Guest Conductor Joseph Causby Leads August 24 Evensong
August 23-24
Dr. Joseph Causby, Director of Music, Chapel of the Cross
We're delighted to welcome Dr. Joseph (Joe) Causby, Director of Music and Organist at Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, NC, and immediate Past President of the Royal School of Church Music in America, as our guest conductor and choral clinician. On Saturday, August 23, Joe will lead a choir retreat, offering expert guidance and inspiration to our singers. Then on Sunday, August 24, he will lead Evensong at 5:30 p.m., marking the debut of our new monthly series. Joe brings extensive experience having led choirs in multiple English cathedral residencies, live broadcasts on NPR and PBS, and a deep passion for Anglican choral tradition paired with musical excellence.
We invite you to experience this exceptional opening Evensong and to join us in worship, reflection, and song under Joe’s leadership. It’s a special chance to begin our new Evensong season with artistry, spiritual depth, and communal praise.
Joseph Causby is entering his seventh year as Director of Music and Organist, and is the immediate Past President of the Royal School of Church Music in America. Prior to his appointment in Chapel Hill, Joseph served Episcopal parishes in Texas, building active intergenerational programs which encouraged excellence through musical and spiritual formation. As a conductor, his choirs have taken part in four English Cathedral residencies; performed major works with orchestra; and recorded and broadcasted LIVE on NPR and PBS. Most recently, the choir of the Chapel of the Cross served a weeklong residency at Ely Cathedral (Cambridgeshire) and The Temple Church in London.
A passionate collaborator, Joseph has formed relationships with universities and international organizations including Britten Pears Arts in Aldeburgh, the Royal Academy of Music, Cambridge University, Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and the Ackland Museum. As a frequent guest artist at Duke University and its Chapel (home of RSCM America), Joseph plays the organ and harpsichord for special services and Evensongs, and most recently took part in a complete performance of Bach’s Musical Offering, BWV 1079 with members of the Duke University music faculty.
As an organ recitalist, Joseph has given concerts in the United States, Canada, England, and France. In 2019, he was a featured speaker for the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Choir School of St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City. His dissertation, Who dares stand idle? Thomas Tertius Noble, a life in church music, 1867-1953 was completed in 2015.
A native of Morganton, North Carolina, Joseph holds a BMus from Appalachian State University, an MMus from Rice University, and a PhD from the University of Durham (UK), where he also served as the first American organ scholar of Durham Cathedral. In 2023, Joseph was made a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music for his services to the Anglican Communion.