Madeleine Choir School graduate is appointed director of diocesan music in Louisiana

Intermountain Catholic

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Brett Patterson will provide music for the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana as diocesan music director. IC photo/Christine Young

OGDEN — Brett Patterson began his new position as the director of music at the Cathedral of Saint Francis Xavier in Alexandria, La., on Aug. 1. The Most Rev. Ronald Herzog, Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, also appointed Patterson the director of diocesan music.

Before moving to Louisiana, Patterson served as the music director at Holy Family Parish in Ogden from 2009. While he was there, the parish began a concert series and also hosted the American Boy Choir, Salt Lake Vocal artists, Weber State Chamber Choir and the Weber Alumni Choir concerts and a chamber music festival, featuring a conductor from Brazil.

"Brett’s training at the Madeleine Choir School and his education both here and abroad have served him well at Holy Family, his first parish church as a musician," said Father Patrick Elliott, pastor. "He has endeavored to instill that high level of integrity for liturgy and music for our parish. We bless him as he continues his journey to work for the larger church."

In his new positions, Patterson "will be the main music resource for the Diocese of Alexandria for liturgies and will play the organ for all the weekend Masses," he said, adding that he also will supervise the cantors and the adult and children’s choirs.

The position "is a good opportunity and not much different from what we do at the cathedral here as far as Gregorian chants and Masses; my interview and audition felt very familiar," Patterson said.

Patterson was a treble chorister from 1995 to 1999 and in the first sixth-grade class when the Madeleine Choir School expanded to the eighth grade in 1996. He graduated from Judge Memorial Catholic High School in 2003, and sang tenor and baritone in the Cathedral of the Madeleine Choir for three years after he graduated.

"One element of the mission of the Cathedral’s Choir School is the formation of future musicians who will serve the church’s liturgy as organists, conductors, singers and composers," said Gregory Glenn, Cathedral of the Madeleine Liturgy and music director and Madeleine Choir School pastoral administrator. "Brett has dedicated himself to the ministry of liturgical music in service to the church’s life of worship. All of us at the Choir School are very proud of him, and we wish him every success as he begins his work at the musical helm of one of our nation’s cathedrals."

Patterson credits what he learned at the Choir School for helping him with his interview. "Gregory Glenn started us early reading directly from the Gregorian Missal, … introduced us to wonderful choral music and gave us an outline of what a cathedral music program should look like and be about," said Patterson. "In a way it feels that things have come full circle and I’m reconnecting with my early musical experiences. I’m excited to be able to continue Gregory Glenn’s tradition as I embark on my own cathedral job."

Patterson has been fascinated with music from a very early age, he said. He started playing the piano when he was 5, and started playing the organ in the seventh grade. He took organ lessons at the cathedral studying with Robert Ridgell, cathedral organist.

Patterson continued to sing while in college, touring England and France with the Pacific Luther Choral Union, and sang with the University of Texas Chamber Singers. While at the University of Texas, he studied organ performance and improvisation with Gerre Hancock, "a Master of Choristers at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, a choir school on par with those in England," he said.

Patterson received a Bachelor of Music in organ performance from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., and a master’s degree in organ performance from the University of Texas at Austin.

He studied the English choral tradition at King’s College and St. John’s College at Cambridge in England. He also observed classes at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London.