The Music Ministry of St. Mary Church consists of an adult choir, a youth choir, and a children's choir, and is led by Muriel Maharidge, who has been a parishioner at St. Mary’s since 2010 and holds a Doctorate in Choral Conducting. Muriel also serves as St. Mary’s principal cantor. Our principal organist is Laura Intravia, who started working with us in the Fall of 2022.

 

Follow the links above for more details regarding membership and schedule for each choir. Read on for general information about the ministry.

 

Note that St. Joseph's and St. Mary’s Church have their own distinct music ministry. Those wishing to get involved with the 8:30 AM Sunday Mass at St. Joseph should contact Jim DeLucia (see St. Joseph Church Choir information here).

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Our Ministry:

 

The beauty and the dignity of the liturgy is at the core of our work. In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, His Holiness Pope Francis states, “Every expression of true beauty can […] be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus” and encourages us to have “a renewed esteem for beauty as a means of touching the human heart and enabling the truth and goodness of the Risen Christ to radiate within it” (#167).

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Being a Choir Member:

 

Anyone with some desire or ability to sing should feel encouraged to be a part of the music ministry, regardless of the extent of their formal musical training, because each choir practice includes systematic vocal coaching and musical formation. In other words: you provide the ‘raw vocal material’ and enthusiasm/assiduity, and we provide all the necessary training!

 

Participation in a liturgical choir allows a privileged way to worship and deeper understanding of the liturgy; it is also a great gift of time and talent to make to one’s Creator, from which the entire congregation benefits. On a personal level, choral singing often leads to meaningful friendships and is a wonderful source of joy and artistic growth.

There is much to give and much to gain!

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Sacred Music at St. Mary - Its Purpose and Historical Roots:

 

By definition, the sacred is what is ‘set apart for God.' When Moses approaches the Burning Bush, he is told to remove his sandals, which had been taking him through all the ordinary paths of life. Likewise, when we enter into the liturgy, we hope to orient ourselves fully toward God, and leave at the threshold our everyday ways and concerns. With this in mind, authentic sacred music ought to be, by design, particularly oriented toward God and completely distinct in style from what can be heard in everyday life. It is meant to lead hearts and minds into contemplation of the Divine and “disposed for the reception of the fruits of grace belonging to the celebration of the most holy mysteries” (Pope St. Pius X, Tra le Sollecitudini).

 

Sacrosanctum Concilium, the constitution on the Sacred Liturgy promulgated by His Holiness Pope St. Paul VI in 1963, in the context of the Second Vatican Council, continued to acknowledge Gregorian chant as “specially suited to the Roman liturgy” and  “therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services."

 

What gives chant this special suitability is that, unlike most other music, chant is made to adapt entirely to the text, which is treated as primordial over musical or poetic considerations such as meter or rhymes. Furthermore, the text used in chant is exclusively Biblical. 

 

While the Church used Latin for centuries, and could not, at the switch into liturgy in the vernacular, respond promptly to the demand for chant translated into modern languages (as it required writing all new music fitting the translated texts), such English versions of the chanted texts of Mass and the Divine Office have since become available. We make regular use of them at our 10:30 AM liturgy.

 

While hymns came to be ubiquitous at Mass, in the time before translated chant could be obtained, congregants may have lost the awareness that the original structure of the Mass prescribes not only the reading but also the singing of specific, unique texts each Sunday. These sung texts, known collectively as the Proper of the Mass, are the musical counterpart of the readings and deepen the reflection on the readings’ meaning. They consist of a short Scripture quote, acting as an ‘antiphon’ (i.e. akin to a refrain) with passages of the psalms used as verses. The texts of the Proper of the Mass are sung during the Entrance Procession, the Offertory, and Communion. To grant all a more immediate understanding, these chants are regularly offered at St. Mary’s in their English version. Occasionally, especially at Communion when time allows, both the decade-old English and the centuries-old Latin version are sung.

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On special occasions, the choir might offer a newly-composed polyphonic version or draw from the treasure trove of music by great composers who worked for the Catholic Church from the Renaissance onward. Unfortunately, a great number of masterpieces of old are now too long to be suitable for use in our modern liturgy. They are still invaluable for deepening private devotion.

 

Every Sunday, the congregation is encouraged to join in the singing of the Ordinary, which is the collective name for all sung prayers that remain the same from Sunday to Sunday. Depending on the week and the liturgical season, we sing these in English or in Latin, which offers the most universality of use and the longest history. The chants of the Ordinary are: Kyrie eleison (‘Lord have mercy’ which is uniquely featured in ancient Greek), Gloria (‘Glory to God in the Highest’), Sanctus (‘Holy, Holy, Holy’), and Agnus Dei (‘Lamb of God’).

 

At the conclusion of Mass, all are invited to raise their voices in the singing of the final hymn, from our “Worship” hymnal, found in the pews. If look forward picking up this red book at the end of Mass, it is a sure sign that you should prayerfully consider joining one of our choirs!

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The Choirs of St. Mary Church:

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Adult Mixed Choir / Male Schola

 

• Contact: Please email Dr. Muriel Maharidge, Director of Music, to register: murielmaharidge@gmail.com - new members are welcome year-round.

• Membership: The choir is open to all. Rather than an audition, membership is confirmed after a simple trial period. We strive to keep sections balanced with each other (ideally, 4 to 6 singers on each part) and are at the time in special need of bass singers (low male voices).

• Regular rehearsal time: Wednesday 6:15 - 7:30 PM (occasionally later when the season demands it)

• Participation in liturgies: Currently, in the context of rebuilding our ensembles after the pandemic, the preparation of all special feasts and solemnities takes precedence over the weekly presence of the choirs at Mass. In the coming year, as all the music for the highlights of the liturgical year is progressively mastered, additional repertoire for more regular use will be added. The mixed choir is especially involved during Advent, Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide, and other liturgical highlights.

• Schola: Occasionally, the men will be practicing chant alone as a Schola for the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent. This is a great opportunity to approach singing for those who do not yet have experience singing in parts.

 

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Youth Choir

 

• Contact: Please email Dr. Muriel Maharidge, Director of Music, to register yourself or your daughter(s): murielmaharidge@gmail.com - new members are welcome year-round.

• Membership: Ladies ages 12 and up. Young adults are also welcome. Junior members as young as 10 may be admitted based on readiness. Note that boys whose voice has changed are welcome to inquire about the adult choir.

• Regular rehearsal time: Wednesday 4:45 - 6 PM

• Participation in liturgies: Currently, in the context of rebuilding our ensembles after the pandemic, the preparation of all special feasts and solemnities takes precedence over the weekly presence of the choirs at Mass. In the coming year, as all the music for the highlights of the liturgical year is progressively mastered, additional repertoire for more regular use will be added. The Youth Choir is essential for two of our most special celebrations: the Christmas Midnight Mass and the Great Vigil of Easter. The choir also participate in regular monthly liturgies, especially for solemnities.

 

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Children’s Choir

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• Contact: Please email Dr. Muriel Maharidge, Director of Music, to register your child(ren): murielmaharidge@gmail.com - new members are welcome year-round.

• Membership: Singers are welcome even at a very young age, based on readiness. (The youngest singers usually feel more confident on a parent’s lap). Between ages 10 and 12, singers may transition to the Youth Choir, but alumni are always welcome to stay and help!   

• Regular rehearsal time: selected Sundays 9:30 - 10:15 AM, or as announced (at first, rehearsals might be shorter) - The frequency of rehearsal varies through the year. All rehearsals are open to the presence of parents and siblings, but we please ask for everyone’s help in keeping our work environment as quiet as possible.

• Participation in liturgies: For part of the year, participation in the children’s choir is done for its own sake, and children have an opportunity to learn about the the structure of Mass, the liturgical seasons, the functioning of their voices, the long history of Catholic sacred music, and the role of beauty in the worship of God. They gain confidence in their singing and discover a new way to open their hearts to God by learning traditional hymns, Gregorian chant, and easy rounds. Our singers also receive vocal training and learn rudiments of Latin. Each year, the Children’s Choir sings at the highlight of our liturgical year, at the Christmas and Easter morning Mass.