A Year in Harmony

Music at Chatham Hall is one of the School’s longest-standing programs and remains an integral part of the student experience. From the School’s beginnings in 1894 as Chatham Episcopal Institute, the music program has fostered generations of musical education and has provided exposure to a breadth of musical styles, genres, and instruments. As an Episcopal school, music associated with the chapel program provides a unique experience for students to engage with hymns and songs of the Anglican tradition.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Chatham Hall’s music program brought vitality and tradition to chapel services, assemblies, and many other campus-wide events. Members of St. Mary’s Choir studied and performed pieces of both secular and sacred distinction and, for the first time in over a decade, were vested in the School’s traditional blue cassocks and surplices. The choir sang many anthems for monthly Eucharists and other school ceremonies, such as Lessons and Carols, Convocation, and Baccalaureate. The sounds of the 1968 Detlef Kleuker and Steinway Model B grand piano in St. Mary’s Chapel supported the choir.

Another important offering of the music program is private lessons. This year, the piano studio, for example, housed many dedicated students who frequently showcased their keyboard skills during services and events on campus.

In addition to courses available during the academic semesters, students had the special opportunity to learn about music through “Pipes and Pedals,” a class offered during January Term. Bagpiper Claire Crivaro and I exposed students to the history and mechanical side of both the organ and the bagpipes, and also provided students with time for hands-on learning. The class featured several noteworthy guest speakers and trips to visit the historic organs at local churches. Students presented their newly-gained knowledge at the January Term exposition. 

In the upcoming school year, I seek to further expand the music program. I encourage all students to immerse themselves in the music program by joining St. Mary’s Choir, taking private lessons, or enrolling in a new course offering, “Fundamentals of Music Theory.” Music strengthens students in all other subject areas through increasing creativity, discipline, and critical thinking. It is my hope that all students will take advantage of the unique opportunity that they have at Chatham Hall to learn about and to experience a new art form through music.