Service Venues
Choral Evensong
Wednesday, July 8
Christ Church, Alexandria
Located in Alexandria, Virginia, Christ Church opened its doors in 1773 to serve the Church of England's Fairfax Parish. George Washington helped fund the construction of the church, and his personal bible was presented to the parishioners of Christ Church in 1804, by George Washington Parke Custis. Outgrowing more modest spaces, in November 1766, the Vestry of Fairfax Parish ordered a levy of 31,185 pounds of tobacco upon it parishioners in support of new structures at present day Falls Church, Virginia and in Alexandria. The vestrymen awarded James Parson the contract to oversee the construction of the Alexandria church, designed by James Wren, a descendent of Sir Christopher Wren of the famed St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Choral Evensong
Thursday, July 9
Washington National Cathedral
The idea for a sacred home for all Americans in the nation’s capital is as old as the country itself. Pierre L’Enfant’s original design for the new capital city included a “great church for national purposes,” an idea that sat idle until a congressional charter authorized a cathedral dedicated to religion, education and charity, in 1893. Construction began in 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt helped lay the foundation stone, initiating a building campaign that would last for 83 years. The Cathedral was constructed primarily in the masonry tradition of the great medieval churches of Europe, and includes 112 gargoyles, 231 stained glass windows, and at least one stone weighing more than five tons. Through world wars, the Great Depression and immense social change, construction ended exactly 83 years after it began, when President George H.W. Bush oversaw the laying of the final stone atop the towers, in 1990. While serving as a house of worship, the Cathedral has also played a central role in national ceremonies, including presidential inaugurations and funerals, while hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Choral Evensong
Friday, July 10
National City Christian Church
In the early 1840s, Alexander Campbell, the founder of Disciples of Christ, called for the creation of a large meeting house in Washington, D.C. The congregation began meeting in 1843 but didn’t move to its current Neoclassical church, which was designed by John Russell Pope, until 1930. This church influenced the architecture of Pope’s later designs, including the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art. The sanctuary features two stained-glass windows commemorating U.S. presidents associated with the denomination: James A. Garfield and Lyndon B. Johnson. President Johnson worshipped here regularly, and his state funeral was held in the sanctuary.
Choral Eucharist
Sunday, July 12
Immanuel Chapel, Virginia Theological Seminary
Founded in 1823, Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest of the accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church. The new LEED Gold Immanuel Chapel will replace the historic Immanuel Chapel, which served the Seminary from its consecration in 1881 until it was destroyed in a fire in October 2010. The new chapel will stand in peaceful conversation with the remains of the Immanuel Chapel that will continue to provide a quiet and timeless place for contemplation. The new chapel, designed to complement the Seminary's collection of historic buildings, will reflect the restrained Virginia traditions of the campus's earliest buildings.