St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, in Evanston Illinois, had a fabulous organ. Chris loved that organ. Its music filled the huge church and filled young Chris’ ears and heart.
The church was architecturally beautiful. It served a large, affluent congregation just north of Chicago. This grand church appealed to Chris’mother, Jan. She started bringing her boys to St. Luke’s soon after they moved to Chicago.
The music, the windows, the ceremony, the special feeling of awe and reverence in the church, all of these appealed to Chris.
Chris joined the boys’ choir when he was 7 or 8. There were about 25 boys, led by a somewhat stern choir master. The master got results though. Chris really loved the sounds the choir made in the big church. “We were GOOD,” Chris tells me now.
Chris’ mother drove him to choir practice. The choir boys were paid for practice and for singing on Sundays - about $4.35 each month. That came to less than 25 cents per hour. Chris was tickled on payday each month but he wasn’t in it for the money. He was in it for the music.
Chris’ pure boy’s voice began to change after several years. At age 13, boys were allowed to become acolytes. Chris did. The acolytes assisted the priests in their religious ceremonies. He liked having the responsibility and participating in the ritual. He continued to love being in St. Luke’s.
Chris loved going to church more than anyone else in his family. He might have been the only one to really love it.
Louisa Scioscia Stephens, March 26, 2023
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