choirmain

Saint Teresa's Choir and Music Ministry Home

Music Director & Organist
Edward Morand
EdKeys@si.rr.com

Mission Statement

St. Augustine once said "Those who sing well pray twice". In this spirit we lead our community in elevating to God our prayers through hymns of glory, joy and gratitude.

Parish Choirs to Resume Annual Liturgical Year of Activity

Our choirs are starting up again! Choristers are selected from grades 1-8, Senior Choir members, from high school on to unlimited age. Rehearsals for Choristers are scheduled on Thursdays, from 2:45-3:45 PM in the choir loft. New members are welcome. We then meet again on Sundays in the lower church hall at 8:30 AM, all in preparation for the Sunday 9:00 AM mass each week. Our Senior Choir members rehearse on Sundays, also, in the lower church hall, at 10:30 AM, in preparation for the Sunday 11:00 AM mass each week This will be the weekly schedule, and we welcome new members, especially during the months of September and October, so that we can prepare for the busy Advent and Christmas season, fast approaching. The only requirements are the desire to sing for the faith community of St. Teresa, a reasonably good voice and ear, and a willingness to come to each week’s rehearsal and masses. We promise you the audition is painless, and you’ll meet some wonderful people, as you fulfill your weekly obligation to attend mass. Ed Morand is the music director and organist, and his email is: edkeys@si.rr.com . Or just stop up after mass!

YOUR FAVORITE HYMNS

Singing is an important part of our Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Here at Saint Teresa’s, musical participation in the sung parts of the Mass is outstanding. In regard to the hymns, some fly better than others. What are your favorite hymns? We would like to know. Just jot them down, place them in an envelope, and drop it in the collection basket. Or, if you wish, you may mail your “old favorites” to the rectory. As we plan for the fall season, we’ll give your suggestions to Mr. Morand. And, unless we’re wrong, we suspect one of those “old favorites” that will emerge at the top of the chart will be “How Great Thou Art”! Give us your opinions. We’re anxious to here from you.

OUR "VISITING VIRTUOSO" CONCERTS

Thanks to the strong support of Father John O'Hara, our parish has been privileged to expand the cultural life of Staten Island by hosting some of the greatest concert organists in the world. Their inspiring performances on our 2001 Peragallo organ have delighted audiences by the hundreds, both from the parish and from the wider community, and have introduced a new generation to the extraordinary concert capabilities of the "King of Instruments." See the box on the right for details on upcoming events.

Upcoming Concerts

Please mark your calendars and join us for the next events in this ongoing series, with free admission for all, and easily reachable from throughout the NY/NJ metro area.
(Click here for directions)

9/27/2009 Sunday 3pm
FELIX HELL

5/2/2010 Sunday 3pm
CHRIS HOULIHAN

(Click on the corresponding links for more details.)

Previous concerts at St. Teresa's Church have included:
2006 - Felix Hell
2003 - Fred Swann
2002 - Cameron Carpenter
2002 - Felix Hell
2001 - Olivier Latry
2001 - Felix Hell

... and we look forward to hosting more of the world's outstanding concert organists in the years to come.

OUR PIPE ORGAN

St. Teresa's Church is blessed with one of the borough's finest pipe organs, custom-built for us in 2001 by Peragallo Pipe Organ Company, the Organ Curator of St. Patrick's Cathedral. After several performances here, international concert organist Felix Hell declared, "It was a joy to play," and he commended Peragallo's talent for "getting more organ out of a smaller instrument" with "highest quality standards." Local organists and clergy widely share a high opinion of our pipe organ and our concert series, which led The Staten Island Advance newspaper to include St. Teresa's on its list of "the borough's most-impressive instruments" and call it "a great gift to the local music scene." Indeed, the organ provides a rich variety of tonal colors to support congregational singing, choir anthems, and concert performances. Our instrument includes 3 manuals, 17 pipe ranks (consisting of 1,080 pipes), 3 digital ranks (161 "virtual pipes"), and a set of 25 chime tubes, all beautifully voiced and working in harmony to enhance our worship. A detailed specification of the organ is available online, courtesy of the American Guild of Organists.