Contact: Matthew Meloche – Director of Music

Scheduled Meetings:  by Group below

Ministry Mission Statement

The primary focus of the St. Francis Parish and School Music Ministry is to provide beautiful sacred music at all of our sung liturgical functions.  The Roman Catholic Church has a rich heritage in music and continues to uplift participants at Mass with the music of our tradition and new compositions.

Current Ministry Activities by Group:

◊ Parish Cantors

Cantors chant the Psalm and Gospel Acclamation, as well as lead the singing at our parish and school celebrations.  This ministry requires time, effort, and musical ability.  A pleasant singing voice, good diction, and the ability to sing in front of a large group of people are required.  Ongoing formation and continuing education are part of the Cantor Ministry at St. Francis.  Recordings are sent out for cantors to rehearse the parts of the Mass that change regularly (Psalm, Communion Antiphon, other propers).  Please use the form below to contact the Director of Music for more information or join our Parish Cantor flocknote.

◊ Parish Adult Choir

This is the principal choir for St. Francis by the Sea which sings from September through Corpus Christi at the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Weekly rehearsals are held weekly on Thursdays in the church.  The choir sings a variety of styles from traditional Latin chant/motets to more modern works.  There is no audition required, but matching-pitch and being able to blend when singing with a group is required, in addition to a desire to work together to create beautiful choral literature and offer it to Almighty God. To join, please use the contact form below and join the Parish Choir flocknote.

◊ Small Ensemble – “Echoes of Heaven”

This smaller ensemble has a more contemporary feel than the Adult choir. While there is some use of traditional music, this group delves into newer styles, and uses instruments other than organ, including guitar, flute, bass and electronic keyboard. While it is not a Praise and Worship band, it is a group that sings contemporary music with a strong Catholic theology. Since this group is small and lightly amplified, members should have strong and pleasant voices and be comfortable with singing parts. Instrumentalists are also welcome.  Contact David Green for more information: 843-368-9379.

◊ Children’s Choir in formation

A children’s choir or children’s choirs will be formed when enough interested children are identified. Please join our Flocknote for the Children’s Choir (if you have a child in grades 4-8) or the Jr. Children’s Choir (if you have a child in grades 1-3).

◊ St. Francis School Choir

Currently, this ensemble is made up of the St. Francis Catholic School (SFCS) Fourth Grade class.  Rehearsals are held weekly during school hours.  Lisa Sweeney, SFCS Music Director, leads the choir, which ministers at weekly school liturgies.  Participants are taught basic music theory and appropriate choral singing.  They also learn about the liturgy and their faith in the context of the church year and the Mass.

◊ School Cantors

The cantors and students who lead songs are generally drawn from the school choir. Talented students from higher grades are also occasionally used, and some even cantor at weekly parish masses.

◊ Hispanic Ensemble:

The Hispanic Ensemble is a group, very diverse in age, which practices Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and sings at the Spanish language liturgy on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. Its camaraderie and joy is evident in the music. The ensemble sings as it leads the worship during the liturgy.  This is a non-auditioned group. However, a commitment to steady attendance and punctuality are a must.

◊ Instrumentalists

Instrumentalists interested in augmenting music for liturgy are encouraged to contact the Director of Music by using the form below. Musicians playing at Mass should play at a high level so as to not detract from the participation of the assembly.

◊  Non-Musical Volunteers for the Music Program

If you have a love of sacred music and want to support our program, but aren’t musical – we could use you. Please use the contact form below and we will add you to our mailing list for when we need non-musical volunteers.

Resource Requirements: We are always open to new choir and cantor members.