St. Peter in Chains
Choir
St. Peter in Chains choir is dedicated to
preserving the the musical heritage of the Extraordinary Form Mass,
sometimes known as the “Latin” or “Tridentene” Mass. The members are all
volunteers, and all ages are welcome. St. Peter in Chains sings at the
12:15pm Extraordinary Form Mass every Sunday, and on various solemnities
and feast days at 7pm throughout the year. Practices are from 7-8:15pm
on Tuesday evenings. The name of the choir is taken from our parish
patron, St. Peter. The choir is specifically dedicated to St. Peter
while in prison, as our church building is one of the few places in the
United States with a memorial to St. Peter in captivity. St. Peter in
Chains choir is under the direction of Stephanie Brune. New members do
not need to have a prior knowledge of note reading or Latin
pronunciation. Persons interested in joining the choir may contact
stpetervolochoirs@gmail.com,
or call the Parish office at 815-385-5496.
St. Gregory Choir
St. Gregory Choir is an all volunteer choir comprised mainly of
adults and young adults. St. Gregory is a four part choir whose goal
is to preserve the rich liturgical heritage of the Church through
use of a variety of musical styles, including hymnody, motets, and
chant. This choir sings at the 9:30am Ordinary Form Mass twice
monthly, and at Extraordinary Form Masses for solemnities and feast
days throughout the year. St. Gregory Choir is responsible for the
music at some of the most important solemnities in the Church
calendar, including Easter Vigil, Christmas Midnight Mass, and
Corpus Christi. St. Gregory choir practices on Wednesday evenings
from 8-9:30pm. The choir is under the direction of Terri Widhalm.
The namesake and patron of this choir, Pope St. Gregory the Great,
was responsible not only for solidifying many aspects of the
Catholic Liturgy, but also for finalizing the arrangement of
plainsong, or chant. Consequently, this official music of the Church
is called “Gregorian” chant. New members do not need to have a prior
knowledge of note reading or Latin pronounciation. Persons
interested in joining the choir may contact
stpetervolochoirs@gmail.com or call the parish office at
815-385-5496
Chorus Spes Ecclesiae
Chorus Spes Ecclesiae, or “Hope of the Church”
choir, is a youth choir comprised of both boys and girls. The choir
averages thirty members, and ranges in age from 8 to 18. Younger members
are welcome as long as they can read (English) text fluently. Chorus
Spes Ecclesiae sings at the 9:30am Ordinary Form Mass twice monthly,
alternating with St. Gregory choir. The choir also sings at the 8am Mass
on solemnities and feast days throughout the year, and at the 9:30am
Masses on Easter morning and Christmas Day. The youth in this choir are
dedicated to glorifying God through sacred music, while also gaining
catechetical and musical knowledge. The choir goes on a field trip at
least once per year. The most recent trip was to sing for Mass at
Marytown National Shrine. Chorus Spes Ecclesiae is under the direction
of Stephanie Bruné. Parents of youth interested in joining the choir can
contact Mrs. Bruné at:
stpetervolochoirs@gmail.com or call the parish office at
815-385-5496.
Chorus Rosa Mystica
Chorus Rosa Mystica is a youth choir for the
Spanish speaking congregation at St. Peter Church. The name of this
choir is taken from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom the
choir is dedicated. We remember the Blessed Virgin Mary as a “mystical
rose” in a special way, as the large stained glass window in the choir
loft is of Mary filling St. Juan Diego's cloak with roses. Chorus Rosa
Mystica practices from 5-5:50pm on Sunday afternoons, and sings at the
6pm Spanish Mass one Sunday per month.
Chorus Veritatis Splendor
Chorus Veritatis Splendor is a small ensemble
comprising six to ten voices. Taking its name from Plato's statement
“Beauty is the Splendor of Truth”, which has been echoed in recent
encyclicals and church documents promulgated by Popes John Paul II and
Benedict XVI, Chorus Veritatis Splendor 's goal is to make the truth of
God apparent through the beauty of sacred music. This choir is focused
on performing polyphonic sacred music from the Renaissance era,
including composers such as Palestrina, Tallis, Vittoria, and Byrd.
Veritatis Splendor sings for solemnities and feast days throughout the
year, and also for occasional Sunday Masses for both Ordinary and
Extraordinary Forms. Chorus Veritatis Splendor is under the dual
direction of Marshall and Stephanie Bruné.
Gregorian Chant Scholas
New this year to St. Peter Church are three
Gregorian Chant scholas, one each for men, women, and treble youth
voices. The goal of these scholas is to glorify God through the
preservation of the official music of the Catholic Church, Gregorian
chant. These scholas work specifically on singing the Propers of the
Mass, the Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertory, and Communio chants.
The texts of all of these chants are Biblical, often from the Book of
Psalms. The musical settings are, for the most part, quite ancient,
often dating to the first millenium. The men's and women's scholas
practice from 9:30-10pm on Wednesdays, immediately following the St.
Gregory choir's practice. The youth schola practices from
6:00-6:45pm after Chorus Spes Ecclesiae's
practice. No prior experience with note reading or Latin pronounciation
is required for those interested in joining. Interested persons may
contact
stpetervolochoirs@gmail.com or contact the parish office at
815-385-5496.
