SACRED MUSIC AT ST MONICA Introducing the St Monica Schola Cantorum!

Youth Choirs

St. Agnes Novice Choir -(mixed boys and girls) is the primary foundational choir for all first-year treble singers ages 7-10. The aim of the Novice Choir is to give children who are new to singing and reading music the opportunity to learn and ask questions without the pressure of performance.

The St. Agnes Novice Choir will occasionally join their respective ensembles (St. Dominic Savio Boys Choir or St. Cecilia Girls’ Choir) at various Masses throughout the year in order to observe the flow of Holy Mass from the perspective of a chorister. This choir meets four times a month on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 4:35.

St. Cecilia Girl Choir -is the parish treble-voiced choir for girls ages 8-14. This ensemble is primarily educational and sings with the Schola Caeciliana or The St. Hildegard Schola for various Sundays and feast-days throughout the year.

All first-year choristers age 7-10 will be placed in the Novice Choir before entering the St. Cecilia Girl Choir. First-year choristers ages 11-14 will be auditioned to determine their suitability to sing in this choir. This choir meets four times a month on Wednesdays from 4:45 to 5:25.

St. Dominic Savio Boy Choir- is the parish treble-voiced choir for boys ages 8-13. The ensemble is primarily educational and sings with the St. Gregory the Great Schola or the St. Ambrose Schola Cantorum for various Sundays and feast-days throughout the year.

All first-year choristers age 7-10 will be placed in the Novice Choir before entering the St. Dominic Savio Boy Choir. First-year choristers ages 11-13 will be auditioned to determine their suitability to sing in this choir. This choir meets four times a month on Wednesdays from 5:40 to 6:20.

Young Adult/Adult Choirs

St. Gregory the Great Schola is the primary mixed voice ensemble for the Traditional Latin Mass. It is open to mature teens and older. This choir is further divided into The Schola Caeciliana (female voices only) and The Schola Gregoriana (male voices only). These ensembles combined provide the Gregorian Chants and polyphony for the Traditional Latin Mass which sings the first Sunday of every month and some Holy Days. This schola meets weekly on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m.

St. Ambrose Schola Cantorum is the primary mixed voice ensemble for the Novus Ordo 10:45 a.m. Sunday Mass. It is open to mature teens and older. This choir is further divided into the St. Hildegard Schola (female voices only) and the Schola Cantorum (male voices only). These ensembles combined provide the chants and motets for the Novus Ordo Mass which sings weekly and on some Holy Days. This schola meets weekly on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m.

Cantor opportunities abound at St. Monica. Cantors are selected from participants in one of the above choirs and must take part in a vigorous cantor training program.

Paid cantors must meet a standard of vocal accomplishment and are selected by the Director of Sacred Music.