Music

The adult vocal choir sings each Sunday at the 9:30am Mass.  We meet from 6:30-8 pm on Wednesday evenings in the church, rehearsing music ranging from traditional Classical choral anthems to spirituals and gospel pieces, in addition to the standard Catholic repertory of hymns and chant.  Our primary function is to lead congregational singing and elevate the minds and hearts of the faithful in an expression of corporate praise.  As the Holy Spirit has "equip[ped] the saints for the work of ministry in building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12, NCB), so our choir encourages and inspires the congregation to more fully participate in the Holy Mass, as opposed to a merely performance-based role.

If you love to sing and wish to add your voice to the group, we welcome you!  Prior choral experience and proficiency in music reading are encouraged but not required.  However, all prospective members are expected to demonstrate competency in singing before being admitted to the choir; contact Director of Liturgy Ben Clark at [email protected] with any questions or to schedule an audition.

The Handbell Choir performs at Mass several times each year.  Contact Handbell Director Paul Nybeck at [email protected] for information on performance and rehearsal times.

For information on the Spanish Choir, contact Hispanic Ministry director Martha Martinez at [email protected].

The St. Eugene organ was built by industry leader Walker Technical Company of Pennsylvania in 2012.  Although it sounds convincingly like a genuine pipe organ, it is actually completely digital, using advanced audio technology to simulate the sound of each "pipe" of an organ in virtual space.  The instrument comprises 16 bi-amplified audio channels plus 6 dedicated bass channels.

The St. Eugene organ has 141 individual stops, operated by the push/pull drawknobs organized in columns to the sides of the keyboards. An organ “stop” is one unique and distinctive sound of a specific pitch level, timbre, and volume. Each stop could be thought of as an individual instrument of an orchestra, for example, a soft Flute or a loud Trumpet. It is in mixing these together to create solo and ensemble combinations in a practically infinite variety that the organist can modify dynamic volume and evoke a wide range of dramatic moods and textures in hymns and solo music.

When looking at our organ console, the first thing most people notice are the four keyboards (called “manuals”) stacked on top of each other. Each of these controls a distinct set of stops unique to itself and sounding from a different part of the church.
The bottom manual is called the Choir, and it sounds from just behind the right side of the altar platform. True to its name, it contains mostly soft sounds suitable for accompaniment, as well as some unique solo voices such as a Clarinet or a Bassoon.
The second from the bottom is the Great, whose main function is to support congregational singing with a robust foundation for hymns. It also sounds from the right of the altar.
The third manual is the Swell, which sounds from the left of the altar platform and is mostly distinctive for its strong trumpet/brass chorus and warm, rich orchestral colors.
The top manual is the Solo/Antiphonal, which contains some of the very loudest and softest sounds in the whole instrument. It is located high in the back of the church above the narthex, and its stops are seldom used in hymn accompaniment except for special effects such as chimes or a particularly powerful trumpet blast.
Finally the Pedal division (chromatic foot pedals arranged like a large keyboard with sharps and naturals) provides the bass foundation for chords and the very lowest sounds of the organ.  Its sound is heard from the right side of the chancel, with the Great and Choir.

I welcome anyone with questions about the organ to come up and visit after Mass.  I'd be happy to explain how the organ works in more detail.