Ronan Reilly, the director of Jubilate Deo sacred music program is calling all choristers and would-be choristers to audition for an exciting new venture—the inaugural Jubilate Deo choir especially for young adults in Sydney.
Adults aged 18-35 are invited to St John’s College Chapel at the University of Sydney on Wednesday, 26 June from 7-8pm to audition for the choir, which will prepare to perform at the end of year Sydney archdiocesan agencies Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in December.
Please prepare to sing one song of your own choice.
The choir will commence rehearsals on 31 July and will meet each Wednesday during semester time from 6.30-8pm at the chapel. Each rehearsal will conclude with sung Night Prayer of the church.
To register to audition, and for any questions, please email [email protected]
For the past six years, Jubilate Deo, an initiative by Sydney Catholic Schools, has taught Gregorian chant music to youth across Sydney’s schools and parishes.
This Sunday 2 June the thousands of pilgrims who were expected to join the Walk with Christ Eucharistic procession from Martin Place to St Mary’s Cathedral will have seen the choir made of 30 singers from six of these schools, as well as singers from parish groups and clergy bringing the centuries-old music to new ears.
Named after a 1974 document St Paul VI sent to the world’s Roman Catholic bishops featuring a selection of Gregorian chants, Jubilate Deo uses the sainted pope’s resource as a basis for the ancient and modern sacred music.
Reilly, 32, began with a workshop of 60 senior students at Brigidine College, Randwick, in 2018 and the program is now taught to 1800 students across 12 schools, with more coming on board each year.
“The Jubilate Deo Program is dedicated to teaching people of all ages and from all backgrounds about the prayerful beauty of sacred music, most especially in its native context of the sacred liturgy,” said Reilly.
“Young adults have so much to offer the church through their talents and energy—by putting our collective talents at the service of the liturgy, we can elevate people’s heart and minds through the ‘via pulchritudine’ (way of beauty), and take part in Our Lord’s saving work.
“In this 50th anniversary year of the publication of Pope Paul VIs Jubilate Deo (1974), let us reignite our love and admiration for the highest art form of the church—sacred music.”