services for Saturday and Sunday have been cancelled. Attendees are asked to gather online at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sunday, March 15 at ChristChurch.us.
All large-group gatherings at the church have been suspended. Small group meetings are being reevaluated and participants should look for communications from department heads or check with ministry leaders prior to traveling to the church location. For up-to-date information on church protocol and meeting status, visit ChristChurch.us/coronavirus.
Christ Church is postponing its annual production of "The Passion," initially scheduled for Palm Sunday April 5 to May 3. The March 15 classical recital has been cancelled.
On St. Patrick's Day it may be normal to hear live musicians playing a fiddle, banjo or beating a bodhran. But hearing all of these instruments performing traditional Irish music during a church service may not be what you'd expect.
Christ Church Butterfield is getting in on the celebration by adding some traditional Irish music to their professional worship band.
Several Chicago-area Irish musicians will join the church's 10:45 a.m. service Sunday, March 15, at the church, 2S361 Glen Park Road in Lombard.
Liz Carroll is an Irish fiddler, composer, and recording artist. She is a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship Award. She is the first Irish-American musician to be nominated for a Grammy and is considered one of the greatest contemporary Irish fiddlers.
Pat Broaders grew up in Dublin where he began his journey in traditional Irish music at age 8, and attended the School of Music in Chatham Street in Dublin. He started out on the whistle, later moved on to the uilleann pipes and bouzouki, and his singing is brilliant. He is a veteran of the Irish music scene both here and abroad.
Jackie Moran (banjo and bodhran) immigrated to Chicago from Tipperary, Ireland, at age 10 and became a fixture in the Chicago Irish music scene. He has performed around the world, in movies and on stage with Riverdance and The Trinity Irish Dance Company.
The performance is free and open to the public, who will be able to enjoy some Irish tunes directly following worship services.
"Music is a large part of our worship services and it brings people together in a unique way. We are always looking for opportunities to invite the larger community to join us for experiences that bring joy and build fellowship," said the Rev. Eric Camfield, campus pastor at the Butterfield location.
Christ Church Butterfield is the newest location of Christ Church Oak Brook, which was established in 1965 as a nondenominational community church and has grown to more than 6,000 members. The Oak Brook location offers both contemporary and classic worship styles.
Christ Church also seeks to reach those who cannot come to services through its online media library, and livestream services twice Sunday morning. For information about Christ Church, visit ChristChurch.us.