About Our Music Ministry

• Choir: The Choir sings from the loft for the weekly 10:45 a.m. Sunday Mass, the Christmas Eve 9:00 p.m. Mass, Holy Week, and other special liturgies. The Choir season runs from the Sunday after Labor Day (September) through the Solemnity of the Body & Blood of Christ (May or June). Rehearsals are Sundays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and Thursdays from 7:00-8:15 p.m. The Choir is open to men and women--teenagers and adults. No prior choral experience or special musical skills are necessary, but members must be able to match pitch (to sing on key). Those interested in joining the Choir meet briefly with the Director of Music to assess pitch matching and section placement (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass).  


• Bell Choir: The Bell Choir plays handbells from the loft for the Christmas Eve 9:00 p.m. Mass, two morning Masses on Easter Sunday, the annual Confirmation Mass, and other special liturgies. Generally, the Bell Choir also plays for a weekend Mass once every 1-2 months. The Bell Choir season runs from November through May with a brief hiatus in January/February. Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 7:00-8:30 p.m. No prior experience or special skills are necessary -- upon joining, you will learn what you need to know about reading the music and how to ring handbells. 


• Children's Choir: The Children's Choir sings every year for the Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Mass. Rehearsals are held on Sundays in November and December immediately after the 10:45 a.m. Mass. They last for about 45 minutes. Children's Choir is open to girls and boys in first through sixth grade, and there are opportunities for older students to participate as well.


• Cantors/psalmists: Cantors lead and support congregational singing from the loft. They also serve as psalmists who lead the singing of the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation from the ambo in the sanctuary. Adults and students (usually eighth grade and older) may serve as cantors. Cantors are generally scheduled to sing for weekend Masses once or twice every month. They arrive at least 20 minutes early to review the music with the organist. Cantors must be comfortable singing and speaking clearly into a microphone. The ability to read music is preferable but not mandatory. Those interested in being cantors meet with the Director of Music at least twice prior to their first Mass: once for a brief audition, and once for a rehearsal.


• Instrumentalists: Instrumentalists who play various brass, woodwind, or string instruments are needed for various Masses throughout the course of the year. Adults and students (usually eighth grade and older) may serve as instrumentalists. Music is provided in advance, and there may be rehearsal(s) prior to the scheduled Mass depending on the particular circumstances. Those interested in being instrumentalists must meet with the Director of Music for a brief audition.


• Funeral Choir: The Funeral Choir sings from the loft during parish funerals. There are no scheduled rehearsals. Members are contacted prior to each funeral, and if they are available, they simply come to the funeral and sing. With some exceptions, funerals are generally scheduled for weekdays at 10:00 a.m. The Funeral Choir is open to men and women, teenagers and adults. Except for a general ability to match pitch, no prior experience or special musical skills are necessary.


• Come and Sing Choir: Periodically throughout the year, adults and teens are invited to join in singing for a Mass. There is only one rehearsal, which begins about an hour prior to the Mass. No reservation or RSVP is required -- just come and sing! 

St. Edward's is blessed with instruments that serve our music ministry well.

ORGAN
Installed by Peebles-Herzog in late 2004, our pipe organ was originally built by Casavant for First Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg, VA in 1975. For more information, including a full history, stoplist, and technical specifications, visit our Organ page.

PIANO
Generously donated to St. Edward's in 2008, our piano is a Bechstein upright.

HANDBELLS
We have three octaves of Schulmerich handbells, many of which were refurbished in summer 2015.

Paul Radkowski has been the Director of Music/Organist at St. Edward's since 2014. He has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from Saint John's University (Collegeville, MN). He served as Liturgy & Music Coordinator at the Church of St. Peter (St. Cloud, MN), and he has also served as an organist at the Church of St. Joseph (St. Joseph, MN), Sacred Heart Church (Sharon, PA), and his hometown parish, the Church of the Good Shepherd (West Middlesex, PA). He lives in nearby Newark, OH with his wife and family.

Previous Directors of Music at St. Edward's include Susan Brattain, Bill Miller, Julia Parker, and Steve Schlicher.

To contact Paul, email him at music@saintedwards.org or call 740-587-3254.