St. Michael the Archangel Parish

Widely considered “one of the finest choirs in the world,” the Westminster Cathedral Choir visits Pittsburgh as part of its U.S. tour, singing for a very special mid-week Lenten Mass in the magnificent setting of St. Bernard Church. The choir of 20 boy trebles and altos, ages 8-13, and 10 professional Lay Clerks has the distinction of being the only Catholic Cathedral Choir in the world to sing daily Mass and Vespers as well as maintain a rigorous concert schedule. 

The choir owes its existence to Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, Archbishop of Westminster from 1892 -1903.  Initially intending to establish a monastic foundation within the Cathedral for monks to sing the daily Office, he instead seized the opportunity to raise the standard of liturgical singing in the Catholic Church by founding the Cathedral Choir School. Under the visionary direction of Sir Richard Terry, the choir revived the great works of English and continental Renaissance composers to create its unique voice.   The new school welcomed its first class of boys in 1901.

Since then, the choir has achieved widespread acclaim through its concerts, radio and television appearances, and numerous memorable recordings of sacred classics. You won’t want to miss this very special presentation by a true musical treasure.