Barbara Bruns, Minister of Music
Barbara Bruns was appointed Minister of Music at the Parish of Christ Church, Andover on February 1, 2005. The daughter of United Methodist missionaries, she was born and raised in Japan where she spent the first 18 years of her life. At age 13, she beagn playing professionally for church services at the Chitose Army Base Chapel in Hokkaido followed by positions as organist in ecumenical Protestant churches in Tokyo. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance, magna cum laude, from Augustana College, Illinois, and a Master of Music degree, with honors, from the New England Conservatory where she was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda honorary. She is the recipient of the “Outstanding Alumni Award” from Augustana College. Her organ studies have been with Yuko Hayashi, Harald Vogel, Arthur Poister, and Tom R. Harris.
Recognized as an accomplished recitalist, accompanist, and conductor, Ms. Bruns has concertized extensively in the United States, Europe, and Japan and has performed as soloist for national conventions of the Organ Historical Society, the American Guild of Organists, and the Association of Anglican Musicians. Her solo recital appearances include performances at Trinity Church, Copley Square, King’s Chapel, Old West Church and Church of the Advent, Boston, Harvard University and Adolphus Busch Hall, Cambridge, Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Massachusetts, St. Thomas’ Church and St. Michael’s Church, New York City, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, St. Paul Cathedral, Pittsburg, Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, International Christian University and Suntory Orchestra Hall, Tokyo, and Minato Mirai Concert Hall in Yokohama, Japan. She maintains a private teaching studio and was organ instructor at the New England Conservatory Preparatory and Continuing Education Schools from 1989-1996. As a conductor and rehearsal accompanist, she was Associate Conductor of The Boston Cecilia for 31 years under the batons of Donald Teeters and Nicholas White. She has recorded two brass and organ CDs under the MSR Classics label which feature the Rudolf von Beckerath organ at St. Michael’s Church in Manhattan and three FISK organs in Massachusetts - Christ Church in Andover, Old West Church in Boston, and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Gloucester.
Ms. Bruns has served as Music Director at several Episcopal parishes including St. Stephen’s, Westborough, St. John’s, Gloucester, St. Michael’s, Marblehead, Massachusetts and St. Thomas’, Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania. Prior to accepting the call as Minister of Music at Christ Church, Andover, she assisted Nicholas White as Associate Organist and Choirmaster at St. Michael’s Church in New York City. During that time she was also Director of Training for Leadership Technologies, Inc., a consulting firm in New York City, and Chair of the “Leadership Program for Musicians”, a training program for church musicians serving ninety sites across the country.
Since 2005, Barbara Bruns has been deeply committed as Minister of Music at Christ Church to working with the rectors, clergy, staff, vestry and hundreds of volunteers to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music. Preparing music for all worship services, directing a multi-level choir program, overseeing the purchase and installation in 2012 of a new pipe organ built by the FISK, Inc. company of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and developing a concert series now in its 10th season has been possible only through the grace of God and the generosity and support of countless parishioners and friends of Christ Church.
Anney Barrett, Soloist and Section Leader
Anney Barrett has seved as the resident soloist and section leader at Christ Church Andover since 2006. As a professional choral singer, she has performed throughout the Boston area with ensembles including the Handel & Haydn Society, Labyrinth Choir, Schola Cantorum of Boston, Nota Bene, Boston Composers' Coalition, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She currently works as a psychotherapist specializing in perinatal mental health at Looking Glass Counseling in Medford, and also maintains a private voice studio.
Anney has earned degrees in Great Books from the University of Notre Dame, Vocal Performance from the Longy School of Music, and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University, and believes that these disciplines all meet at a nexus of communication and connection, toward a more humane, compassionate, and beautiful world.
Michael Barrett, Soloist and Section Leader
Michael Barrett has served as the resident soloist and section leader at Christ Church Andover since 2010. He is a Boston-based conductor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and teacher. Dr. Barrett has performed with many professional early music ensembles, including Blue Heron, the Boston Camerata, the Huelgas Ensemble, Vox Luminis, the Handel & Haydn Society, Nederlandse Bachvereniging (Netherlands Bach Society), Seven Times Salt, Schola Cantorum of Boston, and Nota Bene, and can be heard on the harmonia mundi, Blue Heron, Coro, and Toccata Classics record labels.
Michael serves as music director of The Boston Cecilia, Convivium Musicum, and the MIT Meridian Singers. He is also an Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music, where he teaches courses in conducting and European music history. Michael holds degrees in music (AB, Harvard University), voice (First Phase Diploma, Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands), and choral conducting (MM, Indiana University; DMA, Boston University).
