Going to Sunday Morning “Choir” Mass at DeSales is an amazing experience. Surrounded by the vibrant blue stained-glass of our beautiful chapel, the majestic pipe organ and trained choirs heighten the inspiring homilies and reverent presiding of our campus priests. Want to sleep in? The "Candlelight" Mass offers a gentle atmosphere and reflective music to enhance this beautiful way to end the day.
At DeSales, we believe that our students deserve beautiful, powerful, and inspirational Masses and liturgies where high quality music is integral. The Catholic Liturgical Music Scholars (CLMS) Program makes that happen.
Members of the CLMS serve as cantors for campus Mass.
Compline (Night Prayer), sung every Thursday night, is the last of the eight daily “Offices” in the Roman Catholic liturgy which were instituted by the early Christians to allow them “to pray unceasingly.” Consisting of a sequence of brief Gregorian chants which offer thanks to God for the blessings of the day and ask for his protection during the coming night, Compline is a calm and reflective way to end the day.
Note: Any student who would like a copy of the book The Office of Compline, which we use for this service, can request a copy from Dr. Varley, gratis, as a gift from the Madison-Varley endowment.
Throughout the academic year, various liturgies, including the Patron’s Day Mass honoring St. Francis DeSales on his feast day, January 24; Evening Prayer to honor the dead on November 2, and Mass of Welcome — held at the beginning of the academic year — are enhanced by the music of our choirs.
This annual event showcases the body of work cultivated by the combined choirs throughout the academic year. It often features a thematic program, which either surveys repertory of a certain genre or time-period, or a concept-based program. The choirs also present a choral masterwork, complete with orchestra, on alternating years.
Responding to the command “Gaudete” (Rejoice) given in the antiphon of the Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudeamus (We rejoice) celebrates our anxious and joyful preparation for the celebration of Christmas and especially for the second coming of Christ. Originally created by Dr. Dennis Varley and first presented on our campus in 1989, this perennially sold-out candlelight concert is a seasonal gift to the wider campus community.
Each year, DeSales accepts three new CLM Scholars thus maintaining a core of 12 singers. It is not required that you be a Catholic to receive this award--singers of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome in our program.
A typical week as a CLM Scholar includes:
One of our DeSales University Salesian core values is humility, defined as being “grateful for the gifts given to us, crediting God for them and blessing the world with our expression of those gifts placed at the service of others.”
It is in that spirit that all CLMS students who submit a proposal, and which is then approved by our faculty, will receive a $2,500 cash award upon graduation. The proposal will state the manner in which the student agrees to give back musically to their parishes, churches, or communities—as cantor, choir member, etc.
