Christ Church Cathedral

In an effort to determine the feasibility of raising several million dollars for the purchase and installation of musical instruments at Christ Church Cathedral, the Music Committee asked Smith Beers Yunker & Company to test the concept with members of the community and congregation.  Although the outcome of the study was to dissuade the Cathedral from proceeding with a campaign on the timeline they desired, the information gleaned from conversations with community leaders and other interested persons proved quite valuable.

“Although the conclusions from the study were not what we hoped for,” says Music Committee Chair Harold Byers, “the study report gave us valuable advice and guidance for moving forward in a strategic way. The recommendations provided by Smith Beers Yunker will be used to help in overall planning for the entire church, not just the Music Committee. It was my first experience with such a process and I believe we gained more than I expected.”

Stephan Casurella, Director of Music, concurs with these observations. He says, “It was an entirely positive experience and I believe even more valid by the fact that we were told what we needed to hear, even though it wasn’t what we wanted to hear.”   Stephan goes on to comment on the work of senior writer Judy Smyth, saying, “I was very impressed with Judy’s listening skills and her ability to get inside our minds and feel our passion for this project. She and Jim also guided us on how to best state our case to those who were unfamiliar with our plans. We also appreciated their professionalism.  At every step, Jim took extra care to keep our committee informed and keep the process on schedule. He and Judy were both very engaged with what we were doing.”