The Cathedral Music Program’s primary focus is to support the assembly at worship in the singing of the hymns and responses, and to lift their hearts and minds through the music of the Church.
Thanks to the rich cultural diversity apparent throughout the Diocese of Oakland, The Cathedral of Christ the Light is also home to an ethnically diverse community with several choirs and ensembles leading the faithful in sung prayer.
Men's Schola
The Men's Schola consists of auditioned professional and volunteer singers. The Men's Schola sing regularly at the 10am Solemn Mass on Sundays. This group forms the foundation for two other choirs at the cathedral: Choir of Men & Boys and Cathedral Camerata.
Cathedral Camerata
The Cathedral Camerata is a semi-professional ensemble that combines the Men's Schola with women sopranos. They sing reguarly at the Sunday 10:00 am Solemn Mass from September through June in addition to other liturgical celebrations throughout the year.
Choir of Men & Boys
The Choir of Men & Boys sings at special events such as the annual Requiem Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ.
The boy sopranos are drawn from the Pacific Boychoir Academy, choir-in-residence of the Cathedral.
For more information about the Pacific Boychoir Academy, please visit PacificBoyChoirAcademy.org
St. Hildegard Schola
The St. Hildegard Schola is an ensemble of women and girls age ten and up.
They sing on Saturdays at the 5:30pm Mass.
Repertoire ranges from Gregorian chant to other great choral music for treble voices.
Vietnamese Choir
The Vietnamese Choir sing at the Vietnamese Mass on Sundays at 8:00 am and at several additional liturgies throughout the year.
Filipino Choir
The Filipino Choir provides music for the Mass at 12:00 pm on Sundays, with several music selections in Tagalog, celebrating our Filipino community here at the Cathedral. (No audition is required for this group.)
Hispanic Music Ensemble
The Hispanic Music Ensemble provides music for the 2:00 pm Spanish Mass on Sundays.
When it became clear that Oakland would become home to a great cathedral, Daniel Whalen and his wife, Katharine Conroy Whalen, thought again of her mother, Gerry Conroy. The Whalens soon made the decision to contribute to build a custom-made world-class pipe organ. Their gift to the Cathedral of Christ the Light funded the design, manufacture, and installation of the Létourneau 92 ranks, four-manual, pedal organ with 5,298 pipes.
The organ is used primarily in liturgy, as well as featured in concerts throughout the year. A brochure with the specification of the organ is available here.