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Welcome!
For our parishioners, the purpose of this page is to outline the
various musical activities and ministries at Holy Rosary Cathedral, to provide assistance
to people involved in planning liturgical celebrations in the Cathedral, and to invite
them to consider becoming a part of this facet of our parish life. For Internet visitors outside our parish and city, the page serves as a
window onto musical life at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Regina, the capital city of the
Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
With the ideals set out by Vatican II in mind,
our goals for liturgical music are simple: to develop a musical offering to God which is
fully integrated with the Word being proclaimed each Sunday, and which encourages the
participation of all. We wish to demonstrate respect for our long musical tradition --
described by Vatican II as "a treasure of inestimable value" -- by singing
plainchant and other works from the past. At the same time, we seek to introduce good new
music written by skilled contemporary composers.
We rejoice in the range of music available to
us, which reflects the variety of people among us: the young and the old, those with
families and those without, the traditional and the informal, those with musical training
and those without, the long-time parishioner and the newly-arrived.
Finally, we are conscious of our great privilege
in being able to make music in the beautiful physical and sonic environment of this
Cathedral church. We hope that those who come here will find their worship enhanced and
deepened by our musical offerings. We also hope that some of you will be moved to join us
in the ministry of music.
Planning for worship
"The musical tradition of the
universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other
art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and
words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy."
Second Vatican Council
Constitution on Sacred Liturgy,
chapter 6, article 112
For an articulate and compelling recent discussion of the
principles that inform good liturgical music, consult the Snowbird Statement.
The planning of liturgical music begins with the Scripture
readings for the day, all of which are now available
online. To take an example: on a recent Sunday, the Gospel was the parable of the
Prodigal Son (Luke 15), with its theme of forgiveness. Several of the hymns that day,
therefore, embodied that theme: the opening song asked "If you, O God, should mark
our guilt, / Then, God, who could hope to survive? / But with you is found forgiveness of
sin." Similarly, the song during the presentation of the gifts began,
"’Forgive our sins as we forgive,’ / You taught us, Lord, to pray."
The American composer and priest Fr Michael Joncas recently
remarked, "A steady diet of only one style of music, written in only one period,
deforms our liturgical worship" (Prairie Messenger, March
18, 1996, p. 8). This is a most astute observation, and points to the reason that we try
to balance the old and the new. Taken as a whole, the musical offerings at Holy Rosary
Cathedral span the heritage of liturgical music. At the 9:00
Sunday Mass, the music of congregation, cantor and organ emphasizes earlier
elements of our tradition: parts of the Ordinary are sung in Latin. At the 11:00 Sunday Mass the music of choir, cantor, congregation
and organ features traditional hymnody as well as choral music ranging from plainchant to
the works of contemporary composers such as James Biery, Gerre Hancock, and Paul Halley.
At the 7:00 p.m. Sunday Mass, the music is of the
contemporary or "folk" style, and is led by the Cathedral Folk Choir.
Music lists for the two Sunday morning Masses are now available
on the Web.
The Cathedral Choir
"The treasury of sacred music is to
be preserved and cultivated with great care. Choirs must be assiduously developed,
especially in cathedral churches."
Second Vatican Council
Constitution on Sacred Liturgy,
chapter 6, article 114
The Cathedral Choir has been in
existence a long time – 88 years, to be exact! – and welcomes men and women who
enjoy singing four-part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) music from all periods. The Choir
sings at the 11:00 Mass from September to June, the Midnight Mass of Christmas, the
special services of Easter, and archdiocesan liturgies such as the Chrism Mass. Rehearsals
take place on scheduled Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30, and each Sunday morning from
10:00 to 10:40.
If you are interested in joining, please come up to the loft
after Mass, or contact the choirmaster, Robin
Swales, at 586 5958.
The Cathedral Folk Choir
The primary purpose of the Folk Choir is to provide music
during the 7:00 P.M. Sunday Mass, though it is available to provide music at other Masses.
Membership in the Choir is made up of people who attend Holy Rosary Cathedral as well as
people from other city parishes. A wide variety of musical instruments have been used.
The Folk Choir uses a variety of traditional and
contemporary Christian music. Music selections are made according to the scripture
readings or with the direction of the attending priest celebrating the Mass or service.
Anyone who is able to make a consistent, part time or
occasional commitment to this ministry will be made welcome. Please contact
Heather and Rob Collins at
569 1237.
The Cathedral Children's Choir
"Cool! Nifty naves, awesome apse, trendy transepts! Listen
to how our sound can ring through this church!" These are just some of the
things heard at the 4th annual Cathedral Children’s Choir camp. Along with
director Joan Pratchler and other parents, young singers were immersed in learning
about church architecture and its effects on acoustics. The children designed their own
cathedral and made actual blueprints. We learned some new Gregorian chants and
contemporary music. We also examined the architecture and stained glass windows of
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and listened to their children’s choir and their
organists.
Director Joan Pratchler, with the support of a dedicated group
of parents, founded the Children’s Choir in 1990. The Children’s Choir will be
starting its 12th season this year, and will begin practising to ring musical
sounds from the loft, over the nave, through the transepts, around the apse for the glory
of God. Oh – it’s fun, too! If you have a child between the ages of 4 and 12 who
is interested in joining, please call Joan Pratchler at 543 4135. Because of space
restrictions, the Children’s Choir is limited to registered members of the Cathedral
parish.
Cantors
Cantors are ministers of the Word with the special
responsibility of proclaiming the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation set to music.
They also lead other acclamations, prayers and responses, and often sing the verses of
antiphonal communion songs. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of cantors at the
Cathedral, many of whom have served for considerable periods. Gerry Grill, our
cantor at the 9:00 Mass, began serving shortly after the "Great Fire" of 1976,
and rarely misses a Sunday. We are very grateful to Gerry and indeed all our cantors for
their role in proclaiming the Word in song.
Funerals and Weddings
The Cathedral is the site of numerous weddings and funerals
each year. Nearly all of these liturgies have music: funeral
liturgies are usually enhanced by the music of cantor, soloist, and organ, while weddings present opportunities for combinations of
instruments and singers. Arrangements for funeral and wedding music are made through the
Parish Office; call 565 0909.
Liturgical Organ Music
"The pipe organ is to be held in
high esteem in the Latin Church, for it is the traditional musical instrument, the sound
of which can add a wonderful splendour to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up
men's minds to God and higher things."
Second Vatican Council
Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, chapter 6, article 120
Throughout the year organ preludes and postludes are played at
both Sunday morning Masses. In the summer, additional solos are played during the
communion procession. As is the case with our choral offerings, organ music is chosen for
its connections with the themes and images of the day's readings and the liturgical
seasons. Over the course of a liturgical year, parishioners hear organ works from the age
of Buxtehude, Bach, De Grigny and their contemporaries, to 20th-century composers such as
Dupré and Messiaen.
Because of the design and voicing of the Cathedral organ, as
well as the rich acoustical environment into which it speaks, French repertoire is
frequently featured. Improvisation on liturgical themes, long
a part of Catholic practice in France and other countries, also plays an important role in
organ music at Holy Rosary Cathedral.
The McGuigan Organ
Containing 3,114 pipes and occupying 900 square feet of floor
space on two storeys, the Cathedral’s organ is
certainly hard to miss. Constructed in 1930, it was completely renewed in 1992/93 by its
original builders, Casavant Frères of Quebec. Named
in honour of a remarkable Regina nun, Sr Marion McGuigan, the McGuigan Organ is noted for
its beautiful sound and striking appearance. It has been much praised by distinguished
visiting artists, among them Naji Hakim of the Church of the Trinity, Paris, Maurice Clerc
of Dijon Cathedral in France, and Thomas Murray, organist of Yale University ("The
combination of organ and spacious acoustics in the Cathedral in Regina is highly
impressive"). Graham Steed, well-known recitalist and interpreter of the works of
Dupré, wrote that it "is one of the finest organs in Canada."
Each year the organ is used for approximately 150 liturgical
celebrations, numerous recitals and concerts, more than 30 choir rehearsals, and hundreds
of hours of individual practice.
The Cathedral Music concert program
Unusually for a Catholic parish in western Canada, Holy Rosary
Cathedral maintains an active non-liturgical (concert) music
program. Archbishop Peter Mallon is honorary patron of this program. Its goals are:
(1) to share with the wider community this beautiful building, its distinguished organ,
and the unique environment they provide for music-making; (2) to foster ecumenical
relations by providing opportunities for interdenominational choral concerts and the like;
(3) to provide opportunities for the performance of sacred masterworks for choir and organ
not available in a liturgical context.
Since its inception in 1993, the Cathedral Music series has presented more than
60 concerts. Notable among these are the annual Cathedral Village Arts Festival
choral concerts, which have raised more than $5,000 for the Regina Food Bank, and
performances on the McGuigan Organ by distinguished visitors from Canada, the US, and
Europe. The annual Summer Series of Wednesday evening concerts has provided opportunities
for local musicians and visitors alike.
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