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HistoryThe Women's Liturgical Choir was founded as the Women's Ensemble in the Fall of 1986 by Patrick Gorman, a graduate student
in music and liturgy. Craig Westendorf, the Chapel Choir director
at that time, was the supervising professor. In the early years, the
choir was small (14-20 singers) and performed a wide-ranging repertoire
of unison, two- and three-part music, with and without accompaniment.
From its earliest days, the choir sang quality sacred music from all
stylistic periods. Special attention was paid to the wealth of outstanding
choral literature for women's voices.Practices were held in the late afternoon twice each week in Crowley Hall. The choir sang two concerts and one Mass in 1986-87 as well as in 1987-88. Performances were held in the Anennburg Auditorium in the Snite Museum, Moreau Seminary Chapel, and LaFortune Student Center. The Choir often performed with the Camerata, a group of select singers from the Chapel Choir (now known as the Liturgical Choir). In 1987 the name of the ensemble was changed to the Notre Dame Women's Choir. Teresa Kniahynycky (DuSell) took over as director in the Fall of 1988 and the choir sang at the 5 p.m. Saturday evening Mass. When the choir began singing in Sacred Heart Church (now the Basilica of the Sacred Heart) Fr. Daniel Jenky, CSC, Rector of Sacred Heart (now Bishop Daniel Jenky, CSC) gave the choir an unusual name: "Les Petites Chanteuses de Notre Dame" or The Little Singers of Our Lady. In the Fall semester of 1989 Sr. Patricia Clark, SVM, assumed directorship of the Women's Choir. With only a few singers 
onthe roster, Sr. "Trish" led the choir through its period
of greatest growth. Sr. Trish established the choir as one of the
principle choirs at the Basilica with over 40 women singing at the
vigil mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. She registered the
choirwith the Club Coordination Council and the Women's Choir became
an officially recognized club at the University under the auspices
of Campus Ministry. Officers were elected, budgets were created, music
was purchased and home football concession stands were utilized as
a source of income for the group. The Department of Music and Campus
Ministry assigned graduate student assistant organists to the choir.With Sr. Trish's guidance, dedication and musicianship the Women's Choir gained the needed foundation upon which it has thrived. Even today the Women's Liturgical Choir sings the Mozart setting of "Ave Verum Corpus" and the Mendelssohn setting of "Lift Thine Eyes to the Mountains" which Sr. Trish added to the repertoire of the choir. Andrew McShane became the fourth director of the Women's Choir in the autumn of 1995 and changed the name to the University of Notre Dame Women's Liturgical Choir. The number of women singing in the Women's Liturgical Choir continued to grow and membership now usually consists of around 50 women. The Women's Liturgical Choir began touring in 1997 with a trip to Dayton Ohio where the choir sang Vespers, a Vespers Concert and a Mass. Since the initial tour, other  destinations
have included Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Madison,
Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Baltimore and Washington DC.In the spring of 2001 the choir moved to its new home in the much-celebrated Coleman-Morse Center. The third floor of the Coleman-Morse Center includes 4 rehearsal rooms and the choral library. The spectacular Coleman-Morse Center is a wonderful rehearsal facility and compliments the elegant Basilica of the Sacred Heart where the choir is heard weekly at the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. The choir can be heard on two recordings. Cantate Domino features the Women's Liturgical Choir, the Notre Dame Basilica Schola and the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir. Lift Thine Eyes, which was released in 2001, is the first recording that exclusively features the Women's Liturgical Choir. Lift Thine Eyes has been a significant accomplishment for the Women's Liturgical Choir. The combination of dedicated, intelligent, musical Notre Dame Women and the highest quality music for women's voices has made this recording successful. There would not be a Notre Dame Women's Liturgical Choir if not for the hard work of the former directors. There would also not be a WLC if not for the support of Fr. Richard V. Warner, CSC, director of Campus Ministry and Rev. Peter D. Rocca, CSC, rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, former rector of the Basilica and Dr. Gail L. Walton, Director of Music at the Basilica have also given unending support to the work of these outstanding Notre Dame Women. The University of Notre Dame Women's Liturgical Choir looks forward to many more years of music at the University of Notre Dame. |
