Liturgical music raises voices toward
heaven. And the choirs of the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington have
been doing so for years — 50 years for the Cathedral Choir and 25 years for the
Diocesan Choir.
Featuring a commissioned
work by composer Charles Thatcher — “My Heart is Ready” — and Giovanni
Pergolisi’s “Magnificat,” the Cathedral Choir and Diocesan Choir will celebrate
their respective anniversaries with a concert at the Cathedral of St. Thomas
More in Arlington Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Nationally known guest organist Mary
Beth Bennett will accompany the choir. Richard P. Gibala is celebrating his
30th year as artistic and music director of the choirs.
Gibala describes the
choirs as a family, which has experienced everything a family does, including losses.
“The choir comes forward
in beautiful ways,” he said. “God is there in the music all the time.”
Fifty years ago, John Q.
Pierce joined the Cathedral Choir after Msgr. Richard J. Burke, then rector,
called for volunteers to form a choir. Pierce, along with the choir, have a
repertoire of more than 850 works.
“I love to sing,” said
Pierce. “It’s such an honor to be able to sing at the liturgy. I believe most
of us singers get far more out of singing in church than we give.”
Before joining the
Cathedral Choir, Pierce was a soprano in the men and boys choir at the
cathedral 1962-65. He now sings bass with the other 40 choir members.
The Cathedral Choir sings
each Sunday at the 11 a.m. Mass, as well as major feast days and diocesan
liturgies. They have sung several times for the Mass for Shut-ins in
Washington. In 2001, they sang for the nationally televised memorial Mass for
Barbara Olson who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Cathedral Choir
traveled internationally in 2002 to sing for a papal Mass at St. Peter’s
Basilica, at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, and at a papal audience, and they gave
a concert for the City of Rome at San Ignatio Church, as well as at the
Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
They recorded CDs in
1989, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2006. They have sung for priesthood ordinations and
episcopal installations over the years, including Bishop Thomas J. Welsh as the
first bishop of Arlington (1974), Bishop John R. Keating (1983), Bishop Paul S.
Loverde (1999) and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge (2016).
Choir directors over the
years have included Jack Cooper, Samuel F. Lowe, Dennis Striny, Tom Riley,
Michael Cordovana and Jack Neil. Haig Mardirosian served from 1977 to 1990, and
Gibala began in 1990.
Pierce said the
consistency of the conductors made a difference.
“There was huge progress
in the quality of singing and the care with which the liturgy was executed,” he
said. “The spirituality with which Rick conducts the choir is his hallmark, but
the quality and repertoire continued consistently.”
The Diocesan Choir sings
for the Rite of Election, adult confirmations, ordinations of transitional and
permanent deacons, priestly ordinations, Mass for Marriage Jubilarians and the
diocesan pilgrimage.
The choir was formed in
1999 for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Arlington
under what was called the Diocesan Festival Choir. The call went out again the following
year for the Millennium Celebration Mass.
Members, who come from parishes
across the diocese, include choir directors, cantors, organists and others.
Some charter members have
participated in the choir each of the 25 years. Father Stephen J. Schultz, chaplain
of St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, was in the choir before he entered
the seminary. The choir prayed for him at every choir gathering during his
years of seminary preparation and sang for his ordinations.
The anniversary celebrations
continue Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. with the annual Service of Lessons and Carols.
Elliott can be reached
at [email protected] or Twitter @eelliottACH.
Find out more
The 50th Anniversary Concert, Cathedral of St. Thomas
More, 3901 Cathedral Ln., Arlington, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
