Santa Cecilia Choir
Encyclopedia
The Santa Cecilia Choir (Coro di Santa Cecilia) is a polyphonic male choir composed of seminarians of the Rachol Seminary
of the Catholic
Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
In compliance with the wishes of Dom Antonio Sebastião Valente, the Archbishop
of Goa and the first Prelate
to be conferred the title of Patriarch of the East Indies
, the seminarians organised themselves into a choral society. It was on 11 April 1897, that the first meeting of the choir was held in the hall of Dom Sebastião at the Rachol Seminary and was attended by the founder members: Msgr. Matheus d’ Oliveira (Rector), Fr. Agostinho da Rocha (Professor of Music) Sem. Pedro Antonio Lopes (Choir Master), Fr. Luis Bruno Menezes and twelve other seminarians. The newly born Choir was baptised Orpheon Palestriniano do Seminário (Palestrianian Orpheon of the Seminary) or simply Coro Palestriniano. From the name, it is evident that the initial aim of the Choir was to promote sacred polyphonic chant
, according to the method of the famous Italian Composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
, who lived during the late XVI century, and was a pioneer in the sacred music of his age.
On 23 March 1905, the same Archbishop-Patriarch gave new statutes to this association and determined that in future it should be named simply Coro de Santa Cecilia (Santa Cecilia Choir). The change was perhaps to place the Choir under the patronage of St. Cecilia, the patroness of music and musicians, and to allow the Choir to venture into other forms of music rather than restrict itself to the Palestrinian form only. It is with this name that the Seminary Choir went down in history and is known even today.
Today, this male TTBB
Choir, presided over by the Rector of the Seminary, continues to function and dedicates itself to promoting the sacred heritage of music of the Catholic Church. The Professor of Music in the Seminary is the Vice-President and Conductor of the Choir. The other “ordinary” members (about sixteen in number) are chosen at the beginning of the academic by the Professor of Music. Formerly, these members were called membros efectivos (effective members) and were elected by secret ballot, from among the general members of the choir. They were also granted certain privileges in the Seminary; this is no longer the case. Besides, as the need suggest or the occasion demands, others (seminarians and laity) are invited to join in the singing as “extra-ordinary members” of the Choir. From among the ordinary members, one is chosen to perform the task of Chorus Master and Secretary. His main responsibility is to look into the day to day functioning of the Choir and rehearse for the approaching programs.
The Santa Cecilia Choir has sung uninterrupted under the direction of renowned musicians who were appointed Professors of Music at the Seminary. Here is a list of the Directors of the Santa Cecilia Choir:
For over a century, this characteristic male Choir of young seminarians from India has proved its calibre and excellence in polyphony of different genres, secular as well as religious. Following the directives given by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the Santa Cecilia Choir has stood out in preserving and developing the rich musical patrimony of the Catholic Church. The Choir is proud of a rich repertoire of religious and secular music in Latin, English and the vernaculars: Bach
, Handel
, Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Schubert, Palestrina
, Praglia, Rossini, Liberto, Martins, Xavier, Barreto, Paranjoti, etc. In recent years, it has also performed pop-polyphonic music. Traditionally, every year, the Choir sings a solemn polyphonic mass in Latin, interspaced with Gregorian chant
, on the occasion of the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola
, Patron of the Seminary Church. Perhaps, today, it is the only exponent of Gregorian chant in India. Various choral recitals, featuring religious and secular music are held in the seminary on different occasions.
On 31 July 1997, the Choir celebrated the centenary of its inception, with a solemn Eucharist presided by Archbishop-Patriarch Raul Nicolau Gonsalves. The Cecilians, under the baton of Rev. Bernardo Cota, rendered Messe in G dur by Franz Schubert
, besides the hymns of the mass in Konkani. Te Deum
in A by Arnold Furlotti was also sung by the young seminarians. The Choir was ably supported by a string quintet
, composed of seminarians.
From 2006 onwards, the Choir, in association with ex-members and other music lovers, has given several well-appreciated performances of sacred and secular music, in the cities of Panjim, Margao
, Old Goa
. It also featured at the World Konkani Cultural Convention in Mangalore, in Dec. 2010.
On 1 November 2010, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Fourth Centenary Celebrations of the Seminary, the Choir led the congregation with soul-elevating renderings in Latin
and Konkani. There were in all 80 singers (seminarians and laity), accompanied by the restored XIX century Pipe Organ
and an ensemble of 15 musicians. It was a celestial moment when the Chor led the congregation in sing the Gloria taken from the sublime Missa De Angelis in Gregorian chant, with polyphonic choral responses composed by Msgr. Giuseppe Liberto. Maestro Liberto was at that time Director of the Sistine Choir in Rome. He had lent his work, originally composed for the Installation Ceremony of Benedict XVI, to be utilized on for the Jubilee of the Rachol Seminary.
The brilliant performance of Sacred Music, at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, on 11 April 2010, was something rare in the musical annals of Goa. This program, with the participation of about 150 singers and musicians, brought the Fourth Centenary celebrations of Rachol Seminary to a close. The program for the evening comprised: Gloria (RV 588) by Antonio Vivaldi, hymns to St. Francis Xavier and Bl. Joseph Vaz and compositions by ex-Directors of the Choir. The Te Deum
, sung in a polyphonic setting with the traditional Gregorian melody as refrain, proved to be a fitting finale of praise to the Most Holy Trinity for the 400 years of Rachol Seminary. The Archbishop-Patriarch, Most Rev. Filipe Neri Ferrão
graced the occasion in the midst of a packed Basilica.
Rachol Seminary
Rachol Seminary, also known today as the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol , is the diocesan major seminary of the Primatial Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.-Historical Outline:The edifice that presently houses the seminary, was constructed by the Jesuits with...
of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
In compliance with the wishes of Dom Antonio Sebastião Valente, the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Goa and the first Prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
to be conferred the title of Patriarch of the East Indies
Patriarch of the East Indies
The Titular Patriarch of the East Indies in the Catholic hierarchy is the title of the Archbishop of Goa and Damão in India; another title of his is that of the Primate of the East. Unlike the patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui juris, the Patriarch of the East Indies enjoys a purely...
, the seminarians organised themselves into a choral society. It was on 11 April 1897, that the first meeting of the choir was held in the hall of Dom Sebastião at the Rachol Seminary and was attended by the founder members: Msgr. Matheus d’ Oliveira (Rector), Fr. Agostinho da Rocha (Professor of Music) Sem. Pedro Antonio Lopes (Choir Master), Fr. Luis Bruno Menezes and twelve other seminarians. The newly born Choir was baptised Orpheon Palestriniano do Seminário (Palestrianian Orpheon of the Seminary) or simply Coro Palestriniano. From the name, it is evident that the initial aim of the Choir was to promote sacred polyphonic chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
, according to the method of the famous Italian Composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
, who lived during the late XVI century, and was a pioneer in the sacred music of his age.
On 23 March 1905, the same Archbishop-Patriarch gave new statutes to this association and determined that in future it should be named simply Coro de Santa Cecilia (Santa Cecilia Choir). The change was perhaps to place the Choir under the patronage of St. Cecilia, the patroness of music and musicians, and to allow the Choir to venture into other forms of music rather than restrict itself to the Palestrinian form only. It is with this name that the Seminary Choir went down in history and is known even today.
Today, this male TTBB
TTBB
In musical choral notation, TTBB denotes a four-part men's chorus. Its configuration is Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Bass 1 , Bass 2....
Choir, presided over by the Rector of the Seminary, continues to function and dedicates itself to promoting the sacred heritage of music of the Catholic Church. The Professor of Music in the Seminary is the Vice-President and Conductor of the Choir. The other “ordinary” members (about sixteen in number) are chosen at the beginning of the academic by the Professor of Music. Formerly, these members were called membros efectivos (effective members) and were elected by secret ballot, from among the general members of the choir. They were also granted certain privileges in the Seminary; this is no longer the case. Besides, as the need suggest or the occasion demands, others (seminarians and laity) are invited to join in the singing as “extra-ordinary members” of the Choir. From among the ordinary members, one is chosen to perform the task of Chorus Master and Secretary. His main responsibility is to look into the day to day functioning of the Choir and rehearse for the approaching programs.
The Santa Cecilia Choir has sung uninterrupted under the direction of renowned musicians who were appointed Professors of Music at the Seminary. Here is a list of the Directors of the Santa Cecilia Choir:
- Rev. Agostinho de Rocha (founder Director)
- Rev. Luis Bruno Menezes
- Rev. Francisco Domingos Luis
- Rev. Sebastião Luis
- Rev. Lellis de Vitoria e Souza (1945–1951)
- Maestro Rev. Camilo António da Conceicão Xavier (1951–1983)
- Maestro Rev. Dr. Lourdino Paulo Barreto (1983–1984)
- Rev. Tomé Bernardo Cota (1984–2007)
- Rev. Romeo Monteiro (2007- )
For over a century, this characteristic male Choir of young seminarians from India has proved its calibre and excellence in polyphony of different genres, secular as well as religious. Following the directives given by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the Santa Cecilia Choir has stood out in preserving and developing the rich musical patrimony of the Catholic Church. The Choir is proud of a rich repertoire of religious and secular music in Latin, English and the vernaculars: Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
, Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
, Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Schubert, Palestrina
Palestrina
Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...
, Praglia, Rossini, Liberto, Martins, Xavier, Barreto, Paranjoti, etc. In recent years, it has also performed pop-polyphonic music. Traditionally, every year, the Choir sings a solemn polyphonic mass in Latin, interspaced with Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
, on the occasion of the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
, Patron of the Seminary Church. Perhaps, today, it is the only exponent of Gregorian chant in India. Various choral recitals, featuring religious and secular music are held in the seminary on different occasions.
On 31 July 1997, the Choir celebrated the centenary of its inception, with a solemn Eucharist presided by Archbishop-Patriarch Raul Nicolau Gonsalves. The Cecilians, under the baton of Rev. Bernardo Cota, rendered Messe in G dur by Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
, besides the hymns of the mass in Konkani. Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
in A by Arnold Furlotti was also sung by the young seminarians. The Choir was ably supported by a string quintet
String quintet
A string quintet is a musical composition for a standard string quartet supplemented by a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola or a second cello , but occasionally a double bass. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who favoured addition of a viola, is considered a pioneer of the form...
, composed of seminarians.
From 2006 onwards, the Choir, in association with ex-members and other music lovers, has given several well-appreciated performances of sacred and secular music, in the cities of Panjim, Margao
Margao
Margao and commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.- Etymology :...
, Old Goa
Old Goa
Old Goa or Velha Goa is a historical city in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. The city was constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century, and served as capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to plague...
. It also featured at the World Konkani Cultural Convention in Mangalore, in Dec. 2010.
On 1 November 2010, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Fourth Centenary Celebrations of the Seminary, the Choir led the congregation with soul-elevating renderings in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Konkani. There were in all 80 singers (seminarians and laity), accompanied by the restored XIX century Pipe Organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and an ensemble of 15 musicians. It was a celestial moment when the Chor led the congregation in sing the Gloria taken from the sublime Missa De Angelis in Gregorian chant, with polyphonic choral responses composed by Msgr. Giuseppe Liberto. Maestro Liberto was at that time Director of the Sistine Choir in Rome. He had lent his work, originally composed for the Installation Ceremony of Benedict XVI, to be utilized on for the Jubilee of the Rachol Seminary.
The brilliant performance of Sacred Music, at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, on 11 April 2010, was something rare in the musical annals of Goa. This program, with the participation of about 150 singers and musicians, brought the Fourth Centenary celebrations of Rachol Seminary to a close. The program for the evening comprised: Gloria (RV 588) by Antonio Vivaldi, hymns to St. Francis Xavier and Bl. Joseph Vaz and compositions by ex-Directors of the Choir. The Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
, sung in a polyphonic setting with the traditional Gregorian melody as refrain, proved to be a fitting finale of praise to the Most Holy Trinity for the 400 years of Rachol Seminary. The Archbishop-Patriarch, Most Rev. Filipe Neri Ferrão
Filipe Neri Ferrão
Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão is the seventh Roman Catholic Patriarch of the East Indies and thirty-fifth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, India....
graced the occasion in the midst of a packed Basilica.