The Cathedral of Saint Paul

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Sacred Music

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

DOWNTOWN CONCERT SERIES

  • ANNOUNCING THE FIFTH SEASON of the DOWNTOWN CONCERT SERIES at the Cathedral of Saint Paul – for 2026-2027! Download the season flyer HERE.
  • This concert series seeks to bring the best of art and sacred music to our Cathedral as an offering to our parish, our city, our diocese. This year includes one of France’s most-acclaimed organists, closer-to-home organ talent of a similar stature, a polyphony double-billing you won’t want to miss, the return of the University of Montevallo Choirs (welcome back!), our beloved “A Cathedral Christmas”, and more!
  • Because the Cathedral Church is consecrated to God, all concerts are presented free of charge, so that all people may find a home here at St. Paul’s.
  • Please check the link above to see if you might help support our mission to bring quality organ, choral, vocal, and instrumental concerts to downtown Birmingham. The late Anna Catharine Grace’s gift of the pipe organ named in her honor is a huge part of this series. She and many other donors over the last few decades laid the foundation of our concert series. We hope you will join us in rejoicing and praying for our many benefactors near and far.

  • Our next FREE concert is SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026, featuring The UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO CHOIRS, under the direction of Dr. Melinda S. Doyle. Director of Choral Activities. We are happy to host an excellent local university choir! UM will sing a variety of sacred works, with a number featuring our own Anna Catharine Grace Memorial Pipe Organ. The program may be found HERE the week of the concert. 

  • For more information, simply call (205.251.1279×107) or email (ludwick@stpaulsbhm.org) the Director of Music. We look forward to seeing you this year at these concerts and in worship!

Liturgical Music week-to-week

  • For the most current information on liturgical and sacramental schedules, check the Cathedral frontpage.
  • The 5:00pm (anticipated) Mass has hymns and a Gregorian chant ordinary led by cantor and organ.
  • The Sunday 8:30AM Mass is led by a cantor or small schola and organ. Hymns and the Gregorian ordinary are sung by all; the schola leads the Gregorian processional propers (Entrance, Offertory, and Communion) as needed.
  • The 11:00am Solemn Mass is our main musical offering, with most (and sometimes all) of the Gregorian proper represented, along with the requisite hymns and Gregorian or vernacular ordinaries. Polyphonic (choral) Mass ordinaries are sung about once a month in part or in whole. Music is led by Cathedral Choir (or Cathedral Choir staff singers during some Summer months), a semi-professional choir of 20-25 voices.
  • The Orders of Worship and Music Lists subpage is kept current so that you may see what we are preparing for upcoming weeks!

In the “Sacred Music” section you can learn about the following sub-topics (also accessible through the menus).