"Liturgical musicians are first of all disciples, and only then are they ministers.  Joined to Christ through the Sacraments of Initiation, musicians belong to the assembly of the baptized faithful; they are worshipers above all else.  Like other baptized members of the assembly, pastoral musicians need to hear the Gospel, experience conversion, profess faith in Christ, and so proclaim the praise of God. Thus, musicians who serve the Church at prayer are not merely employees or volunteers.  They are ministers who share the faith, serve the community, and express the love of God and neighbor through music."
Sing to the Lord-Music in Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, #49
 

5:45 pm Christmas Eve Choir
Parishioners are invited to sing with the Loyola Ensemble at the 5:45pm Christmas Eve Mass in the Church.  Please join the Ensemble for rehearsal on Tuesday, December 20, from 7:15-8:30pm in the Neale Room.  The previously scheduled rehearsal on December 18 has been canceled.   For more information, please contact Kathleen DeJardin at kdejardin@holytrinitydc.org.

Mass of Wisdom-
Holy Trinity Parish is in the process of learning composer and liturgist Steven Janco's Mass of Wisdom.   We will learn The Mystery of Faith-"Save us, Savior of the world, for by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free.", the Great Amen, the Holy, Holy and the Glory to God.   To hear this a performance of the Mass of Wisdom please click on this link: www.wlp.jspaluch.com/11569.htm
Click on the "listen" tab and listen to these movements.  We learn this Mass in anticipation of the revised text of the Roman Missal which we will begin using the First Sunday of Advent.  Cardinal Wuerl has given parishes permission to begin learning and using new Mass settings.    

Annual Carols for the Journey Concert
Please join us as we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord-Sunday, January 8, 3-4pm  Holy Trinity Church
Take down those last Christmas decorations and come make merry with us by hearing and singing your favorite Chrismtas carols at the "Carols for hte Journey" concert, presented by all of the Holy Trinity choirs on this day of the Epiphany of the Lord.  
If you have always wanted to sing int he choir-this is your chance!  Enjoy this celebration of Christmas music and the results of the hard work oru choirs have been putting in over the past weeks. 
This free, hour-long concert will be followed by a Christmas cookie and wassail/hot apple cider reception.  
For more information, please contact kdejardin@holytrinitydc.org. 

Music Ministry Events and Rehearsals Calendar

 To learn more about Music Ministry at Holy Trinity, please read below, or click one of these links to jump to that subject.

Liturgical Choir Schedule at Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity Choirs
Organs in the Church and Chapel
 

 Liturgical Choir Schedule at Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity’s Music Ministry serves the Parish through participation in the weekly liturgies as well as special events scheduled during the year.

The music ministry brings song to six of seven liturgies each weekend in addition to providing music for feast days, special liturgies, wedding celebrations and funeral liturgies.

The weekend liturgies include:

• Saturday 5:30 p.m. Vigil with organ and cantor; every other month-Women's Choir
• Sunday 9:00 a.m. Church Mass with various instruments, cantor and Loyola Ensemble;
• Sunday 9:00 a.m. Theater Mass with piano, guitar, cantor,
• Sunday 11:30 a.m. Solemn Mass with organ, cantor and Ignatian Choir;
• Sunday 1:15 p.m. Mass with organ and cantor; every other month-Women's Choir
• Sunday 5:30 p.m. Mass with piano, guitar, flute, and contemporary choir.
• Sunday 7:15 p.m. Young Adult Community (YAC) Mass in the St. Ignatius Chapel with YAC choir (Once a month)
• Sunday 9:00 a.m. Youth Mass in the St. Ignatius Chapel with Youth Ensemble-Instrumentalists and singers  (Once a month)
•   

Holy Trinity Choirs

Holy Trinity Youth Ensemble: This choir ministers musically 2 times a month: the first Sunday of the month at the 9 am Mass, rotating monthly between Church and Theater, and at the regular Youth Mass, held in the St. Ignatius Chapel at 9 am.   The ensemble of open to all 7th-12th graders.   The ensemble includes singers, guitar, violin, cello, flute, clarinet and percussion.  Rehearsals are Mass Sundays at 8:15 am in the Chapel.

Holy Trinity Loyola Ensemble:  This ensemble ministers at the 9 am Mass in the Church and is comprised of both singers, instrumentalists and guitarists.  The choir also welcomes members of the Children's Choir.  They will rehearse with the choir at 8 am and be a part of the Ensemble for liturgy in the church.  The repertoire includes the 9 am liturgical music as well as special choral music encompassing all styles.   The ensemble rehearses two Tuesday evenings a month (1st and 3rd Tuesdays) from 7:15 -8:30 pm in the Neale Room and Sunday mornings at 8:00 am, prior to Mass, in the Neale Room.

Holy Trinity Ignatian Choir:  This choir supports and enhances the music at the 11:30 am Mass.   Their repertoire encompasses all styles of music, from chant and Renaissance motets to 20th century anthems,  sung a cappella or with organ accompaniment. They rehearse Thursday evenings in the Neale Room from 7:30 to 9:30 pm and Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, prior to Mass. 

Holy Trinity 5:30 Ensemble: This group leads the worship at the 5:30 pm Sunday Mass.  Their repertoire is basically contemporary and is accompanied by piano, guitar and other instruments.   They rehearse Sundays in the Church prior to Mass.

Holy Trinity Women's Choir:  This choir supports and enhances the music once a month, at either the Saturday Vigil or  Sunday 1:15 Masses.  Their repertoire encompasses women's 2-4 part music of all styles.   The rehearsal commitment is limited.  The choir rehearses the Sunday afternoon (2:30-4:00pm-Neale Room) of the weekend before their scheduled Mass. 
2011 Fall schedule:
October 2 rehearsal-October 9   Vigil Mass
November 13 rehearsal-November 20    1:15 Mass
December 11 rehearsal-December 17   Vigil Mass

For more information on any of the Holy Trinity Choral groups, please contact the Music Office at 202.903.2805.                        

Organs in the Church & Chapel

The Historic 1925 Skinner Organ in Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church is blessed to have a 1925 E.M Skinner organ, one of the finest of its era. The instrument went through a five-year renovation and expansion program between 1995 and 2000.
Organ in the Church

This historic instrument was originally installed in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress until it was brought to Holy Trinity in 1955. Contracts were signed in 1995 with the Lively-Fulcher Organ Company to rebuild/refurbish and enlarge the instrument.

In the summer of 1996, the company replaced the failing wind chests of the great and choir divisions of the organ. The swell and pedal wind chests were in good repair.

In the fall of 1997, Lively-Fulcher revoiced and tonally regulated the entire instrument, which over the years, had been worked on and added to by various organ builders. The work brought the organ into one cohesive tonal ensemble.

In the summer of 1999, a much-needed new console was installed. This new console had the stop preparations for the additions that were to come.

Finally, in the spring of 2000, those additions became a reality. Included were five new stops to the pedal division including a full-length 32' pedal reed, and a walker digital 32' bourdon. Other additions included a 4' reed on the swell, a 16' bourdon on the great, a tierce on the choir and a solo "Festive Trumpet".

Now complete, this historic organ has 50 ranks over 4 divisions and over 2,500 pipes. It is a versatile instrument, capable of playing the majority of organ repertoire, and perfectly suited to lead Catholic liturgy.

The Visser Tracker Organ in The Chapel of Saint Ignatius Loyola

Organ in the Chapel in November 1999, His Eminence, Cardinal Hickey, blessed the Chapel of Saint Ignatius Loyola. This Chapel was the original church of Holy Trinity, the oldest place of continuous Catholic Worship in the District of Columbia, built in 1792.

The original church went through many evolutions after the main church was built in the mid-nineteenth century. The refurbished chapel is now used for three daily masses, as well as weddings, funerals and other liturgical celebrations.

In the spring of 2000 the Visser & Associates Organ Company of Houston, Texas installed a new pipe organ designed for this new Chapel.

The instrument is a nine-stop tracker organ over two manuals and pedal. It is completely self-contained on a movable platform for versatility in the space.

Prayers, quotes, and document exerpts: 

There are as many ways to pray as there are moments in life.
Sometimes we seek out a quiet spot and want to be alone,
sometimes we look for a friend and want to be together.
Sometimes we like a book, sometimes we prefer music.
Sometimes we want to sing out with hundreds,
sometimes only whisper with a few.
Sometimes we want to say it with words,
sometimes with a deep silence.
In all these moments,
we gradually make our live more of a prayer
and we open our hands
to be led by God
even to places we would rather not go.
Henri Nouwen

There is the Music of Heaven in all things
and we have forgotten how to hear it until we sing.
Hildegard of Bingen 

  "In the celebration of Mass the faithful form a holy people, a people whom God has made his own, a royal priesthood, so that they may give thanks to God and offer the spotless Victim not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him, and so that they may learn to offer themselves."  This is the basis for the "full, conscious and active participation" of the faithful demanded by the very nature of the Lilturgy. 
Because the gathered liturgical assembly forms one body, each of its members must shun "any appearance of individualism or division, keeping before their eyes that they have only one Father in heaven and accordingly all are brothers and sisters to each other."  
Singing is one of the primary ways that the assembly of the faithful participates actively in the Liturgy.  The people are encouraged "to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalms, antiphons and hymns...." 
Sing to the Lord-Music in Divine Worship.  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 24,25,26