Children's Choir

Membership in the Children's Choir is open to all children in Grades 3 and up who are able to attend mass regularly on Saturdays at 5:00 PM, with warm up practices at 4:40 PM. No audition is necessary. Regular practices take place on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM throughout the school year, and after school snacks are provided. On Saturdays, the choir leads the music from the choir loft, and parents are welcome to sit in the loft as well.

Family Choir

The Family Choir is under the direction of Tony MacKinnon, who writes that "no experience is necessary-just a love of singing. The majority of the repertoire has a contemporary focus, although not exclusively so, with the choir accompanied primarily by piano and guitar. We sing with enthusiasm, but also with reverence, and hope to have the congregation join the singing as much as possible. Members are expected to attend practice weekly, although it is understood that this may not always be possible. Members are welcome to have their children sing with us on Sunday and also attend practices if they wish." The Family Choir meets for rehearsals on Wednesdays at 7:30-9:00 PM, and warms up on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM for the 9:30 mass.

Parish Choir

The forty-one members of the Parish Choir provide musical leadership at the 11:30 AM mass on Sundays. Along with supporting the congregation in the singing of hymns and parts of the mass, the choir has an extensive repertoire of choral music drawn from the great Catholic musical tradition of the last five centuries. They regularly sing motets by composers such as Palestrina, Victoria, Tallis and Byrd, although John Rutter is heard on occasion. No formal audition is required, but prospective members are asked to meet with the Director of Music before joining to talk about guidelines, procedures, and expectations. The Parish Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, and meets on Sundays at 10:45 AM to prepare for the 11:30 AM mass.In the fall of 2008, the Parish Choir will release its latest CD recording, O Magnum Mysterium-Christmas Music from the St. Joseph Parish Choir.

For further information about any of the choirs at St. Joseph Parish, please contact Stillman Matheson, Director of Music, at 905-528-0019.