Music at Church of Saint Barnabas

Choirs

St. Barnabas Choir provides music for all sung services, including high mass on Sunday mornings, services in Holy Week, and various festivals such as All Souls which are observed at evening services. The choir has a large and growing repertoire of motets and mass settings, from the 14th century to newly composed. Their director for the past fifteen years or so has been Mrs. Jerry McDonald, MMus, an active member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

The Choir, though rarely heard in concert, does present an Advent Service of Lessons and Carols at the beginning of Advent and, preceding Christmas Eve Mass, a half hour of carols. Their 2011 Service of Lessons and Carols included:

St. Barnabas Compline Choir comprises several members of the St. Barnabas Choir and several choristers from choirs of adjacent parishes. Compline is sung most months on the fourth Sunday at 20:00. The current director for this service is David Stratkauskas, Bmus MA ARCO, from Church of St. John the Divine.

Reverence for the texts of both Old and New Testaments led the early Church to the development of the chant traditions which have inspired its music ever since. This tradition is central to our music at St. Barnabas'. It is rare to find music that is in such union with the liturgy (both text and actions) that it is organically part of it, rather than being a more or less beautiful accessory to it. This is the function of our choir. We are blessed at St. Barnabas' to have a choir which is so integral to the liturgy and plays such an essential role in lifting our hearts and souls to God.
-- Rt. Rev. John E. Hannen

Concerts

Each year St. Barnabas Church invites at least six representative groups from the best of Victoria's classical and choral music scene to participate in its monthly Sunday afternoon concert series. St. Barnabas is a lively community full of music, blessed with a building having lovely acoustics, perfect for instrumental and vocal performance. These concerts are offered to share these blessings with others, presented for the enjoyment of all, so are kept deliberately inexpensive to attend. All proceeds go to the musicians.