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The Second Vatican Council declared,
“…the liturgy is the
summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed;
at the same time it is the fount from which all the Church’s
power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is
that all who are made children of God by faith and baptism
should come together and praise God in the midst of his
Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord’s
Supper. The liturgy in its turn moves the faithful, filled
with ‘the paschal sacraments’, to be ‘one in holiness’; it
prays that ‘they may hold fast in their lives to what they
have grasped by their faith’; the renewal in the Eucharist
of the covenant between the Lord and his people draws the
faithful into the compelling love of Christ and sets them on
fire.” (Sacrosanctum concilium, No. 10)
As
this rich and dramatic statement makes abundantly clear, the
most important part of our lives as Catholic Christians is
the celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays.
Since the founding of the Church, this has included the use
of chants, psalms, and spiritual songs in praise of God.
Indeed, Vatican II, the council which addressed sacred music
more thoroughly than any other, states, “The musical
tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of
inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art.”
(SC, No. 112) Out of love for God and in obedience
to the Church, we at St. Gabriel the Archangel strive to
live this wonderful vision.
Choirs
“The treasure of sacred music is to be
preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be
diligently developed…” (SC, No. 114) The musical
leadership for Catholic Mass, whether in religious
communities or parishes, has always been provided chiefly by
the choir. In the words of the late John Paul II,
“The conciliar norms
regarding the reform of the Liturgy have given the choir’s
function greater prominence and importance. The choir is
responsible for the correct performance of its part,
according to the differing types of song, to help the
faithful to take an active part in the singing”. (Chirograph,
12.)
We are fortunate at St. Gabriel to have a fine tradition of
choral music.
Our chief choir, the St. Gabriel Choir, sings at
the 11 AM Mass from September until the feast of Corpus
Christi. Its repertoire is drawn chiefly from motets and
polyphony of all musical periods and Gregorian chant in
accordance with the wishes of Vatican II (cf. SC, No.
116). When appropriate, fine anthems with organ
accompaniment and music from various American music
traditions are represented as well.
The voice of a child is arguably more pure and
beautiful than any other; at St. Gabriel, we maintain an
active Children’s Choir, which sings for the Thursday 8 AM
all-school Mass and occasionally for the 9 AM Sunday Mass.
Through this choir, our children can learn basic
musicianship and vocal skills, not to mention many concepts
of the Faith through sacred music.
The St. Gabriel Resurrection Choir sings for all
funeral masses at the parish. It is one of our most
valuable choirs because it prays for the deceased through
music and helps perform the seventh corporal work of
mercy—burial of the dead. Again, the Resurrection Choir
helps to make the funeral Mass a loving offering to God on
behalf of and for our parishioners.
The Emmaus Choir leads the music for our Sunday
evening Mass. It sings a variety of styles, with more of a
focus on contemporary and praise-and-worship music than our
other masses.
In addition to these foundational elements,
other groups, such as the Cherub Choir (for our littlest
children grades K-2), handbell choirs, and instrumentalists
add a festive flourish to seasonal liturgies. Cantors are
present at all masses to help lead congregational singing
and chant the responsorial Psalm.
Speaking of the congregation: you are important
to our music! Through prayers, responses and dialogues, and
singing, you support our work and act as one of the chief
pillars of the parish music program. In addition to your
active participation at Mass (St. Gabriel is known for fine
congregational singing, we might add), your prayers support
our musical mission.
Our Pipe Organ
The pipe organ at St. Gabriel was built in 1961 by the St.
Louis Pipe Organ Company and rebuilt in 1991 by the Wicks
Organ Company. Further work was performed in 2002 by Robert
G. Dial. The organ, located in two chambers in the gallery
of the church, is of three manuals and around thirty ranks
of pipes. The pipe organ is an especially important element
of our program because
“In the Latin Church the
pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the
traditional musical instrument that adds a wonderful
splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up
the spirit to God and to higher things.” (SC, No.
120)
It
is used at every vigil, Sunday morning, Holy Day, and school
Mass, as well as for occasional concerts. While playable
and in a fine state of repair, we are still in the process
of finishing work put into motion in 1991. Your financial
stewardship and support in this matter of key importance to
our music ministry is greatly appreciated.
Where
do I fit in?
Chances are there is a place for you in the
music ministry at St. Gabriel. Some roles, such singing as
a cantor or in the St. Gabriel Choir or playing an
instrument, require an audition and some basic musicianship
skills. For some groups, though, an audition is not
required, and parish membership is not strictly necessary.
We welcome visitors in the gallery choir loft after every
Mass and would be glad to hear from you via phone or email.
On behalf of our parish, choirs, musicians, and staff,
welcome to our music program! |
