Quick links:
Parish bulletin Beethoven announcement (Windows Vista; plain text below, this page).
Ticket Order Form (for mail orders)
Ticketweb.com (credit card orders)
2008-2009 Season information (individual and season tickets available via ticketweb.com)

Just two Catholic parishes in the United States have a full symphony orchestra:  Saint Patrick Cathedral, New York, and All Hallows, Sacramento.

Originated in 2003 with a modest Christmas program featuring six performers, the All Hallows Concert Orchestra is now the Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists of The Academy at All Hallows.  The new name will continue our commitment to great performances each year at acoustically perfect All Hallows Church and other venues around the region.  "The Academy" also continues its unique commitment to community service through music - from our "Building Blocks of Music" instructional programs for youth in private and parochial schools in Northern California, to presentation of some of the greatest musical works of western civilization for audiences throughout our season.  Beethoven is next, and in celebration of The Orchestra's Sixth Season, artistic director Pete Nowlen selected Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.  Student matinee on October 24 (10 am and noon), and Grand Performance at Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at 8 pm on Saturday, October 25.  Individual and season tickets may be purchased here.   

Past major performances include Schubert's Mass in A-flat Major, Mozart's Requiem (the Levin completion), Beethoven's Fifth and Third (Eroica listen), Saint-Saens' Symphony Number Three (Organ) (listen),  Vivaldi's Autumn (listen), the Robert Ray Gospel Mass (a collaboration with the Voices of Faith), Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass, Amahl and the Night Visitors (light opera for full orchestra; Art Gruneberg, puppeteer) and multiple other magnificent pieces. 

Artists participate from around the region, and from the parish.  Parish schoolchildren participate in the Orchestra Youth Choir, and - more humbly - act as masters of ceremonies, greeters and ticket-takers at Concert events.   Volunteers are always welcomed.

The Orchestra customarily schedules three major events each season:  a Fall event (a fund-raiser for John Paul II School and Cristo Rey High School), a Christmas production, and a Spring production.  The Orchestra also schedules matinee programs for students from area schools, customarily on the Friday schoolday preceding the Concert weekend. 

Participate!

Concert tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketweb.com [venue:  All Hallows] or on the Purchase page.  Student tickets for matinee performances can be arranged directly with concert board vice-chair Mrs. Rose Culp at .

For more information on Concert programming, please contact artistic director and conductor Pete Nowlen at . See also Upcoming Events.

For more information on Concert musician participation, hiring the Orchestra, or hiring individual instruments or sections, please contact orchestra manager Ms. Angel Contreras at .   

For more information on adult and youth Concert chorus participation, please contact choir master Mr. Ryan Murray at .

Volunteer!

To volunteer as youth or adult orchestra docent (greeter, ticket-taker, or translator), please contract Mrs. Rose Culp at . 

Liturgical Choirs!

For more information on how you - a musician or vocalist - can participate liturgically at Masses and special events, please contact Director of Liturgical Music and Liturgy Ms. Lynda Struebing at .

For more information on participation in the Spanish-language liturgical choirs, please contact choir mistress Ms. Maria Berenice Hoyos at .

For more information on participation in the English-language St. Peter Choir, please contact Parish Organist and St. Peter cantor Mrs. Kim LaSavio at .

Text for use in Parish and Other Bulletins:

Concert!  Saturday, October 25, 2008, 8 pm.  Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Cathedral will be presented as a joint fundraiser for Cristo Rey High School and John Paul II School, each dedicated to serving underserved urban communities through Catholic education!  THE MUSICAL EVENT OF A LIFETIME. The Concerts of All Hallows are now The Orchestra and Chorus of The Academy at All Hallows. To celebrate graduation into the top tier of national performance achievement, The Academy brings you Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, to be performed at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, downtown Sacramento. Experience the majesty of one of the defining works of western art, in one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the United States.   Pete Nowlen, Academy artistic director, will conduct. Conductor's Box and Orchestra Center ticketholders are invited to attend a pre-Concert hosted cocktail reception in the Cathedral's Mercy Memorial Hall, downstairs from the main sanctuary. Meet Conductor Pete Nowlen and selected performers. Pre-Concert reception begins at 6:30 p.m. and concludes  10 minutes prior to the 8 p.m. performance.   Tickets:  ticketweb.com [Cathedral], mail [download form at AllHallowsSacramento.org and mail with payment], or in person at All Hallows, Cristo Rey, or John Paul II offices.  Prices:  $15 to $375.

Friends of The Academy at All Hallows 

The All Hallows Concert Orchestra is fully dedicted to community service.  As part of our outreach, we invite all friends of music and art to join our Concert Board, "Friends of the All Hallows Orchestra."  The Concerts and Orchestra are self-governing, but operate under the authority of the pastor of the parish, an ex officio member of the Friends Board.  The Board is chaired by All Hallows Orchestra Artistic Director and Conductor Mr. Pete Nowlen (), supported by vice-chairs Mrs. Rose Culp () and Mr. Christopher J. Bakes ().

Music and Instrument Management Committee

All Hallows Church, home to one of the largest parish music programs in the state, has a committee specifically dedicated to music and instrument management and acquisition.  The committee has advisory responsibility for music and musical instruments at the parish's churches and the parish school, each church's sound system, support equipment for the Orchestra and its performances, and the All Hallows Campanile Chimes.  Significant parish musical instruments include:  a Yamaha Conservatory Grand Piano (2005; thank you Sherman Clay Company, San Francisco), the William A. Bakes Viscount Digital Pipe Organ (2007; thank you anonymous donor), and an Allen digital organ.

This committee meets monthly, is fully collaborative and intentionally has no chair. 

Members:  Rev. Rodolfo Llamas (ex officio), Mr. Pete Nowlen, Mrs. Lynda Struebing, Ms. Kim LaSavio, Mr. Ryan Murray, Ms. Alice Zeboski, Mrs. Rose Culp, Mr. Christopher J. Bakes, and Mrs. Maria Berenice-Hoyos.  For contact information and/or information on joining, please see the Parish Directory page.