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The Notre Dame Liturgical Choir is a continuation of the Chapel Choir, which originated in 1969 and was officially founded in 1973. It is composed of approximately 70 singers drawn from all areas of the undergraduate and graduate student body.

 

The Choir’s main purpose is to provide musical leadership at the 10 AM Solemn Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, a French Gothic structure built in 1871 by University founder Fr. Edward Sorin. The Sunday Mass at 10 AM (Eastern time) is televised weekly on CatholicTV. CatholicTV can be found on Comcast, Verizon, Full Channel and RCN cable providers in the New England area and is available nationally on Sky Angel IPTV and online at www.CatholicTV.com.

The Liturgical Choir is also responsible for providing liturgical music for services such as Sunday Vespers, weddings in the Basilica, dedications, ordinations, Advent Lessons and Carols, and special university liturgies such as Welcome Weekend and the Baccalaureate Mass.

Every year, the Liturgical Choir goes on either a domestic or foreign tour to share our talents with as many people as possible. Recently, we have gone to France and Spain on foreign tours and Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina on domestic tours. We announce our next tour every year after Holy Week!

Holy Week is of special importance to the Choir, including Palm Sunday, Tenebrae, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday, and Easter Vespers liturgies.

Membership in the Liturgical Choir is open to all undergraduate and graduate students of the University of Notre Dame. Membership is by audition only, and singers from all colleges and departments are welcome. General auditions for all University choral ensembles are held at the beginning of each academic year. Limited auditions are sometimes held at other times throughout the year as well. Led by director Dr. Andrew McShane, and assisted by Dr. Jonathan Hehn, the choir performs a repertoire drawn on the diverse traditions of a cappella and accompanied sacred music from the Renaissance through the twentieth century. In recognition of the Liturgical Choir’s special ministry to the Notre Dame community, Pope John Paul II extended his apostolic blessing upon the Choir in 1989.