The Saint Ann Choir
The St Ann Chapel supports a small professional choir, featuring singers from around the Bay Area with extensive experience in both amateur and professional choral ensembles. Every Sunday, the celebration of Mass in the chapel includes chanted Proper and Ordinary texts as well as liturgically-appropriate choral anthems. The anthems sung by the choir range widely over the sacred music of the last 1000 years, from the chants of Hildegard to the works of Pärt, but concentrate on a capella music from the Renaissance and accompanied solo works from the Baroque. The choir strives always to enhance the liturgy by singing music that is not only appropriate to the season, but also especially notable for its beauty.
The chapel choir is directed by Helen Holder (soprano/alto) , and includes Dorothy Manly (soprano), Max Ziff (bass), Tracy Graham, (alto) and Daniel Leal (tenor). The choir is joined by three accomplished organists who play during services on alternating weeks: Xavier Arreola, Katherine Heater, and Esther Criscuola de Laix.
More Music at St. Ann Chapel
In addition to weekly choral masses, the St Ann Chapel music program, under the direction of Robert Melhuish, sponsors a number of special events during the year. These include special services such as Lessons and Carols in Advent and Tenebrae in Holy Week, as well as periodic concerts of choral and instrumental music by local and national ensembles.