Music in service of God and society
Christ teaches us that “whatsoever you do to the least of these my brethren, you do unto me.” Although the pinnacle of the Choir’s service of Christ in music will always be at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Choir has over the decades also discovered the joy of serving Christ in His poor and in society. Under Sir Peter’s leadership the Choir has found that music can and deservedly should join together the two great commandments–love of God, and love of neighbour. To this end the Choir has presented more than 50 choral concerts, spanning four decades in favour of the less fortunate.
For I was hungry and you fed me
Service of the poor and needy has been part of the choir’s storied history from humble beginnings at St Michael’s to the Cathedral. In our present phase of life at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the Choir has been honoured to offer the contributions from our annual Christmas concert to the Cathedral’s Social Mission Fund, which serves the poor through food and financial assistance.
In addition to annual concerts, the Choir has on occasion staged performances for the benefit of the poor, such as its Celebration 2000 concert in September 2000 for the Breadline group. The care of the sick, undertaken by church-affiliated and secular bodies alike, has also seen the Choir rally its efforts for institutions such as the National Kidney Foundation (1996) and the Assisi Hospice, for which we performed twice, first in 1994, and again for their 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2007. Heeding the Church’s teaching on the inherent dignity of the human person, the Choir has also been privileged to bring the gift of music to the aged sick in homes such as St Teresa’s Home (then Little Sisters of the Poor), St Joseph’s Home, and Villa Francis.
The Community Chest, the fund-raising arm of the National Council of Social Service, has also been a regular beneficiary through the years, notably sharing with the Choir the privilege of marking the end of the second millennium with A Millenium Christmas (1999).
The years of service have also provided occasion for the Choir to contribute humanitarian relief to victims of natural disasters. The 1993 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines saw the Choir (then at the Church of the Risen Christ) dedicate the proceeds from its annual Christmas concert to the relief and rehabilitation of the displaced. In the Choir’s latest phase of life at the Cathedral, the generosity of donors at our annual concerts has benefitted CHARIS, the humanitarian arm of the Archdiocese of Singapore, which organises relief for the victims of natural disasters in developing countries in the region.
Rebuild my church
In 1205 the young and restless Francesco Bernadone, searching for his calling, wandered into the tiny church of San Damiano, dilapidated and falling into disrepair. Gazing upon the crucifix, he heard the voice of Christ say Francis, rebuild my church. Thus began an incredible life’s work of restoration, not only of physical buildings, but the church of Christ’s Body for which we now revere him as St Francis of Assisi.
The Choir shares in this remarkable patrimony in a small way by giving back our voices through concerts to rebuilding the House of God in her local parishes. Churches that we have been honoured to give back to include the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (September 2006) and the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea (Easter Cantata 1990).
Nor is the Choir’s share in St Francis’ mission limited only to parish buildings–Catholic schools, which provide the light of Truth to the intellect and ultimately guide the soul back to God, have also been the legitimate end of the Choir’s undertakings. Over the years, schools such as St Joseph’s Institution (1985), St Anthony’s Convent (Yuletidings X – 1991) and CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent (Pascha 1999) have given us the opportunity to share in their mission of baptising the intellect.
Amongst the many beneficiaries of their social outreach, the Choir has also contributed to the maintenance and most recently the restoration of the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Singapore: the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, home to the choir since 2002. The Cathedral’s three-year long restoration from 2014-17 was an endeavor needing the generosity of many patrons, and to which we gladly dedicated many of our annual concerts to.
