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Udupi : The Choir Day and feast of St Cecilia, Patron Saint of Musicians, composers etc. was celebrated with great fervor and joy at Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur of Udupi diocese on Sunday, December 1, 2024.

The patron of Choir group of the church is supposed to celebrate on November 22 in the Catholic world. Due to various reasons, Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, the feast of St. Cecilia celebrations began with a Thanksgiving Mass at 8am. The Eucharistic Holy Mass concelebrated by Very Rev Mngr. Ferdinand Gonsalves, Rector of the Cathedral and Vicar General of Udupi Diocese along with Rev Fr. Pradeep Cardoza, Asst. parish priest and Director of the Choir team of the Cathedral.

During the Holy Mass, the spiritual ambiance was enriched by the melodious hymns rendered by the choir, setting a reverent tone with excellence. The choir team members conducted the liturgy during the mass.

The stage programme commenced followed by the thanksgiving mass at Milagres Tri-centenary hall with a prayer song beautifully sung by the Choir group members. One minute silence prayer was observed for the soul of deceased past Rector Very Rev Fr. Valerian Mendonca who also was director of the Choir team of the Milagres Cathedral.

Jyothi Lewis, President of Milagres Cathedral Choir team extended a warm welcome to the gathering, acknowledging the efforts of the choir and their significant role in the parish’s liturgical life with young and elder choir members.

Gladys D’Souza, Secretary of Milagres Cathedral Choir team placed the wonderful report.

The young team of choir members and the keyboard players were recognized during the occasion with honors. Rev Fr. Pradeep Cardoza, present director of Choir was recognized during the occasion for his outstanding love and masterminding the cathedral choir hymns with success in various celebrations like Diocesan Eucharist procession evening mass etc.

In his inspiring address, Fr Pradeep Cardoza emphasized the vital role of the choir team in enhancing the liturgical experience with two important points on Harmony and Symphony. Harmony is important in singing and plays an extremely important role in creating the mood for a piece of music. Harmony is the sound of things that go together well – people singing in harmony are in tune with each other. Changing the harmony of a song can completely change the mood, even if the melody and the rhythms stay the same. Harmony occurs when more than one note is played simultaneously, creating chords and chord progressions. Singing together makes choir members feel like family and builds strong friendships in church.

Fr Pradeep Cardoza said on Symphony that Life is a grand symphony, a composition of experiences, emotions, and interconnected moments that create a harmonious melody. A symphony is an orchestra’s large-scale musical composition. The symphony of love is a journey of passion, a broth of bad decisions and good intentions. It is conquest for a special someone that will be free of soul. Soulful Symphonies is a symphony of words, a journey that echoes with the celestial melodies of meaning.

In his address to the gathering, Rev Fr Dr. Jencil Alva, resident priest of the Milagres Cathedral and the guest of honor said that what talents are given by God, we must utilize in our life. Singing hymns in the choir during the Eucharistic celebrations needs talents and love towards God. He praised the choir members for their outstanding choir on various occasions which was appreciated by the priests of the diocese several times. He conveyed his wishes to all the choir members on the occasion.

In his presidential address, Very Rev Mngr. Ferdinand Gonsalves highlighted how sacred music uplifts the soul and fosters a deeper connection with the divine and thanked the choir for the dedication and encouraging choir to continue their mission of spreading joy and faith through music. He thanked all the choir members for their outstanding singing in Latin and Georgian hymns on diocesan Eucharistic procession mass. Monsignor Ferdinand appreciated all the choir members young and elders for their outstanding performances during the parish liturgy during various occasions.

Interactive spot games conducted by Ann Lewis and housie games by Sharon D’Souza are an engaging element to the programme. Participants enthusiastically competed during the programme and winners were awarded prizes, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

Flavia Menezes delivered a heartfelt vote of thanks expressing gratitude to the clergy, choir members, and all attendees for making the celebration a grand success. The event was seamlessly anchored by Rosy Baretto whose cheerful demeanor and smooth coordination kept the programme lively and well-organized. It was a fitting tribute to the choir’s dedication and an apt celebration of the patron saint of Choir and Music, St Cecilia.

Melwyn Sequiera, Vice President of parish pastoral council and Prema Lewis, Coordinator of parish pastoral commissions were present on the dais.