Music Department

The Music Department at the Cathedral has several choirs that provide music at Masses in the Cathedral and other churches. They also perform concerts in the Cathedral and in other locations in the Bay Area. The organ, built by Fratelli Ruffatti of Padua, Italy, has been acclaimed as one of the finest in the world. It rises impressively from its soaring pedestal platform into a magnificent art form in its own right. The technical details on the Ruffatti organ are included in this site for those who are interested in information on the pipes, ranks, and stops of the organ.

The Cathedral presents weekly recitals every Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Choirs and organists from throughout the world have performed in this sacred space.

See the Concert Series Calendar at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco.

Chalice Consort

St. Mary’s Cathedral welcomes the singing group Chalice Consort as it’s Artists in Residence.  Chalice Consort collaborates with early music scholars and musicians in helping little-known works from the Renaissance and early Baroque eras become more widely appreciated by the modern music-loving public. The Consort pays special attention to the verbal texts and to the music's rhetorical force, as well as to acoustics. Its performances also take into account the various concepts of stylistic decorum that were strongly articulated by humanist writers in the Renaissance and provide an essential part of the context in which these repertoires were composed, performed, and first appreciated. Chalice Consort aims to communicate the emotional power of this music to modern listeners.  They will be performing concerts during the year at St. Mary’s Cathedral.   For more information see their web site at www.chaliceconsort.org/

• Louis Vierne: Pieces de Fantaisie. Recorded during live organ recitals, played by Cathedral organists Christoph Tietze and David Hatt. CD.
• In Concert: The Cathedral Choir of Boys and Girls sing choral favorites recorded during a live concert.
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem. Recorded live from a performance by the Cathedral Choir, the San Francisco Choral Artists, and the Jubilate Orchestra. To order by telephone or mail, please contact Christoph Tietze (below)

Music Director and Organist
Christoph Tietze
415-567-2020 Ext. 213

Music Office Assistant
Stephen Walsh
415-567-2020 Ext. 233

Cantors
Stephen Walsh
Mark Hernandez
MImi Ruiz
Ricardo Fonseca, Director of the Coro Hispano

Assistant Organist
David Hatt

Cathedral Choir
Members perform works of all time periods during the 11:00 a.m. Mass every Sunday with the exception of several weeks during the summer, specializing in 16th century polyphony. Two concerts each year.
Please note: Choir on vacation July and August.

Cathedral Schola Cantorum
Sings Gregorian Chant at the 9:00 a.m. Mass every Sunday. One concert each year.

Cathedral Choir of Boys and Girls
Sings once or twice a month at various Masses in the Cathedral and other locations in the Bay Area.

St. Brigid School Honor Choir
This comprehensive choral program, based at St. Brigid School, is administered by both the school and the cathedral. The choir sings regularly at cathedral and Archdiocesan functions.

Teen Choir
This choir bridges the gap between the Choir of Boys and Girls and the adult Cathedral Choir. The teens rehearse weekly and sing once a month and for special occations.

Cathedral Coro Hispano
Provide music at the 1:00 p.m. Mass each Sunday.

For more information on membership in the Cathedral Choirs, please contact:
Christoph Tietze, Music Director: 415-567-2020 Ext. 213

You will find technical information on the Cathedral Ruffatti Organ here.