"All which isn't singing is mere talking. If what calls itself a world should have the luck to hear such singing everyone certainly would believe in nothing but love."
e.e. cummings
Two hundred musicians ages 6 to 96 participate in one or more of our seven choirs and ensembles. Our three children’s choirs, drawing first through eighth graders from all over the New York City metro area, make a substantial contribution to the worship and cultural life of our parish. Two of our three adult volunteer choirs have a regular weekly liturgical presence: the Wallace Hall Choir and Orchestra at the Family Mass, and Canticum Sacrum at the 7:30 PM Mass. The 50-voice Parish Community Choir sings in various liturgies and concerts throughout the year, and our critically acclaimed professional Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola is the resident ensemble at our Solemn Mass.
“Please know how absolutely precious the St. Ignatius music ministry is to me. It’s a lifeline in these times!”
Christine Meyer, Wallace Hall Choir
A Note from Director of Music Ministries, K. Scott Warren
"Christianity is always better sung than said. To the extent that all religion exists to make raids into what is unsayable, the musicians penetrate further than most. Longing, joy, hope, hopelessness, the call for justice—all these get expressed by religious music in ways that religious words can only partially capture.”
--The Reverend Giles Fraser, Anglican priest
Of all the modes of knowing that are available to us—propositional, participatory, and perspectival, to name a few—Western culture has a long history of elevating the propositional above the others, diminishing our perception of reality to a handful of facets and biases that limit and entrap us. I am not saying belief systems are unimportant, but there’s no substitute for experiencing something deep in our marrow as opposed to simply having knowledge of it. It is one thing for someone to tell you how sweet the strawberry tastes and for you to believe it with all your heart, but wouldn’t you rather have the transformative experience of tasting it yourself?
I think this is why so many of us are drawn to music. Musical experiences happen not just in your ears and your brain, but in your blood. Church music doesn’t simply enrich our prayers, it provides a means of participation with God to create a world alive with love, beauty, justice, and peace. The full range of human emotions and experiences are present in music, there’s nothing like music to help us process them.
Maybe you feel a calling into deeper participation in your spiritual life and the church. Maybe you used to enjoy singing but haven’t done so in a while. Your Music Ministry is here for you! At the dawn of this new season, would you consider joining one of our three adult volunteer choirs? If you have kids who love to sing, there’s a place for them as well!
In the coming weeks, each of our choir directors will appear in this space to tell you a bit more about their vocations, and the groups they lead. We hope you will consider making ministry through music a regular part of your spiritual practice this year. Each of our singers will tell you that the blessings received by listening to music at the Masses pales in comparison to the joys of participating in it.
Questions? Send us an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you and see you this fall in our choirs!
The Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, K. Scott Warren, Director
Hailed by The New York Times as a "finely polished, stylistically nimble ensemble" and Opera News as "a wondrous ensemble", the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola is comprised of some of New York's finest professional singers. The core group of 19 singers has command over a wide range of repertoire, from Gregorian chant to contemporary literature. The Choir expands as needed for the Concerts at St. Ignatius, Park Avenue series. Each singer is a soloist in his or her own right in a variety of genres including early music, opera, oratorio, contemporary, and pop repertoire. The Choir may be heard on recordings for the MSR Classics and AMDG labels.
To express interest in joining the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, experienced professional singers with advanced degrees in voice performance or commensurate experience should send resumes and sound clips to the email below.
Wallace Hall Choir and Orchestra, Michael Sheetz, Director
The Wallace Hall Choir & Orchestra ministers to the weekly 11 AM Family Mass at the Church St. Ignatius Loyola. This ensemble features our avocational, volunteer singers and instrumentalists in musical styles that range from classical, contemporary classical, pop, folk, and gospel in weekly Masses and yearly concerts.
We gather Sunday mornings from September through June in rehearsal from 9:45 AM-10:45 AM to prepare for our participation as the worship choir for the 11 AM Wallace Hall Family Mass. All are encouraged to audition and contribute to the joyful musical spirit of this ministry.
“Once a week, we have had the ability to interact with each other, sing comforting music and pray. It has kept the community feeling alive, but more importantly, has given another outlet for prayer.”
Simone Vinocour, Wallace Hall Choir
In Living Water
Featuring the Wallace Hall Choir, conducted by Michael Sheetz.
Canticum Sacrum is a choir of intermediate to advanced level adult avocational singers with the goal of enriching shared musical understanding and growth. We are a 16-20 member chamber chorus that ministers weekly to the Sunday evening 7:30 PM Mass in a blend of classical and contemporary styles. Stylistic interpretation and historical performance practices are explored through singing varied repertoire in diverse styles. Gregorian chant, medieval motets, Renaissance madrigals, classical masses, and other twenty and twenty-first-century sacred repertoire are explored in weekly Sunday evening rehearsals from 6 PM-7 PM in the Church. We have participated in a performance of the J.S. Bach St. John Passion and a recently commissioned work in honor of the LGBT Catholics and Friends community, entitled “For God Alone My Soul Waits in Silence” by emerging composer Tamara McLeod.
As one of the longest-running continuous ministries at St. Ignatius, our 50-voice Parish Community Choir draws avocational singers from within and outside the parish, singing at various Masses and concerts throughout the year. We focus on vocal training and musical development and have a lot of fun in the process!
The Children’s Choirs are a prime example of building a sense of community with our young parishioners. Participants come from 15 different public, private and Catholic schools, and the program is a prime example of community outreach. Each chorister receives exemplary musical and spiritual training, leading to performance experience in Masses and concerts. Under the direction of Elizabeth Van Os, children receive training in vocal technique, the history of sacred music and its function in liturgy, and the fundamentals of music theory. Through hard work and dedication, choristers develop a passionate commitment to excellence while learning self-discipline, confidence, and the importance of giving back to their church and community through the gift of music. Informal auditions take place in the spring and by appointment in the fall.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Van Os at [email protected].
Training Choir (beginning January 2023)
Grades K–2. Choristers need no previous musical experience. The training choir is designed to socially and musically prepare children to participate in the Angel Choir. Work on improvisation, body awareness, healthy singing technique, and music history provide a well-rounded, enriching experience.
Angel Choir
Grades 2–4. Choristers have had at least one year of experience in the Training Choir or previous musical experience elsewhere. The Angel Choir continues a focus on vocal technique, music reading skills, and liturgical familiarity while expanding knowledge of the repertoire, and learning conducting and collaboration skills.
Chorale
Grades 5–8 (boys must have unchanged voices). Choristers have had previous musical experience and exhibit the maturity required for longer, more demanding rehearsals. Vocal technique work focuses on versatility. Independent singing in parts, sight-reading, and advanced composition and improvisation are also highlighted in rehearsals. Highlights of past seasons include performances in Concerts at St. Ignatius of Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, a world premiere of an opera, and a televised appearance on Good Day New York.
I can’t imagine the effort it must take for everyone to have the children do what they are doing, the parents do what they are doing, and you (and the entire SIL music ministry) do what you are doing, but I do know that my girls would not be where they are without you. Not just for the opportunity of LaGuardia, but the ability to navigate their world as well as they do, applying the skills you taught them.”
Michaela Daliana, whose twin daughters were in the Children’s Choirs from second through eighth grade, and now attend LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts
