I will sing to God as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being."
- Psalm 104:33
The music ministry at St. James is an inextricable part of our regular worship. Mass is augmented five days a week at noon by both leader of song, and organ. This is true also at our two masses on Sunday morning and our Sunday evening mass. On Solemnities throughout the year, the regular music ministry is joined by professional singers and musicians.
Both Leader of Song and congregation sing the Ordinary of the Mass, as well as hymns appropriate to the season of the Church year. In addition to our hymnal, Ritual Song, we frequently draw upon other resources from the centuries of great sacred music that belong to our Catholic tradition, as well as contemporary pieces, all equally employed to enrich our prayer and praise of God.
The Cathedral is home to a 1981 Konzelman organ. The instrument is one of the finest examples of pipe organs to be found in the Brooklyn area. It is equally powerful for performing pieces from the standard repertoire as it is serving as the foundation that leads our congregation in song at each mass, and liturgies throughout the year.
The music ministry is currently trying to add to our musical forces by forming a choir of volunteers; both those who are able from the congregation and anyone in the area who would like to lend their time and talent singing in a beautiful space.
Whether you are visiting St. James for the first time, or you have been here many times before, we hope that the music you heard uplifted your spirit, inspired your soul, and enlivened your praise of God.
As St. Augustine himself observed, "he who sings well prays twice.”
Click here for more information about the pipe organ in the cathedral.
