Texas Choral Directors Association honors Corpus Christi Cathedral choirs

SAN ANTONIO – In celebration of its Diamond Jubilee, the Texas Choral Directors Association (TCDA) has chosen the Corpus Christi Cathedral Choirs under the Direction of Lee Gwozdz and Guadalupe Rivera, Jr. to share their talent as a part of the 60th Anniversary worship service “Our Hope For Years To Come.” The event will take place on Friday, July 24, 7 p.m. at Travis Park United Methodist Church located near the TCDA convention site in downtown San Antonio.

This will be the first time that a Catholic Choir has been honored with an invitation to sing for this distinguished organization in its 60-year history. A panel of Texas choral directors chose the Cathedral Choirs, who have gained an international reputation as one of the top Cathedral Choirs in North America.

This is also an honor for Gwozdz, who has served as Director of Music for the Diocese and Corpus Christi for 30 years. Rivera has served as assistant director and conductor for the past seven years.

The Cathedral Music Ministry officially began in 1984 under the leadership and support of Bishop Rene H. Gracida, now Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, and Msgr. Richard Shirley, formal Cathedral Rector. Gwozdz and Gregory Labus were hired as co-directors with the task of the formation of a Cathedral Music Ministry Program and the initiation of a Cathedral Concert Series.

The Cathedral Music Ministry continues to serve the Cathedral Parish, the Concert Series, diocese, television ministry and worldwide web broadcasts with mire than seven choirs and a memberships of more than 250 volunteers from throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi. A graded program, choirs begin as early as grades 1-3 (Cherub Choir), grades 4-7 (Choristers), grades 8-12, junior college (Youth Chorale), senior college-adult (Pontifical Chorale), adult men's chant choir (Schola Cantorum) and a Cathedral Handbell Choir.

All the choirs have developed an international and nationally known reputation as one of premiere Cathedral music programs in the United States. The Pontifical Chorale served his Holiness Pope John Paul II (now Saint John Paul II) in the Papal Masses in San Antonio in 1987, the Feast of Corpus Christi in Rome in 1993, World Youth Day in Denver 1993 and a sold-out Basilica fundraising concert featuring Mozart's Requiem at St. John Lateran in Rome 2004.

The Youth Chorale and Choristers recently served as the lead choir from the USA for the International Congress of Pueri Cantores at the Papal Mass on New Year's Day 2011 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, celebrated by his Pope Benedict XVI. They have sung at many National Pastoral Musicians conventions in Washington, D.C., Orlando, Los Angeles and Dallas. They were the first Catholic youth choir featured on Robert Schuller's "Hour of Power" at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. They opened our nation's capitol July 4th Parade in the summer of 2009 with a performance in front of The White House.

Both choirs have numerous performances with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and have recorded many CDs that are available on Amazon.com: "A Cathedral Christmas," "A Time for Rejoicing," "Upon a Calm And Quiet Night"and "Corpus Christi Carols."