“Founded in 1956 as the Children's Chorus of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago in direct response to the Civil Rights Movement, Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children's Choir) is rooted in the belief that music is a vehicle for fostering empathy and respect between young people of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, gender identities, and sexual orientations.” -Uniting Voices Chicago website, October 2022.

Christopher Moore began the children’s choir at First Unitarian in 1956 as an interracial, experimental program in music. In 1962, the Unitarian Choir became a demonstration unit for the Institute for Cultural Development, a Chicago area citizen’s committee working with Chicago’s Board of Education to develop enrichment experiences for the less advantaged children of the inner city. The Urban Gateways Chorus, an Institute project modelled on the Unitarian Choir, was begun at the Raymond School in February 1963 with 35 selected students. Promising singers from this group began working with the Unitarian Choir under the Institute auspices, and this collaboration became the Chicago Children’s Choir in 1964. The choir continued its relationship with Urban Gateways until 1975 and became a separate entity from First Unitarian Church in the 1980s. In 2022, the organization became known as Uniting Voices Chicago. Throughout its history, the choir has focused on building programs that reflect the racial and economic diversity of Chicago.

White, American choral director and Unitarian minister.

Christopher Moore was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Dudley Moore and Matilda “Tillie” Goldstone Moore on December 5, 1929. While attending Harvard University, Moore was a member of the Harvard Glee Club and was mentored by George Wallace Woodworth. He was also influenced by Ferdinand Grossman, the Director of the Vienna Choir Boys, spending time at the Choir’s summer camp during a trip to Europe in 1959. Moore completed degrees in theology from Meadville/Lombard Theological School in Chicago and Harvard Divinity School, where he studied under theologian Paul Tillich. Throughout his career, he was involved with a variety of musical and Unitarian organizations, including Unitarian Universalist Musicians’ Network, Liberal Religious Youth, and Chicago Area Liberal Ministers. Moore came to Chicago to serve as an assistant minister at First Unitarian Church of Chicago starting in 1956, founding a children’s choir that would become the Chicago Children’s Choir.

Christopher Moore was married to social worker Judith Manwell Moore (1934-2016) and they had one son, Jonathan. Moore died June 26, 1987.