Sounds from The Sanctuary

Today’s episode features Dr. Jennifer Pascual, Organist and Director of Music at “America’s Parish Church”, St. Patrick’s Cathedral - NYC. A Southern California native, hear how she discovered the pipe organ and has gone on to direct the music for multiple Papal visits and play organ concerts on the world’s great organs - from the great Kilgen of St. Patrick’s, to historic American instruments in...

Frank La Rocca is David’s guest on this episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary . His recent composition Mass of the Americas has made him a household name in Catholic music circles. Based off traditional Guadalupe hymns, Mass of the Americas has been performed at major Catholic Cathedrals and churches all around North America, including at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, and, r...

Meet Agatha Teague, Christ Cathedral’s new Associate Organist. David and Agatha chat about Agatha’s background, and her story unfolds from growing up as a congregant at the Crystal Cathedral to being appointed to Associate Organist here at Christ Cathedral. The episode is accompanied by some of Agatha’s favorite music - movements from some of the repertoires beloved choral settings of the Requiem....

Today’s episode from Sounds from the Sanctuary answers a question that our host David Ball fields frequently - how do you pick choral music to enhance our Masses here at Christ Cathedral? In this episode, we listen to music from the first few Sundays of the Choral Season in September and October, and David explains how each piece was chosen to complement and even sometimes match word-for-word the...

And Jesus said to Peter, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” This episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary features music inspired by St. Peter, specifically that exact line from Scripture, as it is from the Gospel reading for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul - which this year 2025 falls on...

Here at Christ Cathedral, we are blessed with the uplifting sounds of the Hazel Wright Organ - the 5th-largest instrument ever constructed. On today’s episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary, we hear recordings from the Wanamaker Organ - the largest instrument in the world - even bigger than Hazel! The Wanamaker Organ was in a Macy’s department store in downtown Philadelphia, but Macy’s has recently...

Merry Christmas to all! On this episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary host David Ball curates a playlist of sacred music alternatives to the popular holiday music on the radio. Beginning with the traditional opening carol of Lessons & Carols (Robert Lehman’s The Lord at First Did Adam Make) to classics sung all around the world that bring us together during this most wonderful time of the year...

Everyone who studies music at the college level - violinists, pianists, music historians, theorists, and of course, organists - takes music history as a required course. Inevitably, in the opening weeks of that course, the main topic of discussion is Notre Dame - the great Cathedral of Paris, and the tradition of music that originates from that sacred space centuries upon centuries ago and continu...

On this episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary , host David Ball is joined by fellow Juilliard Alum Craig Williams. Craig is currently the Organist and Choirmaster at the famed West Point Cadet Chapel, where another of the world’s largest pipe organs is located! He’ll share about his origins growing up in Orange County not far from the Crystal Cathedral, and his current duties at West Point, and his...

Hymns are one of the most integral parts of Christian worship all around the world, and in today's episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary, host David Ball gives us a brief introduction various aspects of Hymnody before introducing a playlist of hymns from all different parts of Christianity. Listen to some of the Welch tunes sung at Royal Weddings in Westminster Abbey, a brand-new setting of a...

Today’s episode features rising star organist Aaron Patterson, who is visiting Orange County giving a concert at our neighboring community Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods. Also appearing alongside Aaron is Charlotte Hseih - organist at Geneva Church who organizes their yearly concert series that aims to share the beauty of music with Orange County by bringing young talented organists to...

In this episode, Cathedral Organist David Ball takes us through his own personal listening journey exploring the works of composer Maurice Duruflé. Although few works of the composer survive to this day, the ones that are published have all become staples of the choral and organ repertoire as they are music of the highest caliber, and all inspired by the ancient chants of the Catholic Church. Also...

In this Episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary , meet Dolores Gomez, life-long church musician, singer, pianist, composer, and especially Christ Cathedral’s new Head of Hispanic Music Ministry. Hear some of Dolores compositions, her singing, and her collaborations with other famed composers of Hispanic liturgical music including Lourdes Montgomery and Peter Kolar. Host David Ball not only welcomes D...

Enjoy this exclusive audio from the Organ and Choral Festival in Memory of Dr. Frederick Lewis Swann (1931 – 2022). This portion is part two of a program that was recorded live from Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California in January of 2024. 

It is tempting to think that the time between Christmas and Lent - the liturgical season called “Ordinary Time” - would be a time of simple music. In fact, this liturgical season is only called “ordinary” in reference to how the Sundays are counted. The scripture readings for these Sundays speak of Jesus’s journey, preaching, and incredible miracles. So of course, the music inspired by Christ’s te...

Enjoy this exclusive audio from the Organ and Choral Festival in Memory of Dr. Frederick Lewis Swann (1931 – 2022). This was recorded live from Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California in January of 2024.

Preview the musical selections for the upcoming A CHORAL ADORATION at Christ Cathedral - a solemn evening of sung prayer and reflection that will include Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. As part of the Eucharistic Revival, meditate in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament accompanied by the greatest music of the sacred choral repertoire, previewed in today’s show -...

This beautiful performance was recorded live from Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, on December 15, 2023. Feel free to look up the archived video on the Christ Cathedral Facebook page! ChristCathedralMusic.org https://www.facebook.com/ChristCathedralCA/videos/1187097862677608

To kick off 2024, host David Ball curates a beautiful playlist of music liturgically appropriate for the month of January. The church begins each year with the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God and continues with Epiphany - the celebration of the gift of the Magi. In today’s episode, we enjoy timeless chants and hymns, music by classical composers Mendelssohn and Max Reger, and wonderful gems by Ame...

Sounds from the Sanctuary enters the most wonderful time of the year with this episode - an invitation to Christmas at the Cathedral 2023! Sing along to your favorite sacred Christmas music, meditate on the Incarnation with a gorgeous Magnificat by Leo Nestor, and discover some amazing seasonal music especially for Harp and Children’s Choir. Find out more and reserve your tickets to Friday, Decemb...

Changing Seasons – Fall Choral Music    In today’s episode, Cathedral Organist David Ball brings us into his role as Director of many of the Christ Cathedral’s choirs - open to volunteer singers of all ages and even young singers in grade school who want to learn to sing! With the Fall schedule of choral pieces as a guide, David introduces us to many of the classic pieces in the sacred choral repe...

Cathedral organ Scholars in Concert    Tune in to hear the next generation of organists as Christ Cathedral’s own Organ Scholars take the stage and perform on the famed Hazel Wright Organ. These young organists, all students of Cathedral Organist and Head of Music Ministry David Ball, are nationally recognized for their musical achievement. Enjoy their incredible music making and celebrate that th...

Old Music from France    Journey hundreds of years back in this episode of Sounds from the Sanctuary to the Baroque era of France, and listen to the glorious music of that special time period. Our host and Cathedral Organist David Ball guides us into this sonic experience with a curated playlist of famous recordings of French Baroque music including some tracks played twice, first on a modern inst...

David Ball in Concert    Juilliard-trained organist David Ball serves as Cathedral Organist and Head of Music Ministry at Christ Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange, California (formerly the Crystal Cathedral). David completed both the Bachelor and Master of Music at The Juilliard School in New York City, studying under Mr. Paul Jacobs. As part of a wide-ranging musical vision for 21st-century coll...

Newport Harbor Summer Joining David in the studio today are the musicians from Newport Harbor Lutheran Church - a wonderful community in Newport Beach with a beautiful acoustic and a pipe organ. This summer, the music director Nicholas Galinaitis, is starting a monthly concert series to feature local performers playing music in the church's nave. Also in the studio with them is Kevin Cartwrig...