A CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS

CORPUS CHRISTI CATHEDRAL
Pontifical Chorale
Youth Chorale
Choristers
Handbell Choir
Festival Orchestra

Lee Gwozdz organ
Guadalupe Rivera Jr. conductor

  MS1347  ~  $14.95  

“A Cathedral Christmas illustrates the big, glorious sound that is only possible when you have a very large choir, backed up by sufficient instrumental forces to make a grand impression. In this case, the numbers are Texas-sized, the Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas to be exact. Assistant music director Guadalupe Rivera, Jr. conducts...a sumptuous program. It all begins with a magnificent Gloria in excelsis Deo, followed by The First Nowell in a persuasive new setting by Mack Wilberg, whose Carol to the King, heard later in the program, builds to a splendid crescendo blending voices with an augmented brass section including double horns and trombones, triple trumpets, bass trombone and tuba. Other selections include a poignant Lost in the Night, Ave Maria; Mary, did You Know? And Herbert Howells’ regal setting of the Magnificat. Wilberg’s settings of Away in a Manger and Joy to the World add new luster to old holiday favorites. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella  are of true professional chorale quality. Arise, your Light has Come deftly uses the music from the old German chorale Wachet auf, while Mary, Go Tell It neatly segues into the spiritual Go, Tell It on the Mountain. Two last Bass arrangements, Deck the Halls and We Wish You a Merry Christmas conclude a deeply satisfying program.”
Audio Video Club of Atlanta ~ December 2009

The Cathedral Pontifical Chorale consists each season of 80 volunteer singers who commit more than five hours per week for ten months of the year. Coming from all walks of life and a variety of professional backgrounds, together they form a choral ensemble that ministers through the art of music at the Sunday Televised Mass. For the past 25 years, the Chorale has received international and national recognition, including tours of Austria, England, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Czech Republic, as well as the singular honor of singing for three Papal Masses celebrated by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. In addition to liturgical responsibilities, the Chorale is featured annually on The Cathedral Concert Series. Past guest conductors include Paul Salamunovich, Ronald Shirey, Bev Henson, Lara Hoggard, John Giordano and Greg Labus.

The Cathedral Youth Chorale and Cathedral Choristers are made up of young men and women in Grades 4 through 12 from throughout the Coastal Bend, who serve more than four hours weekly for a period of nine months. Totaling more than 90 singers, this choir ministers at the main Sunday Mass. Both choirs have gained a national reputation through their several professional recordings and numerous presentations at National Pastoral Musicians regional conventions held in Dallas, Orlando and in Orange County. In the summer of 2008, the choirs had the honor of singing on July 4th at the White House to open the National Independence Day Parade. They also participated in the National Pueri Cantores Festival with other Catholic choirs from throughout the nation, singing at the National Shrine in Washington, D.C. Upon receiving an invitation from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, both choirs will sing for the International Pueri Cantores Festival to be held at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in December 2010. Both choirs are featured on Lee Gwozdz’s Singing FUNdamentals educational videos, have appeared in concert presentations with the Corpus Christi Symphony and are also featured artists on the Cathedral Concert Series.

Lee Gwozdz (Organist) serves as Director of Music for Corpus Christi Cathedral, and as Executive Director of the Cathedral Concert Series, posts he has held for 24 years. Constantly engaged as a festival conductor and workshop clinician, Gwozdz’s workshop presentations, primarily in the area of his work with children’s choirs, have taken place in more than 100 cities throughout the US. His trademark and educational venture entitled “Singing FUNdamentals” includes a Toy Box, DVD and Video. Highly sought after as a clinician for children’s voices and conductor of children’s choir festivals, Mr. Gwozdz has expanded his reputation as a leading Adult Choir Festival Clinician. In 2004, he was voted “Musician of the Year” by more than 10,000 of colleagues from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and in 1987 was chosen to conduct the 500-voice choir and orchestra for the Papal Mass held in San Antonio. In 1993, he served as conductor of the Papal Mass in Denver, conducting more than 700 young singers for the International World Youth Day Festival. Mr. Gwozdz graduated from Texas Christian University where he studied organ with renowned organist Emmet Smith, receiving a BME with a minor in organ performance. While at TCU, Lee undertook summer studies with world renowned organists and composers, some of whom included Jean Langlais, Maurice Duruflé and Flor Peeters.

Guadalupe Rivera, Jr. (Conductor) is currently the Interim Assistant Director of Music at the Corpus Christi Cathedral, a position he has held since Fall 2008.Mr. Rivera served as Assistant Conductor of the Turtle Creek Chorale in Dallas under Dr. Tim Seelig, and was also the Resident Guest Conductor for the Cathedral Midnight Mass celebrations and the annual Holiday Cathedral Spectacular, Gloria In Excelsis Deo! In February 2006, he was the assistant conductor at Carnegie Hall in the performance of Sing For the Cure: A Proclamation of Hope, and later in the year conducted for famed choral composer Morten Lauridsen. In the summers of 2006 and 2007, he conducted at the Oregon Bach Festival under renowned conductor and Bach scholar Helmuth Rilling. Mr. Rivera, a native of Corpus Christi and former member of the Pontifical Chorale, received his Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Christian University in 1996, where he studied with Ronald Shirey and the late Dr. Ruth Whitlock. In that year, Mr. Rivera also studied with Robert Shaw at Carnegie Hall. He subsequently completed his MM in Performance in Choral Conducting at the University of North Texas in 2005, where he studied with Dr. Jerry McCoy. Mr. Rivera has completed all coursework and requirements for the Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Conducting under the supervision of Dr. Bruce Chamberlain at the University of Arizona, where he conducted the Kantorei Chamber Choir and Recital Choir, and served as Assistant Conductor of the University Community Chorus. Mr. Rivera is in demand as an adjudicator, guest conductor and clinician. As a high school educator, his choirs received “Superior” and ”Excellent” ratings at area choral contests and has seen his students participate in the ACDA National Honor Choirs and TMEA All-State Choirs.