Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

The Cathedral Schola Cantorum recently celebrated its third anniversary. Following Pope Benedict XVI's publishing of the new apostolic letter (Summorum Pontificum) the chant has seen a resurgence across the country. Happily, as Father Peter Mangum had already been receiving many requests from parishioners for Gregorian chant and Latin in the liturgy prior to the issuing of the apostolic letter, our little schola was a slight bit ahead. Because of those earlier requests, along with his own desire to incorporate this musical treasure into the liturgy once more, Father Peter called an initial meeting of a few parishioners who had expressed an interest... and the Schola Cantorum was born. Although enthusiastic, most of the parishioners wishing to take part in the Schola had no experience in singing chant or reading the notation. Even so, they made a beginning.

From the wonderful resources available online, our all-volunteer group was able to find help in the form of downloadable music and recordings of the various chants to use in learning to sing them. The group first began singing together in early March of 2007. By Divine Mercy Sunday, they sang for their first Latin Mass. A very generous anonymous donor supplied the schola with much-needed Gregorian Missals and Liber Cantualis books.

The renewed emphasis on chant in liturgy is a call for humility above all else. Musicians are being asked to serve rather than perform. The motivation must be love of liturgy and its source, love of sung prayer and its purpose, and a genuine desire to hear the people of God united in one voice in praise and thanksgiving.

Rome has been thoroughly consistent on the matter of liturgical music and the importance of using Gregorian chant in worship. But genuine change in response to these directives must begin in the parish community. It must come from the people and their pastors so that it can truly take root once again in the life of everyday Catholics.

Pope Benedict: Church Musical Tradition Endures
22-May-2008 -- Catholic World News Brief

Vatican, May. 21 (CWNews.com) - The artistic heritage of the Church is a resource for Christians of all eras, Pope Benedict XVI said at his weekly public audience on May 21.

"If faith is alive, Christian culture does not become a thing of the past," the Holy Father told his Wednesday audience. "Cathedrals are not medieval monuments, but places where we can meet God and one another. Great music-- Gregorian chants, Bach, Mozart-- are not things of the past." The Holy Father based his address on the life and work on Romanus the Melodist, a Syrian "theologian, poet, composer, and permanent deacon" of the 6th century. He said that Romanus belonged to "that sizeable group of theologians who transformed theology into poetry," along with St. Ambrose, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. John of the Cross among others."

Romanus the Melodist taught the people through his music, the Pope continued; his hymns provided "a lively and original way of presenting the catechesis." Today those hymns provide insights into both the music and the theology of his generation. "This great poet and composer reminds us of all the wealth of Christian culture which was born of faith, born of hearts that encountered Christ," the Pope said.

Our Schola's mission is guided by the directive of the Second Vatican Council (Sacrosanctum Concilium 116) that Gregorian chant "should be given pride of place in liturgical services, although other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded." The schola sings English hymns from the classical tradition, along with sacred polyphony, but plainchant is given "pride of place" in our repertoire. We seek through our voices to offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty "for the praise and glory of his name" and "for the good of all his Holy Church."

The Schola was founded in February of 2007 and first sang publicly soon after on Divine Mercy Sunday (April 15, 2007). The Schola serves the 5:30 pm, Sunday Mass. We sing year round on Sundays, and occasionally at feasts and special events.

New members are always welcome! Just come to one of the events below and introduce yourself, or contact one of the Schola leaders below for information. We ask that you have basic note-reading skills in order to join, as well as the basic singing skills.

Gregorian Chant and Latin Resources

The Second Vatican Council (Sacrosanctum Concilium 36, 54) decreed that "the use of Latin is to be preserved in the Latin Rite" and that "steps be taken so that the faithful may be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them." The schola promotes congregational singing of the Ordinary chants (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) and provides booklets with the words and music of these chants whenever they sing at Mass.

Our Schola is a member of the
Church Music Association of America (CMAA).
Check out the CMAA website

The Schola Cantorum of St. John Berchmans is a parish member of the Church Music Association of America (CMAA). More information about CMAA can be found at their website at www.church-music.org

Sacred Music Colloquium XVIII

GIRM #103