Students interested in participating in the Wyoming Catholic College Choir meet with the choir director, Dr. Kwasniewski, who assesses their musical backgrounds and vocal ranges.  Students who can play the organ or other instruments are given a chance to accompany the choir, and competent musicians are encouraged to form instrumental ensembles.

The WCC Choir is a mixed vocal ensemble of students that sings sacred music for Mass and other devotions in the WCC chapel, and may perform additional secular and sacred music at concerts during the course of the year.

In keeping with the statement of Vatican II that "the musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art" (Sacrosanctum Concilium 112), the WCC Choir sings the traditional sacred music that the Council had in mind.  This means, first and foremost, Gregorian chant, which Vatican II describes as "specially suited to the Roman liturgy" and deserving of "pride of place in liturgical services" (ibid., 116).  The same Council urges that, while much of the Mass should be in the common language of the people, "nevertheless steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them" (ibid., 54).  Instruction is given so that all students become conversant in reading plainchant and confident in singing it at Mass.

The choir members also learn to sing the other kind of music praised by the Council, namely motets and Masses from the Renaissance period (Sacrosanctum Concilium 116), composed by great masters such as Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Tallis and Byrd (the latter two pictured here).  In making such efforts on behalf of superior liturgical music we confidently follow the counsel of the Fathers of Vatican II: "The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care.  Choirs must be diligently promoted . . .  Great importance is to be attached to the teaching and practice of music in . . . Catholic institutions and schools" (ibid., 114-115).