Music

Below please find the job description for the Director of Music and Liturgy at Blessed Sacrament Parish.  Interested Candidates should send a Letter of Interest, Resume, and References by June 15, 2017 to jobs@matt13catholic.org. Please pray for our search committee as we begin this important work.

Welcome to Music Ministry at Blessed Sacrament! Our parish is fortunate to have a diverse music program that enhances our worship every weekend and encourages the participation of parishioners of all ages and musical preferences. Every member of our musical ensembles understands that the music on the page is just the starting point for something greater – the notes bring us together in song, the act of playing music together unifies our minds and bodies in rhythm, but communicating the meaning of the words through music takes our hearts to a new place. If you have been moved through music while sitting in the pews, then you are a key part of music ministry.

One of the goals of our music director, is to foster a unique appreciation of our faith in each of these ensembles as they make music together. Moreover, our parish is blessed with many talented parishioners who have yet to join one of these groups—may they feel welcomed to join us, to express their faith through music, and to help our music ministry grow stronger throughout this year!

Please contact music@blessedsacrament.org or 508-668-4700 x1010 for more information about how you can be involved in our parish music ministry.

The 11am Mass is enriched every Sunday during the school year by the vocal support and inspiration of the Adult Choir. This choir rehearses regularly on Thursday evenings from 7-8:30pm and sings psalms, anthems, motets, and hymns in both traditional and contemporary musical styles. All adult singers are welcome to join us on Thursday evenings. We are particularly in need of male singers right now!

The members of our congregation in grades 3-8 are all encouraged to join! Director Susan Glancy rehearses with the youth of our parish on Thursday afternoons from 5-6pm. The choir sings every Sunday morning during the school year for the 9:30am Mass and leads the congregation in singing psalms, hymns, and anthems.

Children love to participate in the Mass. Joining one of our parish choirs is a fun and easy way to encourage your kids not only to attend Mass, but to enjoy it, too. We have offerings for all students from K-12. For more information, please contact Erica Johnson, the parish music director, at music@blessedsacrament.org. 

Children’s Choir (K-Grade 2) – Susan Glancy, director
In addition to learning how to sing with others, our youngest choristers will nurture their faith in song.  They will sing with printed music and also by heart and become acquainted with musical ideas and customs. They join the Youth Choir for rehearsal once a month on Thursday afternoon during the school year. They sing for the 9:30 A.M. Family Mass on the first Sunday of each month.
 
Youth Choir (Grades 3-8) – Susan Glancy, director
The goal of the Youth Choir is to teach children the language of music and artistic expression within the context of a Catholic Christian community of faith. As the singers progress in musicianship and liturgical knowledge, they are assigned roles of responsibility and leadership, including cantoring. They rehearse weekly on Thursdays from 5–6pm and sing for the 9:30am Family Mass every week.

Teen Handbell Choir (Grades 7-12) – Erica Johnson, director
Handbells are a fun instrument, with most ringers having charge over at least two bells/notes at a time, but sometimes more. There is no need to have prior experience with music or to be able to read music as we begin with the initial steps together. The choir would ring for Mass about once a month or every six weeks. There are spots for roughly 11 ringers. This is a fun way to experience sacred music and to participate in the Mass. We hope to form a teen handbell choir soon, provided there is enough interest.

Singers wishing to join the Adult and Youth Choirs for specific liturgical celebrations, such as Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter, are encouraged to join the Festival Choir. This ensemble rehearses for 3-4 weeks in advance of special seasonal events and welcomes those singers who cannot attend regular rehearsals during the year.

A group of singers gathers regularly to provide support for congregational singing during funerals at the church. This ministry of fellowship demonstrates a powerful outpouring of love through singing.

We are very pleased to have two adult Handbell Choirs at Blessed Sacrament! One group rehearses Thursday evenings from 6-7pm and the other group rehearses on Sunday evenings from 7-8pm. Both choirs ring for Mass every 4-6 weeks during the school year. We are still in need of ringers, particularly for our Thursday choir, so please consider joining us. Our ringers have found this a fun way to become involved in music ministry.

Parishioners who play instruments of any kind are encouraged to share their talents with the community, whether playing for Mass, offering solos, or playing together with one of our ensembles. Musicians of all ages and levels are welcomed! Together we can find the best way for you to express your musical gifts at Blessed Sacrament. Our weekly worship would be greatly enriched with the addition of varied instruments.