Choir is Back!
Directors and students share what music means to them
By Meredith Toussaint
Most every student at St. Catherine University knows the story of Caecilian Hall, the music building turned dormitory, but not everyone knows the full story of music here. Though the school’s music program was strong for many years, as other departments grew and the music department continued to shrink, eventually the music major was lost, followed by the band and the theater department and most recently, at the end of last year, the choir. Last May, long-time director Dr. Patricia Cahalan-Connors retired and the university did not intend to replace her. While choir members thought spring 2022 would be their last performance, over the summer the community ultimately saw the importance of music at St. Kate’s. So take heart, music-loving Katies; as of this fall, choir is back!
Roger Stratton, hired this past summer to direct the university choir, has been involved in music for most of his life. He earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from New England Conservatory, has taught high school choirs and has worked mostly in church music programs for the past 30 years. Stratton was excited to branch out from working in a church setting, especially into the university atmosphere, since he has “always loved working with young adults.” In the words of Kate Nordstrom ‘23 (Communication Studies and Spanish), “Roger is so welcoming, and he is receptive to old traditions as well as new opportunities together.” His choir meets Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 5 p.m. and has performances in the works for the rest of the year.
In addition to the university choir, Katie Jonza, the campus liturgist, is directing the brand-new chapel choir, which meets Wednesday nights from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. and sings at one 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass per month. Jonza received her master’s degree in liturgical music and choral conducting from St. John’s University and has been directing SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) choirs for the past five years since she graduated from college. Her choir is open to not only students but also faculty, staff and community members from anywhere in the Twin Cities, and she is excited for that opportunity for community building.
The events of last spring forced everyone on campus to consider the importance of music here. In the words of Jonza, “When faced with the idea that there wouldn’t be a choir anymore, people realized how important it was.” This is especially true for those students who had been in choir for much of their lives, or for the majority of their time at St. Kate’s. Ellie Fall ’23 (Theology, Psychology minor) said that the main reason she needs choir at school is for her mental health. She said it is “really important time with other students” and that singing and being creative is therapeutic.
Additionally, choirs include a critical community aspect. They bring together diverse groups of people and create a place for them to meet and connect with each other. Blue Edwards ‘23 (Studio Art) said that “choir in particular forces you to be emotional and vulnerable with strangers.” He emphasized that there are many art forms that can be done alone, but choir is one that you need other people for. Choir not only allows people to connect on an emotional level, but gives them the opportunity to gather together and work to create something beautiful.
The University Choir at a Monday night rehearsal.
Choir as a community is also something that came to be appreciated more not only when students were faced with choir ending, but also throughout the pandemic. Lauren Trowbridge ‘24 (English and ASL Interpreting) said one of their most meaningful experiences in choir was the first time they took their masks off to sing. “It was the first time in two years that we had heard the sound resonate back and heard the power that we had,” they said. For them, that music was a symbol of how powerful it can be for people to come together. Not only do their voices have power behind them, but also, as Jonza said, “When you’re singing in unison with everyone in the room, you’re all singing the same thing and you’re all breathing at the same time, your heart rates line up. … That feeling of singing in a choir makes you feel so connected to everyone in that room with you and everyone in the world.”
Both directors are excited to introduce their choirs to different types of music this year. Stratton includes music from many different languages in his repertoire, which highlights the fact that music can be an effective tool for exposure to different cultures. In his words, “All of the arts are a way to inhabit other people’s experience. … This does not mean using other cultures, but learning respect for them and stretching our own imaginations.” Learning these lessons and opening our minds through many different avenues—including music, literature, visual arts, the sciences and more—is an important part of a quality liberal arts education.
Music is important not only to St. Kate’s, but to our society and world as a whole. As Trowbridge said, “We are not machines. Passion is pivotal to your success as a person.” After all, at the end of the day we all have a need to create. Music is only one way to do so, but it is a way that holds a world of meaning for many. It is extremely important to Jonza, Stratton and countless others who made it their profession.
It is important to a man with no connection to St. Kate’s other than walking his dog through campus every night, who saw the signs for chapel choir and decided to join. It is important to the many students who grew up singing and to those searching for a place to find and create something beautiful with others. It is important to the students in the choirs because, through not only their songs but also through the events of the past year, they have learned they can make their voices heard.
The university community should celebrate the return of the choirs and the promise that, if the student body has anything to do with it, they are not going anywhere. Both directors invite new students of any voice part to join, even in the middle of the semester. Simply show up to chapel choir on a Wednesday night to join, or set up a short vocal placement meeting to join the university choir. And most importantly, come join the audience to support both choirs throughout the semester, as their voices blend together, their hearts beat in unison and we can once again hear music in the halls of our school.
