Music Ministry

Giving Glory and Praise to God


Mass Times and Groups

Our Music Ministry seeks to glorify God and aid in the sanctification of the lay faithful through the enrichment of the Liturgy with Sacred Music.  We are always looking for volunteer cantors, singers, and choir members for the following Masses:


  • 5:00PM Saturday Vigil: Cantor and Singers
  • 9:00AM Sunday Mass: Cantor and Singers
  • 11:00AM Sunday Mass: Sacred Heart Choir
  • 5:00PM Sunday Mass: Cantors and Singers


 If you are interested in volunteering, please see below for the different ways you can participate:


  • Sacred Heart Choir: The Sacred Heart Choir is a mixed choir that sings at the Sunday 11:00AM Mass. The choir leads the congregation in the singing of hymns and Mass parts, performs meditative choral anthems and chants, and sings the Offertory and Communion antiphons. Repertoire includes Gregorian Chant, Hymnody, and choral pieces from antiquity and modernity. The choral season runs from the week after Labor Day to Corpus Christi Sunday. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in the Music Room. No audition is required, and training can be provided upon request.
  • Cantor: The cantor sings at Masses without a choir, and is responsible for leading the congregation in the singing of hymns and Mass parts. Additionally, the cantor sings the Kyrie, Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, Offertory antiphon, and Communion antiphon. Training can be provided upon request.
  • Singer: For anyone who does not want to be in the choir or cantor, we are still happy to have you sing with us! You can join us in rehearsing before Mass, and sit in the music section and sing the hymns and Mass parts.
  • Youth Choir: Open to all youth ages 7-17, the Youth Choirs sings for the Christmas Vigil Mass. This is an excellent opportunity for youth to receive musical and liturgical formation, and to participate in a parish ministry. Rehearsals begin in November and continue through Christmas.
  • Triduum Choir: The Triduum Choir is a composite of the Sacred Heart Choir and any other cantors or singers who would like to sing for Sacred Triduum of Holy Week. Rehearsals start at the beginning of Lent, and are held on Thursdays in the Music Room from 7:30 to 8:45 pm. No audition is required, and training can be provided upon request.

 

If you are interested in joining any of these groups, or would like more information, please contact Ian Simon, Director of Music & Liturgy, online here or call the Parish Office at 703-590-0030.


Sacred Music

Through its union with the very texts of the Mass, Sacred Music forms an "integral part of the solemn liturgy" and serves to glorify God and aid in the sanctification of the faithful. The Church affirms that her musical tradition is a "treasure of inestimable value" that must be "preserved and fostered with great care"  (Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). Pope Saint Pius X, in his 1903 document on Sacred Music, Tra Le Sollecitudini, states that two qualities characterize Sacred Music: it must be holy and have goodness of form.  At Sacred Heart, we take to heart the teachings of Mother Church on Sacred Music, and work to have a program that fosters the "full, conscious, and active" participation called for by Vatican II.


Gregorian Chant: The Church affirms that Gregorian Chant is the music which is "specially suited to the Roman Liturgy," and should be given "pride of place" in the Mass (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). Chant is the music of the Roman Catholic Church that has developed with the liturgy and has been consecrated and set aside specifically for Liturgical use. In order to preserve this form of music in the Mass, as called for by Vatican II, we chant the Ordinary parts of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) in both Latin and English.


Hymnody: At Sacred Heart we believe that hymnody should be singable by all. Therefore we carefully select appropriate hymns that can be sung easily by all members of our congregation. Additionally, we carefully select only those hymns that have solid Catholic theology, are well composed, and are unassociated in style with the pop music of our day.


Pipe Organ: Vatican II affirms that the organ is "to be held in high esteem" as the "traditional instrument" of the Latin rite. We therefore use the pipe organ at Mass, as it adds a "wonderful splendor" to the Liturgy and is specially suited to it, being especially associated with what is sacred.


Proper Prayers: Unknown to to many, the Roman Catholic Church has an official liturgical song book, the Graduale Romanum, approved by Vatican II in 1974. The Graduale Romanum contains the offical musical settings of the Psalms and Scripture passages to be used at the Entrance, Offertory, Communion, and other parts of the Mass. According to Vatican, national, and diocesan guidelines, it is both permissible and laudible to use these antiphons. As such, we are slowly working to re-introduce these Proper antiphons to the Liturgy by singing the Offertory antiphon and Communion antiphon.


Documents and Guidelines for the Liturgy