Hamilton Schola Cantorum

Founded in 2008, Hamilton Schola Cantorum (HSC) is a non-denominational choir of men and women dedicated to the study of Gregorian Chant and to its performance in concert and in liturgy.  HSC is sponsored by the Gregorian Institute of Canada under the direction of William Oates and William Renwick. 

Hamilton Schola Cantorum welcomes visitors and new members.  HSC meets on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Glastonbury Oratory, 390 Canon Street East, Hamilton, Ontario.  Contact: William Renwick for further information.

Hamilton Schola Cantorum is pleased to sing at services, weddings and concerts in the Southern Ontario region.  Contact us for information and bookings.

Regular Performances

Hamilton Schola Cantorum sings Gregorian Tridentine Mass at St. Mary’s Church, 146 Park Street North, Hamilton at 2:30 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month.

Members of Hamilton Schola Cantorum sing Sarum Chant at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin (Independent Anglican) each Sunday at 12:30, meeting at Grace Lutheran Church,1107 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario

Special Performances

Friday, April 6, 2012. 7:30 p.m.:  Tenebrae in English, Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Road East, Burlington.  Music of the Sarum Rite with fauxbourdons by William Renwick and Responsories by Healey Willan.

Wednesday-Sunday, Mary 9-13, members of Hamilton Schola Cantorum will be singing selections from the Sarum, Beneventan, and Dominican liturgies for the Feast of the Ascension at the 47^th Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo MI.

Thursday, May 17, 2012. 7:00 p.m. Sarum Mass for the Feast of the Ascension. Grace Lutheran Church, 1107 Main Street West Hamilton.

Chant Repertoire

We use the Liber Usualis for our Tridentine-mass chant  The Liber Usualis is available free on-line here: Liber Usualis.  (The Liber Usualis is available for purchase at St. Bonaventure Press.  We use the Asperges or Vidi aquam, p.11. and the tones for the Gloria Patri at the Introit, pages 14-16.  We sing the Ordinary as appointed for the season or Feast, together with Credo I (pages 64-66) or Credo III (pages 66-68).  We sing the propers according to the Sunday or Feast.

We use specially prepared music for our Sarum chant at St. Mary the Virgin Church. This music is part of the ongoing critical and performing edition, the Sarum Rite.

For special performances we use a variety of musical sources and from time to time incorporate polyphony into our music.

Past Performances

Friday, January 6, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: First Mass of Christmas (Orthodox Calendar) Our Lady of Glastonbury Oratory,  (Sarum Chant in English)

Friday, November 18, 2011, 7:30 p.m. Favourite Gregorian Chants.  Special guests, the Rosewood Consort (recorders) Grace Lutheran Church, Grace Lutheran Church, 1107 Main Street West Hamilton. Admission by donation.

Sunday, November 13, 2011, 3:00 p.m. Favourite Gregorian Chants.  Special guests, the Rosewood Consort (recorders) Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Rd East, Burlington, ON L7T 2C7. Admission by donation.

Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 p.m. Gregorian Requiem Mass for All Souls, with McMaster Schola Cantorum, St. Patrick’s Church, Hamilton.

Friday, April 22, 2011. 7:45 p.m.:  Tenebrae, St. Patrick’s Church, Hamilton.  Music of the Sarum Rite with fauxbourdons by William Renwick and Responsories by Healey Willan.

Sunday, January 16, 2011, 9:00 a.m.: Missa de Angelis. Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Road East, Burlington. 

Thursday, January 6, 2011, 7:00 p.m.: First Mass of Christmas (Orthodox Calendar) Our Lady of Glastonbury Oratory,  (chant in English)

Wednesday, December 29, 2010, 7:30 p.m.: Music for the Feast of Thomas Becket, Grace Lutheran Church, 1107 Main Street West, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010:  All Souls Requiem, St. Patrick’s Church, Hamilton.  Including the motet, Ecce quomodo moritur Justus by Jacob Handl.

Sunday, October 24, 2010, 4:30 p.m. Choral Evensong, St. George’s Church, 651 Mud Street, East, Hamilton (Stoney Creek) ON
Corner of Sixth Line Road.  Including Magnificat and Nunc dimittis by Healey Willan, and the motet, I will lay me down in peace, also by Willan.

Sunday, August 8, 2010, 5:00 p.m. Dedication, Choral Evensong, and Solemn Benediction, Pro-Cathedral of St. George the Martyr, Niagara Falls, NY. Including Stanford Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G, and Mozart Laudate Dominum.

7:00 p.m. Friday, June 25, 2010, Choral Evensong, St. Paul’s Church, Dunnville.   As part of the 2010 Cranmer Conference.

May 13-16, 2010, Music for the Feast of Thomas Becket, 45th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.

Friday, April 2, 2010:  Tenebrae (in English) Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Rd East, Burlington, ON L7T 2C7; 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 7:00 p.m., Procession and Mass for the Feast of the Purification (Sarum Rite), Grace Lutheran Church,

Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 7:00 p.m.: First Mass of Christmas (Orthodox Calendar) at Our Lady of Glastonbury Oratory,

Monday, November 2, 2009: 7:00 p,m, All Souls Requiem Mass, Saint Patrick’s Church, Hamilton. 

Thursday, August 13, 2009, 8:00 p.m. Opening Concert, Convocation Hall, McMaster University, Conference: Traditions in Gregorian Chant, sponsored by the Gregorian Institute of Canada and the School of the Arts, McMaster University.

Friday, May 22, 2009, 6:30 p.m. Evensong, The Cranmer Conference, St. Paul's Anglican Church, 233 Lock Street West, Dunville, Ontario, N1A 1V3

Friday, April 10, 2009, 7:30 p.m. Tenebrae (in English), Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Rd East, Burlington, ON L7T 2C7

Thursday, March 19, 2009, 7:00 p.m. Mass for the Feast of St. Joseph, Queen of Angels Oratory, 75 Rolls Avenue St Catharines, ON L2N 1W3 (905) 680-0447

January  6, 2009, 7:30 p.m. First Mass of Christmas (Orthodox Calendar), Our Lady of Glastonbury Oratory.  Link to a video of the service.

November 2, 2008, 3:00 p.m. Concert with organist Stillman Matheson, St. Lawrence Church, Hamilton, sponsored by the Royal School of Church Music.

Chant Resources

Musica Sacra.

St. Lalande Rare Books.

Music of the Sarum Office.

CANTUS database.