Cathedral Music

Mission: Formation for Lifelong Praise of God

We prepare the Sacred Treasury of music and sing for not only Holy Week and Triduum Liturgies, but for Masses each Sunday. The path of the choir's preparation is structured as formation for lifelong praise of God - including weekly musical, liturgical, and spiritual preparations.

Dr. Marie Rubis-Bauer / 402-553-5524 ext 2 

See the Beauty & Hope of our Music

Music as a Ministry at Cathedral

Dedicated to the patron of music and musicians, Saint Cecilia Cathedral and the Archdiocese of Omaha host a robust and vigorous music ministry which serve both parish and episcopal liturgies of the Archdiocese. Consisting of a unique partnership between Cathedral and Archdiocese. Under the auspices of the Saint Cecilia Institute for Sacred Liturgy, Music and the Arts, musicians gather to grow in skill, to rehearse and to pray the liturgy of the hours, culminating in service of the liturgical life of the Mother Church.

At the heart of this ministry is singing in support of and in dialogue with the Assembly of the baptized, the earthly choir, as it lifts up its voice to join with the heavenly choirs in the eternal song of the praise to God the Father. The Cathedral Music Ministry exists within the framework mission of Formation for Lifelong Praise of God, the intentional growth in faith, skill, and musicianship of all of its participants.

In partnership with choral formation is the Cathedral’s landmark Martin Pasi, Op. 14 dual-temperament Pipe Organ, installed in 2003, and serving as the musical foundation of celebrations in the Saint Cecilia Cathedral. As a musical instrument inspiring sacred melodies, as a work of art in wood and metal complementary to the Romanesque architecture, as a practical support for singing, and as a visual and aural metaphor for unity and harmony in the Body of Christ, the Pasi organ stands in the Cathedral 24/7 as a witness to the fidelity of Saint Cecilia to Christ, her Lord. For more information on this already historic instrument see www.pasiorgans.com.

Saint Cecilia Cathedral

Our Cathedral was built for sacred music!

Air moves more than 30 feet to produce the organ's lowest notes, notes that are felt more than they are heard. The organ is a work of art. In a theological way, it is the stuff of the earth--wood, metal, and leather--and the skills of the craftsmen who created it. The anatomy of the pipes is a metaphor for the community. They function to support singing, to proclaim for ceremonial purposes, and to sooth the soul.

Each note reverberates through the Cathedral for seven seconds, a testament to the building's Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture. The acoustics in here are amazing, perfect Romanesque arches and Italian marble all contribute to a sound that is rare and beautiful. We get to hear the same sounds that have been heard across time. The hymns and chants sound the same as they did long ago, not echoing, but lingering. (Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer)

Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer

As harpsichordist and organist, Rubis Bauer has performed as soloist and in ensembles throughout the United States and in Europe. In 2020 she launched a series of spiritual concerts on Saint Cecilia Cathedral’s Pasi organ, Beauty and Hope, combining topical programs of organ music with poetry and scripture for meditation.

Since 2003, she has shared her passion for the Church’s choral and liturgical music in the Archdiocese of Omaha as Director of Music and Cathedral Organist at Saint Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, NE. This ministry engages musicians of all ages into the discovery and use of a 10-century living tradition of Sacred Music. She is also passionate about welcoming all into the embrace of Saint Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha’s Mother Church, with its sacred art, inspiring acoustics and landmark Martin Pasi Opus 14 dual temperament organ.

She teaches organ, harpsichord and continuo playing at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She has served as chair and judge of the American Guild of Organist’s National Competition in Organ Improvisation. Rubis Bauer has performed for and collaborated to host national conferences including AGO (organists), NPM (Roman Catholic), ALCM (Lutheran), Musforum (international women organists), FDLC (Liturgy), Society for Liturgy, Midwest Historical Keyboard Society, and collaborations with UNL, UNO, Westfield Center, and overseen the annual concert series in conjunction with the Cathedral Arts Project.

The Martin Pasi Opus 14 Dual-Temperament Organ

A landmark organ was installed in the Cathedral in 2003 by Pasi Organ builders of Roy, Washington. At the time of its installation, it was one of only four "dual-temperament" organs in the world. he concept developed out of conversations between organ builder Martin Pasi and music director Kevin Vogt.

The organ is comprised of fifty-five stops over three manuals and pedal, twenty-nine of which are playable in two temperaments or tuning systems: 1/4-comma meantone and a new well-tempered tuning devised for this instrument by organ builder Kristian Wegscheider of Dresden, Germany. The Saint Cecilia organ is essentially two organs sharing a third of their pipes, and is unique in this respect. The abundance of extra pipes allows the circulating temperament to accommodate much of the Romantic and modern repertories, while retaining enough key color to bring baroque music alive and to lock into tune the mixtures and reeds in the best keys.

The million-dollar, five-year project included a month of study in Germany of innovative contemporary and historic instruments, and 35,000 hours of labor. With pipes made of lead and poplar, the freestanding case is of white oak and incorporates pillars, arches and ornaments from the original 1918 organ facade designed by Cathedral architect Kimball. The large, resonant nave of the Cathedral brings the organ into its full glory. It literally sings with seven seconds reverberation when empty and four seconds when full. The creation of a hospitable acoustic for the organ was guided by acoustician Robert Mahoney of Boulder, Colorado.

Enjoy these beautiful recordings from the Saint Cecilia Cathedral choir

Saint Cecilia Institute

The Cathedral Music Ministry is nested within the Saint Cecilia Institute for Sacred Liturgy, Music and the Arts, a division of the Archdiocese of Omaha Office for Divine Worship. Located on the second floor of the Monsignor Graham building on the east side of the campus, the Institute was created to increase outreach to the laity and offers instruction in music through applied lessons to people of all ages and classes in support of ministry and for enrichment. For more information about our faculty and classes, contact 402-553-5524.