Sharing God’s gift of music is an essential part of the worship life of Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Building upon a long-standing tradition of excellence, the cathedral offers opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in this vital ministry.
The Cathedral Choir
This choir of 40–50 skilled volunteers sings most Sunday mornings at the 11 a.m. service, in addition to a wide range of festival services, and rehearses weekly on Thursday evenings between September and early June. Its repertoire spans over eight centuries of the finest liturgical music, from Gregorian chant to world premiere compositions. Admission to this group is by audition.
Contact: Michael Kleinschmidt [mkleinschmidt@saintmarks.org]
The Evensong Choir
This ensemble consists of advanced Choristers and members of the Schola of the Choir School, plus 12–20 auditioned adult singers. They offer Choral Evensong in the English Cathedral tradition on the first Sunday of the month at 4:30 p.m. (October through June) and sing occasional special liturgies at Christmas and in Holy Week. Approximately every three years, this choir travels on pilgrimage to the U.K. to serve summer residencies in English cathedrals, most recently to Lincoln and Durham in the summer of 2025. (Note: The adult singers of the Evensong Choir are required to also be members of Saint Mark’s Cathedral Choir or Compline Choir or be professionally engaged as singers or directors in other churches on Sunday mornings.)
Contact: Canon Michael Kleinschmidt [mkleinschmidt@saintmarks.org]
The Compline Choir
Since 1956, The Compline Choir has sought to express musically a concern for the nurture and care of the soul. The countertenors (altos), tenors, and basses of the choir chant the office of compline every Sunday at 9:30 p.m. In addition, the Choir records sacred music for men’s voices, promotes and perpetuates ancient, traditional, and contemporary musical forms of worship, and ministers to the spiritual needs of the community. Auditions for new members are held only when vacancies occur.
Contact: Dr. Jason Anderson [director@complinechoir.org]
The Women's Compline Choir
The Women’s Compline Choir, and advanced ensemble comprised of soprano and alto voices, was founded in 2019 and gathers to chant the office of Compline several times each year, usually in the summer months. Membership is by audition.
To schedule an audition, contact the director of the Women's Compline Choir, Rebekah Gilmore: rgilmore@saintmarks.org
Saint Mark's Music Series
Saint Mark’s presents two music series each year, a main concert series of 6-7 concerts exploring sacred music for organ, chorus, and chamber music in St. Mark’s nave and Thomsen chapel, and Organ by Night, featuring a short performance on the Flentrop organ each third Sunday of the month after Compline.
Contact: Laura Loge [lloge@saintmarks.org]
Saint Mark's Singers
This is a group of 20–30 dedicated singers who provide music for the 9 a.m. service on Sundays, September through mid-June. The choir rehearses on two consecutive Wednesday evenings per month, and on Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. Their repertory ranges from Mozart to more contemporary styles including gospel and folksong. All who love to sing and want to learn more about liturgical music are welcome to join the choir. While no formal audition is required, a brief meeting with the Canon for Cathedral Music is required for admission to this group.
Contact: Canon Michael Kleinschmidt [mkleinschmidt@saintmarks.org]
Choir School
PARTNER & AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS
Peter R. Hallock Institute
The Peter R. Hallock Institute, a diocesan ministry, oversees an archive of the music, papers, and ephemera of Peter R. Hallock and manages the assets of the Institute. The Institute creates editions of Hallock’s unpublished works; advocates, publicizes, and broadens the audience for Hallock’s music; and presents workshops and educational symposia focused on Hallock’s music and liturgical innovations, including The Compline Choir.
Contact: Dr. Jason Anderson [director@hallockinstitute.org]