Make a Joyful Noise!
There are many opportunities to share your musical gifts and be part of the musical life here at St. Gabriel. It's a wonderful way to serve the Church, enrich our weekend liturgies, grow in fellowship, and have fun along the way.
A Note from Eric
I believe that music is a gift from God that strengthens our prayers. During Mass, music acts as a medium that collects and binds our spirits and prayers into one as a Parish community. The more active we are in singing together, the more powerful our prayers become. As St. Augustine said, “to sing is to pray twice”.
When we come to church for Mass on a weekend, we all become part of a large ‘congregational choir’. What makes this choir so special is that we breathe sacred text together through our Mass settings, Psalms, and hymns. Whether or not you think you have a good singing voice, to God's divine ears, all our voices are lovely.
Our St. Gabriel Music Ministry represents this larger St. Gabriel communal choir that helps lead our prayers through music. We need your help to further enrich our liturgy and we are always welcoming new members to be part of this wonderful ministry, whether you are a beginner or a professional musician. For anyone looking to deepen their faith through music or contribute to the parish community, St. Gabriel Music Ministry will be a great fit for you.
St. Gabriel Choir
The Choir rehearses in the church from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays, and sings at the 10 am Mass on Sunday. No experience reading music is required – just the enthusiasm to share your voice to enhance our worship. Feel free to drop in on any of our weekly rehearsals!
St. Gabriel Ensemble
The Ensemble rehearses with the Choir in the church on Thursday evenings, and rotates which mass they play each month. Our goal with this group is to bring a more contemporary touch to music at Mass.
St. Gabriel Bell Choir
The Bell Choir rehearses in the church from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Mondays. We play for special liturgies throughout the liturgical year such as Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas. No experience is required to join the Bell Choir.
Cantors
Cantors lead the congregation in song at all of our liturgies. We provide free training and ongoing enrichment for our cantors!
Instrumentalists
Do you play an instrument? St. Gabriel is blessed with a wonderful variety of instruments at Mass, including piano, violin, cello, double bass, guitar, clarinet, and more. Whether you play the flute, guitar, trumpet, or another instrument, we’d love to have you join us! Share your musical gifts and help enrich our worship at St. Gabriel.
Contact Eric Chu, Director of Music and Worship, for more information at echu@stgabriel.net or 239-5481, ext. 309.