Quigley Preparatory Seminary - La Petit Seminaire Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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direction began to win respect in the music world. ln 1931, the director of the choir became Father Edwin Hoover, who continued the choir on the road to success. With leadership such as this, one would be tempted to think that the Archdiocese ol Chicago had exhausted its supply ol musical genius, but in 1941 , the Cathe- dral Choristers were to get another fine director in the person of Monsignor Meter. It is important to note that the members ol this choir have always consisted ol Quigley's first and second year students. Year alter year Monsignor Meter has the most dillicult task ol replenishing his supply ol sopranos and altos. He receives the boys at a time just belore their voices begin to break and change. These voices last lor approximately two years, and then Mon- signor has the repeated task ol dropping older boys lrom the choir. Yet the choir must go on, and new talent is sought among the freshmen. HTUNING THE A STRINGS The members ol the choir must devote much time and effort to perlecting the numerous Masses and Motets which are to constitute their repertoire. Consequently the choristers can be heard practicing daily, perfecting the music lor the ten o'clock Sunday High Mass at the Cathe- dral and lor the other occasions that arise during the Liturgical Year. Added to the light tones ol the sopranos and altos, are the rich tenor and bass tones ol pro- fessional men who come from all parts ol Chi- cago. And when one has an exceptionally trained group ol sopranos, altos, tenors and af I T2 0 4. 1' -I A h I A A MOTU PROPRIO MASS basses, accompanied by Dr. Axel Norder at the organ, and the entire group under the skilllul baton oi Monsignor Meter, the result cannot but be the most beautiful polyphonic music this side of Rome. On November 7, 1953, when the celebration ol the fiftieth anniversary ol the Motu Proprio oi Pope Pius X was observed, choirs filled the cathedral to its capacity. This huge choir was directed by Monsignor Meter and Monsignor Maillet. The two organs oi the cathedral were in use that day, one by Dr. Axel Norder, the other by Monsignor Joseph Kush, director ol music at Saint Mary ol the Lake Seminary. To add to this occasion were the Little Singers ol the Wooden Cross, from France, under the direc- tion ol Monsignor Maillet. The French singers were touring the United States at that time and consented to unite their voices with those ol their fellow Boy Singers in Chicago, in prayeriul and inspirational music. Alter the Mass, the French singers agreed to entertain the members ol the choirs with some selections which they performed on their tour. Later, another singing group was touring the United States also, the Little Mexican singers, directed by the lormer director ol the Vienna Boys Choir. On January 30, 1954, through the arrangements made by Monsignor Meter and -if 22-4

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MSGR METER SENIOR MAESTRO Oli FC ejtfa XCH The Golden Age of Musrc at Gurgley led by the talents of Monsrgnor Meter rs now rn ts frtteenth year Because of hrs careful gurdance varrous musrcal organrzatrons at the Lrttle Sem rnary have reached new levels ot achrevement Under hrs supervrsron musrc not only contrnued to be a means of recreatron but a source of educatronal value By educatronal value we mean culture for he wanted the young semrn arran to acquarnt hrmself wrth an apprecratron for musrc Apprecratron for thrs art was desrgned not only to develop a students knowledge of srngrng playrng or of rust enroyrng the works of the masters but also to make the student aware that the great musrcal composrtrons of such masters as Bach Mozart Beethoven and Rossrnr are but a slrght retlectron of God s beauty Throughout hrs Qurgley and Mundelern days as a student Monsrgnor Meter had shown hrm self to be a remarkable musrcran Srnce he pos sessed so much abrlrty rn the freld of musrc rt was no wonder that he was sent to Rome to study church musrc further At the Pontrfrcral lnstrtute of Sacred Musrc rn Rome he made steadfast frrends wrth the frnest masters of Church Musrc among whom are Monsrgnor Casrmrrr 4 Abbate Ferettr and the world famed Monsrgnor Refrce To thrs day there exrsts a deep frrendshrp between Monsrgnor Refrce and Monsrgnor Meter The Former expressed hrs frrendshrp by composrng for the fathedral Chcrrsters one of hrs most excellent works at the trme when Holy Name Cathedral was celebratrng rts centennral The composrtron OMNES GENTES QUAS CUMQUE FECISTI VENIENT was heard by many of the Brshops and Archbrshops of thrs country at varrous occasrons Thrs year Mon srgnor Refrce composed a new Magnrfrcat tor the Cathedral Chorr dedrcated to Archbrshop Brren Monsrgnor Meter drd not contrne hrs studres to Rome but vrsrted the great musrcal centers rn Germany Sparn England and France When Monsrgnor took up hrs post here h shared hrs talents and wrde musrcal background wrth those who came rn contact wrth hrm By dorng thrs he has not only made a name rn the freld of musrc but has won tor hrmselt a specral place rn the hearts of the many who have known hrm both at Qurgley and rn the outsrde world The hrstory of the Cathedral Chorrsters dates back some thrrty Four years It was organrzed through the etforts of the Reverend Father Phrlrp Mahoney D D and Father Bourget After thrs Mahoney For many years the chorr under hrs TE DEUM LAUDAMUS S Oi - I . . . . . . I e ee ll ' ' T D I T u u 1 I I I A I ' T U U I 1 the direction of the Choir was left to Father 7 f . . . l , V 7 Y I . . . - ax X Y ' .. . .' . . ? Q ' V r E i I If 'r

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in -:Q SUNDAY PERFORMANCE OF THE POLYPHONIC CHOIR with the consent ol Monsrgnor Schmid the Mex can srngers appeared on Qurgley s stage to per form a hall hour concert The next day Sunday thus tourmg group of srngers sang wrth the Cathe dral Chorrsters at the Hugh Mass The Glee Club composed ol fourth and Frlth year men must needs be mentroned In the musr cal lrle ol Qurgley Theur chrel work rs to pro whrch are celebrated rn Sarnt ames Chapel and to blend their voices with the sopranos and altos of the Cathedral Chorrsters on May Concert nrghts The concert rs composed of such a selec tron ol popular and secular musrc that the audr ence goes home hummmg and srnglng the tunes To add culture to the school rs Qurgley s or chestra under the drrectron of Monsignor Meter and Father Mroczlcowslcr This group ol musr clans rs capable ol renderrng both classrcal and popular composrtnons Throughout the year they learn this very Important lesson that as mdrvld uals they are rncapable ol playmg the fmrshed composrtron, yet unrted rn a common effort they achieve their purpose expressrng the musrc of :ts composer 48 FIDDLING THE TIME AWAY Q , v T . . . ' I I I I - vide the tenor and bass parts for the Masses J 1 I - I