Student Schola
“Bis orat qui bene cantat” – Augustinian maxim
The formation of young Catholics through sacred music is one of the most important goals of the OLMC Music Department. To that end, we are excited to announce our course offerings for the upcoming academic year.
There are several opportunities for student involvement in sacred music. Some of the choirs (the St. Gregory Schola and St. Cecilia Schola) are focused on learning the ordinary and proper chants of Holy Mass, while another (St. Ignatius Schola) is geared toward singing the Divine Office. Students may, if they so wish, participate in more than one choir, and will find that the repertoire is complementary, not repetitive.
St. Gregory Schola
Tuesdays, 4:30p-6:00p
St. Cecilia Schola
Tuesdays, 6:00p-7:30p
St. Ignatius Schola
Thursdays, 4:30p-6:30p
+ + +
St. Gregory Schola
Tuesdays, 4:30p–6:00p
This choir is for students in grade school, ages 7 to 13. Students will be grouped by ability into two choirs, which will meet concurrently. Mr. Hughes will work with each choir on repertoire and theory, and Miss Nolan will concentrate on vocal pedagogy. The students’ work is geared toward singing occasionally for Sundays or major feast day Masses at OLMC, including the feast of Christ the King, Immaculate Conception, Ash Wednesday, Lætare Sunday, May Crowning, and Ascension Thursday.
Classes:
September 10, 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
November 5, 12, 19
December 3, 10
February 4, 11, 25
March 4, 11, 25
April 1, 8, 29
May 6, 13, 20, 27
Masses & special services:
Sunday, October 27: Christ the King (11:00a)
Sunday, December 8: Immaculate Conception (11:00a)
Sunday, December 15: Advent Lessons & Carols (6:00p)
Wednesday, March 5: Ash Wednesday (7:00p)
Sunday, March 30: Lætare Sunday (11:00a)
Saturday, May 5: May Crowning (8:30a)
Thursday, May 29: Ascension Thursday (7:00p)
Fee: $400 per child for the year; $200 for the third child; no charge for all subsequent children.
For cases of financial need, please speak with the Director of Music.
David Hughes and Carrie Nolan, instructors
+ + +
St. Cecilia Schola
Tuesdays, 6:00p–7:30p
This choir is designed for students ages 14-20, both those currently in high school and those recently graduated, who would like to increase their knowledge of the theory and practice of sacred music. This is an independent choir which will prepare chants and motets for occasional Sunday Masses, with the expectation that choristers will participate in the OLMC Parish Choir on a regular basis.
Classes:
September 10, 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
November 5, 12, 19
December 3, 10
February 4, 11, 25
March 4, 11, 25
April 1, 8, 29
May 6, 13, 20, 27
Masses:
Sundays, 11:00a
Fee: $400 per child for the year; $200 for the third child; no charge for all subsequent children.
For cases of financial need, please speak with the Director of Music.
David Hughes and Carrie Nolan, instructors
+ + +
St. Ignatius Schola
Thursdays, 4:30p–6:30p
Recognizing that our families come from a wide geographical area, we are pleased to offer a program of musical instruction at a satellite location which may be more convenient for families coming from points north and east of the city. St. Ignatius of Loyola Church is at 2301 York Street, Denver, directly across from City Park (where families with younger children may find it pleasant to recreate.) The focus of this instruction will be upon praying Vespers, which the students will sing at 5:00p each Thursday as part of their formation. (Families may wish to take advantage of the Thursday Holy Hour from 5:30p–6:30p, which will be concurrent with the classes in Brady Hall.) The program is for students ages 10–18.
Classes & Vespers:
September 19
October 3, 17, 24, 31
November 7, 14, 21
December 5, 12
February 6, 13, 20, 27
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April 3, 10
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Fee: $400 per child for the year; $200 for the third child; no charge for all subsequent children.
For cases of financial need, please speak with the Director of Music.
David Hughes, instructor
David Hughes was recently appointed Director of Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. He is a composer, conductor, and organist who is in demand as a recitalist and an instructor of Gregorian chant. He has developed choral programs at several notable parishes in Connecticut, including St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk, where he oversaw a program of seven choirs; the St. Mary’s Student Schola sang regularly for Masses in Norwalk, as well as traveling to sing in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Madrid. Most recently he served as Organist & Choirmaster at St. Patrick Oratory in Waterbury, where his work included a choir for Catholic students at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He is the founder of Viri Galilæi, an ensemble of men from the New York area who have gathered every week for the past nine years to sing Vespers and medieval polyphony. He is on the board of directors of the Church Music Association of America, and serves on the faculty of its annual Colloquium. He is also a board member of the Roman Forum, for whose Summer Symposium at Lake Garda, Italy, he serves as director of music. Hughes’s compositional output includes a number of sacred works, including Masses and motets. His first opera, Gracchus, with a libretto by Fr. Richard Munkelt, was premiered last year in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut. He is a graduate of Yale College.
Miss Carrie Nolan moved to Colorado in the summer of 2022 at the behest of her dear brother, who simply claimed, “You’d love it here!” It was not much of an argument, but she knew he was right. She had the same feeling long ago as a freshman in high school when Ms. Judy Rogers unexpectedly offered her a position teaching private piano lessons in her studio in Edmond, Oklahoma. “You’re gonna love this job!” Ms. Rogers said. Young Carrie took it and thus began a lifelong passion of music and teaching. After nine years of joyful and dedicated teaching alongside her mentor, she moved to Florida to attend Ave Maria University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in vocal performance and sacred music. During her time at university, Miss Nolan obtained her first classroom position as music teacher and choir director at The Donohue Academy. She decided to change the pace after graduation by taking the post of music director at St. Raphael Catholic Church which allowed for greater study and performance opportunities. But within a few years the budding performer yearned for home and the voices in the classroom and returned to her native Oklahoma to take on the task of primary teacher for high school freshman and sophomore boys at St. John Bosco Institute as well as of part-time choir director at St. Mary Catholic Church in Guthrie. Seven years of arduous and fruitful teaching passed with many memorable moments and much experience gained. Miss Nolan currently enjoys the position as full-time K-8 music teacher at Notre Dame Parish School in Denver.