This handbook was revised by Thomas Chase / 20 August 2000
Liturgical Music at Holy Rosary Cathedral
The choice of music for liturgies at Holy Rosary Cathedral reflects the following statements from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the second Vatican Council:
Art. 112. 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 sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.
Art. 114. The treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs.
A number of factors guide the choice of liturgical music. First among them, because of the primacy of words over music, is a given text’s suitability to the scripture readings of the day and to the liturgical season. The chief goal, therefore, is to integrate congregational and choral music with the liturgy of the word, so that what we sing mirrors and reinforces what is proclaimed from scripture.
Once suitability of texts has been established, the overall goal in choosing both congregational and choral music is a balance of musical styles and periods. Plainchant and other older forms are sung neither as museum pieces nor out of a longing for the past, but as vital parts of the church’s living tradition of liturgical music. Texts sung in Latin are parts of that tradition as well.
The Catholic Book of Worship, 3rd edition, is the source of nearly all congregational music sung at morning Masses in the Cathedral. This hymnal, published by the bishops of Canada, contains a wide selection of music from various styles and periods, thus fulfilling the directives given by the Council a generation ago. The process of introducing this book to our parish began on the first Sunday of Advent 1994, and will continue for several years.
At times, people ask why we sing hymn texts to tunes other than those paired with them in the hymnal. We do so to set a needed text to a tune that is easier, more familiar, or more suitable. In choosing hymns, the text as it relates to the Sunday scripture readings and the liturgical season is the principal criterion, not the music. We are also trying to introduce many new texts from CBW III without overwhelming the congregation with too many new tunes at once.
In the same way, verses are omitted only when they are not appropriate to the readings of the day.
In choosing choral music (again after the essential factor, suitability of text, has been established) the main criteria are level of difficulty, voice ranges, amount of rehearsal time required, and availability of legitimate copies either in our own library or through borrowing. The choir does not possess or use illegally copied music.
Organ music from the time of Bach’s predecessors to present-day composers has close links with liturgical song. Much of the organ repertoire has roots in congregational hymnody (e.g., the chorale preludes of Bach), in plainchant (the works of French composers from DeGrigny onward), and in direct scriptural and liturgical inspiration (e.g., the music of Messiaen). Organ preludes, postludes, and interludes at Holy Rosary Cathedral are selected on the basis of their connections to sung music within the liturgy of the day and on their seasonal appropriateness. Improvisation on liturgical themes, long a part of Catholic musical practice, especially in France and Germany, is also an important component in organ music at Holy Rosary Cathedral.
Non-Liturgical Music ("Cathedral Music")
Unusually for a Catholic parish in western Canada, Holy Rosary Cathedral maintains an active non-liturgical music program called Cathedral Music. It sprang from planning done in the late 1980s and early 1990s which led to the renewal of the organ and a major renovation of the building’s interior. The goals of Cathedral Music are several: (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, Cathedral Music has presented more than 50 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 such as Naji Hakim of Paris, Maurice Clerc of Dijon, and Thomas Murray of Yale University. The annual Summer Series of Wednesday evening concerts has provided many opportunities for local musicians and visitors alike.
Archbishop Peter Mallon is honorary patron of the Cathedral Music program.
The Cathedral Choir
Holy Rosary Cathedral Choir was founded in 1912, a year before the completion of the Cathedral itself. 2000/01 marks its 88th season of liturgical ministry to the parish and Archdiocese. The current membership has cumulatively given more than 400 years of service.
Membership in the Choir
Each choir member exercises a liturgical ministry within the parish, a ministry that requires a considerable sacrifice of time in preparation and rehearsal. We recognize that a non-professional choir such as ours relies for its success on the dedication and commitment of volunteer singers. The choir as a whole cannot succeed if attendance at rehearsals and services is haphazard. Those who are frequently absent place an unfair burden on other members of their section, and retard the process of learning and perfecting music.
Membership in the choir is therefore open to all who support its liturgical ministry, and who are willing to make the sacrifice of time and talent that it involves. It is understood that members have to be away at times, whether for illness, holidays, or family matters. Nonetheless, those who cannot be regularly present for rehearsals and services are asked to withdraw until they are once again able to make a commitment.
Choir members are individually asked to indicate whether they will be able to participate in concerts, special occasions, and the extra rehearsals that these entail. Such activities are not considered a part of the regular commitment.
The choir year runs from September 10, 2000 to June 17, 2001, with breaks following Christmas and Easter. Rehearsals are held on alternate Wednesday evenings from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and on Sunday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. In the 2000/2001 year, there are approximately 35 rehearsals for choir members, as well as approximately 45 services at which the choir will sing. The total commitment of time in rehearsal and singing during the year is estimated to be 150 hours. the equivalent of almost one month of full-time work.
The chief duty of the choir is to prepare congregational and choral music through careful rehearsal, and to lead congregational song (1) at the 11:00 a.m. Mass each Sunday; (2) at special services in the seasons of Christmas, Lent, and Easter; and (3) at Archdiocesan ceremonies such as the Chrism Mass. On these occasions, the choir further enriches the liturgy by its own offerings in the form of anthems and other special music. Outside the liturgy, the choir participates in several musical events each year as part of the Cathedral parish’s outreach to sister churches and to the city at large.
Because rehearsal time is limited, choir members are encouraged to take music home for study and practice. Members are also asked to keep track of what is to be sung when by referring to the listings in this handbook.
The choir executive comprises the President, the Social Secretary, the Section Heads, and a Member at Large, all elected by choir members. The executive represents the interests of the choir to relevant committees and to the parish as a whole, and administers the Choir Fund.
The library contains material from the choir’s earliest days, but the bulk of the collection has been acquired in the last twenty years. It has been substantially enriched in recent years by generous memorial donations from members and members’ families. The library contains nearly 1000 titles, and over 13,000 individual copies of music.
A project to computerize the catalogue was begun in 1989 and completed in 1993. The new electronic catalogue permits searches under a variety of headings including scriptural passage, language, voicing, and level of difficulty. This catalogue is now integrated with the main catalogue of the Saskatchewan Choral Federation. As we have access to their collection and to the collections of other member choirs, so the resources of our library are available on loan to Choral Federation members.
Established in 1989, the Choir Fund was intended to raise money for the purchase of choral music and supplies. The fund is administered by the Choir Executive. A generous response to appeals, in addition to various fundraising activities, means that the choir has been essentially self-supporting for the past nine years. During this time, all acquisitions of choral music, payment of honoraria to guest soloists, some social activities, purchases of music for the Children’s Choir, and other expenses have been covered by the Choir Fund.
Carry out your mission with joy, with love, with reverence, and with dedication. The sphere for your proper function is immense .... Do not cut yourselves off from the requirements of the rites or forget the needs of the congregation. Do not shut yourselves up, contrary to God’s will, in narcissistic complacency over your virtuosity and artistic abilities. Rather, know well how to give real guidance to the assembly by inspiring people to sing, by raising the level of their taste, by arousing their desire to take part. Give to the celebrations solemnity, joy, unity. This is a priceless service you are giving to the Church .... You must devote all your power to that service.
-- Paul VI, Address to the 10th International Congress of Church Choirs (1970)