Music

Why do we sing at St. Paul’s?

Music helps the heart get in touch with the liturgy. Our aim is to engage the assembly in prayerful praise through music. We believe that music, combined with the excellent preaching of our Paulist priests becomes a powerful tool for renewal and conversion. At St Paul’s you can hear and be invited to participate in great music of every type and of all periods. Each mass has its own musical character; but we also aim to have a common repertoire of service music and psalms to link our separate Mass assemblies into one community.

We are fortunate to have musicians of the highest caliber. Our Director of Music is Christopher Walker whose compositions are sung in churches throughout the world. Coming to us in 1990 from directing the music at Clifton Cathedral, England, he has been our director for the last seven years. Our organ is one of the best on the Westside. There is a Steinway grand piano (kindly donated by the parents of John Wattenbarger) as well as a Yamaha keyboard.

A SAMPLING OF MUSIC AT ST. PAUL’S

9:30 Mass Choir – Caritas Chorus

11:30 Mass Schola – New Schola Cantorum

Masses with Cantor

5:00 pm SATURDAY VIGIL MASS: A mixture of traditional and contemporary music. Our cantor is Marie Hodgson, member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale with accompaniment on the organ.

Masses with choir:

7:30 am SUNDAY MASS: This early morning liturgy is a “quieter” mass, with organ and Cantor singing traditional hymns every other Sunday.

9:30 am SUNDAY MASS: Something for everyone. Lively and engaging music involving the assembly.

Twice a month the CARITAS CHORUS leads the music in an eclectic repertoire from contemporary and traditional hymns, through gospel, children’s music to plainchant and a few world premieres. Many of the songs in our “Breaking Bread” hymnbook were sung for the first time at this mass. John Sawoski (who has played for three presidents!) accompanies us on the Steinway grand piano. Do you love singing? Do you like music of all types? Can you hold a tune? Then the CARITAS CHORUS is for you. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm in the church

The other two Sundays of the year Phil Cordaro plays guitar and piano along with a vocalist who provide contemporary music.

11:30 am SUNDAY MASS: Mainly classical music and traditional hymns. The NEW SCHOLA CANTORUM sings music of all choral periods to a high standard of performance. But this is not a concert mass – there is plenty of music for the assembly to sing, surrounded by motets and anthems that reflect a cathedral repertoire. You can also regularly hear great organ music played by our organist, Jim Casey. Would you like to sing the best choral music from plainchant, Palestrina, William Byrd, Mozart, to glorious music of the twentieth century? Can you read music a little? Then the NEW SCHOLA CANTORUM is for you. Rehearsals are on Thursdays at 7:30 pm in the church.

5:00 pm SUNDAY MASS: Contemporary music that adds a prayerful dimension to this celebration, our quality Contemporary Group is led by the talented Peter Torciello with guitar, keyboards, oboe and a small ensemble of singers who manage to refresh familiar contemporary favorites, as well as introducing the best of the new. Rehearsals are before mass on Sundays at 3:30 pm.

Holy Week & Easter

Holy Week is the liturgical and musical highlight of the year. Great choral music, well-loved hymns, a sung Passion of St John on Good Friday – culminating in our combined choirs singing at the Easter Vigil, make Holy Week at St Paul’s an experience never to be forgotten.

Christmas Masses

There is music at every celebration as well as the Festival of Lessons and Carols (the Sunday before Christmas) and a Children’s Choir at the 4:00 Christmas Vigil Mass.

Feast Days

We sing on major feast days and at penance services. A highlight of the year is a choral sung requiem at the All Souls’ Day Mass – Fauré, Mozart, Rutter Requiems and recently the première of Andrew Wright’s “Requiem Mass”, written especially for the New Schola Cantorum.

Christian Initiation

All the major celebrations of the Rites of Christian Initiation are celebrated with music to involve the assembly.

Other music at St Paul’s

THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHORUS: This celebrated children’s choir performs in concerts and is based in our school. They have given concert tours in the USA and in Europe. Their Christmas concert is a popular choice in December. For more information, contact their director, Luke Macendarfer through the school.