by Gregory Glenn, director Madeleine Choir School Cathedral Choir SALT LAKE CITY — St Gregory of Tours, the sixth-century bishop who served in what is today France, records in his "Vitae Patrum" an interesting event in the life of his uncle, who also served as a bishop. Gregory’s uncle, Gallus of Clermont had traveled to celebrate Mass with a brother bishop in another diocese accompanied by a deacon named Valentius. Bishop Gallus had ordered his deacon to maintain silence throughout the Mass, but apparently moved by the occasion, Deacon Valentius suddenly burst into song in front of the gathered assembly. St. Gregory writes: "He sang so disagreeably that he was laughed at by all. On a subsequent Sunday, however, as our bishop was saying Mass, he ordered the deacon to come out: ‘Now,’ he said, ‘in the name of the Lord accomplish what you wish.’ Which he did, in a voice rendered so splendid that he was praised by all." Many of us have experienced the effects of ill-advised, painfully out-of-tune singing, certainly not a foible restricted to the Order of Deacons. I have been personally responsible for several musical calamities at the liturgy myself. But St. Gregory of Tours did not preserve this story to chide us about our bad singing. Rather, he wishes to instruct us that "a voice rendered so splendid" is one offered in agreement and concord with the bishop. Gregory makes the case that in the life of the Church, when work is done in concert and harmony with the bishop, that work is beautiful and well-tuned. The Cathedral Choir and the Madeleine Choir School have had 11 wonderful years of well-tuned service to the Church’s prayer and our community because of the gracious and forbearing support of Bishop George Niederauer. I do not deceive myself by believing that Bishop Niederauer appreciated absolutely every one of our musical efforts at Mass, but his enduring patient support of our work was keenly known and felt, and it encouraged singers, musicians, and staff to deliver their best efforts in support of our Cathedral’s liturgical and musical life. In May of 1996, Bishop Niederauer was presented the results of a yearlong feasibility study on the opening of a Choir School at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. While Roman Catholic Cathedral Choir Schools exist in England, Germany, and elsewhere, adapting the centuries-old European models to the realities of North American culture was predicted to be, and has in fact proven to be, difficult. In his subsequent approval of the proposal, our Bishop was clearly taking a chance, not without hope that the school might genuinely contribute to furthering Catholic culture and shaping musicians for future service to our community. The Cathedral Choir and the Choir School Students and Staff will deeply miss Bishop Niederauer at Mass in the Cathedral, and so it is with no little sadness that we commend him to the Church of San Francisco. We may not sing with "a voice rendered so splendid" at the loss of our founding bishop, but we do so assuring him of our continued prayer, our great affection, and our profound gratitude.
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