The National Catholic Youth Choir is a
liturgically-based choir open to Roman Catholic youth entering
10th-12th grade.
The conductor of the choir is
internationally renowned choral clinician Dr. Axel Theimer.
Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, a monk of Saint John’s abbey, is the founding
director of the choir. The program
takes place each summer on the beautiful
wooded grounds
of
Saint John's Abbey
and
University
in central Minnesota.
What is unique about the National Catholic Youth Choir is its
liturgical focus. The singers learn about the Catholic liturgy
and how the treasury of sacred music (Gregorian chant, Palestrina,
Mozart, Bruckner, Poulenc, Duruflé...) fits in Catholic worship
today. The choir also sings contemporary and newly-written
music, some of it specially commissioned for the NCYC.
