Music

“I think that God has particular languages, and one of them is music.”

David Foster Wallace

Our prayers are sometimes spoken, often sung. For 2,000 years, the Church has found its voice in music, even when all other avenues have fallen silent. Music expresses the inexpressible.

Our music here at St. Ignatius is a beacon of hope. Song, word, and sacrament, as practiced here at the corner of Park Avenue and 84th Street in New York City, combine to empower, strengthen and engage.

Reaching for the Divine; worshipping Christ our Savior; praying and contemplating, and offering hope: this is who we are.

This is the power of music.

On Music

When the pandemic ushered in social distancing, our Associate Music Director Bobby Reuter got busy with his laptop and, with Artistic Director Scott Warren, created a new genre in our musical tradition here at Saint Ignatius Loyola: the virtual choir. In this video, Bobby takes us behind the scenes to show us how it all comes together.

“A broad, wide-ranging and powerful performance. Positively thrilling.”

The New York Times

Choir Focus: Roosevelt Andre Credit

Credit, a member of the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, talks about what makes our Church and Parish special—and its music program so highly regarded among musicians and concert-goers across the region.

From the Music Archives

Brahms Requiem

The critically acclaimed Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola performed Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms in February 2019, with Robert Reuter, conductor, and Michael Sheetz and K. Scott Warren, pianists. Here is the beloved centerpiece of that work, Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (How lovely is thy dwelling place).

Passion for Bach and Coltrane

The Grammy-nominated Imani Winds joined forces with the Harlem String Quartet and a jazz trio here at St. Ignatius in February 2019 for a performance of Jeff Scott's groundbreaking work, Passion for Bach and Coltrane.  We are delighted to present an excerpt from that wonderful evening.

Bruce Rameker & Michael Sheetz | Roosevelt Credit's "God, I pray (Lucretia's Prayer)"

Bruce Rameker & Michael Sheetz perform Roosevelt Credit's "God, I pray (Lucretia's Prayer)" by Roosevelt Credit at Music at St. Ignatius' benefit concert, My Prayer is a Song, on February 17, 2022. Over $8,000 was raised for the Ali Forney Center.