The Mueller Family Schola, comprising Christopher Mueller, his wife, Constanza, and their three children — is an ensemble dedicated to singing polyphony and chant at the Roman Catholic Mass. The ensemble gave two concerts as part of World Youth Day 2016, in Krakow, Poland, and has sung at Masses throughout Poland, Italy, and the U.S. We were recently featured in Regina Magazine (click for a PDF version). Our repertory includes works by Allegri, Bębenek, Gregorian chant (in Latin and in English translation), Handl, Isaac, Lawrence, Lobo, Molfino, Monteverdi, Mueller, Palestrina, Praetorius, Ravanello, Różycki, Tallis, Tartini, Victoria, and numerous others.
Our ensemble has three principal goals: 1) to provide beautiful music at Mass, for the glory of God and the edification of the faithful; 2) to inspire others, both church choirs and families, to take up the study and performance of this wonderful repertory; and 3) to provide an education in music, liturgy, prayer, cooperation, and perseverance to the children of the Mueller family. We invite you to scroll down and check out our videos, to see (and hear!) what we're about. And please keep our family in your prayers, that our labors may be pleasing to the Lord.
Our family began singing together in 2011 (with parents and the older kids), and a serious family ensemble was something we always wanted to do. Our kids sang in the parish children's choir for a few years, which Christopher conducted, and with that training and experience in hand, our Family Schola could really take off in the latter half of 2015! Our ensemble was featured on Corpus Christi Watershed, in a piece which gives further details about our philosophy & motivation.
We had the great good fortune of being a part of World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland, where we sang as members of the choir at the English-language Masses (which Christopher conducted), and gave two separate concerts in Krakow. Following WYD, we went on pilgrimage to other places in Poland, and then a second pilgrimage through Rome and various sites in Italy; we sang at daily Mass during both. Our musical journey included these locations:
WORLD YOUTH DAY 2016
Sunday, July 24: Morning Mass in the Chapel of the Vincentian retreat center in Krzeszowice, Poland (WYD choir & orchestra)
Monday, July 25: Morning Mass in the Chapel of the Vincentian retreat center in Krzeszowice, Poland (WYD choir & orchestra)
Tuesday, July 26: Morning Mass (small arena) at Tauron Arena Kraków, a special liturgy for Knights of Columbus volunteers (WYD choir & orchestra)
Tuesday, July 26: Evening concert at the Church of St. John the Baptist (Kościół św. Jana Chrzciciela), Kraków (Mueller Family Schola)
Wednesday, July 27: Morning Mass (large arena) at Tauron Arena Kraków, the first big Mass of World Youth Day at the Mercy Centre, the English-language site (WYD choir & orchestra)
Wednesday, July 27: Afternoon concert at the Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Kościół Matki Boskiej Śnieżnej), Kraków (Mueller Family Schola)
Thursday, July 28: Morning Mass (large arena) at Tauron Arena Kraków, the second big Mass of World Youth Day at the Mercy Centre (WYD choir & orchestra)
Friday, July 29: Morning Mass (large arena) at Tauron Arena Kraków, the third big Mass of World Youth Day at the Mercy Centre (WYD choir & orchestra)
Saturday, July 30: Morning Mass followed by a recording session with the WYD choir & orchestra at St. Giles Church, Kraków
PILGRIMAGE THROUGH POLAND (Mueller Family Schola)
Tuesday, August 2: morning Mass at the Old Chapel of the Divine Mercy Shrine (Sanktuarium Bozego Milosierdzia), Lagiewniki, Kraków
Wednesday, August 3: morning Mass at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi (Kościół św. Franciszka z Asyżu), Kraków
Thursday, August 4: morning Mass at the altar of St. Paul the Hermit, Jasna Góra Monastery, Częstochowa
Thursday, August 4: impromptu afternoon concert for the Dominicans of Our Lady of the Assumption (Bazylika Sanktuarium Matki Bożej), Gidle
Friday, August 5: midday Mass at the Old Chapel, Niepokalanów Monastery, Teresin
Other sites we visited (but didn't sing at) in Poland included St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow (Bazylika Mariacka); Wawel Cathedral, Krakow; the salt mines of Wielicka; Wadowice, birthplace of JP2; the incredibly beautiful Franciscan Church of Calvary (Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Santuario); a somber visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau in Oswiecim; the statue of Our Lady of Jazłowiec in Szymanow; an afternoon in Warsaw; and a visit to Wilanóv Castle outside of Warsaw.
PILGRIMAGE THROUGH ITALY (Mueller Family Schola)
Sunday, August 7: afternoon Mass at the Cesi Chapel, at the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore), Rome
Monday, August 8: morning Mass at the altar of St. Gregory the Great, at St. Peter's Basilica (San Pietro in Vaticana), Rome
Tuesday, August 9: midday Mass at the Seraphicum Chapel, Friary of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Rome
Wednesday, August 10: evening Vespers & Compline at the General House of the Cistercian Order (Casa Generalizia Dell'Ordine Cistercense), Rome
Friday, August 12: morning Mass at the altar of St. Fabian, at the Basilica at the Catacombs of St. Sebastian, Rome (Catacombe San Sebastiano)
Other sites we visited (but didn't sing at) in Rome included the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli), the Basilica of Sts. Cosmas & Damian, the Sistine Chapel (in the Vatican Museums), the Basilica of Santa Sabina and the Piazza Firenze (the park on its grounds), the "Wednesday Audience" in the Vatican, the Basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls, the church of the Holy Steps (Scala Santa), the famous Capuchin "bone church" (Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini), and the chapel of Our Lady of the Miracle at the Basilica of St. Andrew the Apostle (Basilica di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte).
Elsewhere in Italy we visited Lake Albano (overlooked by Castel Gandolfo); the Fontana di Campannelle outside of Rome; the Basilicas of St. Mary of the Angels (Santa Maria degli Angeli) and St. Francis of Assisi, in Assisi; and the Basilica of the Holy House of the Annunciation (Basilica della Santa Casa) in Loreto.
We've been quite blessed to sing for several Masses throughout Connecticut. The music for our concerts at World Youth Day was pulled almost exclusively from our Mass repertoire. Here are the liturgies we've sung:
Solemn Lauds, to open the "Conference on Gregorian Chant in Pastoral Ministry and Religious Education," St. Joseph Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, NY | March 10, 2017
Laetare Sunday at St. Augustine Church in North Branford, CT | March 6, 2016
Christmas Day at the Cathedral Parish in Bridgeport, CT | December 25, 2015
Christ the King at the Cathedral Parish in Bridgeport, CT | November 22, 2015
Mass for the Knights of Columbus in Prospect, CT | September 13, 2015
We're also the ensemble-in-residence at St. Mary's Church, in Stamford, CT, where we've sung for numerous Masses, including
Masses of Easter Sunday | April 16, 2017
Mass of Easter Vigil | April 15, 2017
Liturgy of Good Friday | April 14, 2017
Mass of Holy Thursday | April 13, 2017
Masses of Ash Wednesday | March 1, 2017
Solemnity of the Epiphany | January 8, 2017
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God | January 1, 2017
Mass of Christmas Day | December 25, 2016
Vigil Mass of Christmas | December 24, 2016
Fourth Sunday of Advent | December 18, 2016
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe | December 12, 2016
Masses for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception | December 8, 2016
Solemnity of Christ the King | November 20, 2016
Masses of All Saints' Day | November 1, 2016
Masses of Ascension | May 5, 2016
A special Mass for Our Lady of Fatima | April 16, 2016
Masses of Easter Sunday | March 27, 2016
Holy Thursday | March 24, 2016
In preparation for our performances at World Youth Day, we sang many concerts throughout the tri-state area, including:
An evening of music for Eucharistic adoration & benediction at St. Mary's Church, Stamford, CT | July 11, 2016
The 5th annual Evening in the Loyola Prayer Gardens, at the Loyola Jesuit Center, Morristown, NJ | June 23, 2016
The Family Fair of St. Mary's Church, Stamford, CT | June 18, 2016
Sacred Heart Parish, Suffern, NY | June 2, 2016
Villa Maria Guadalupe, Stamford, CT | May 30, 2016
A solemn Mass of thanksgiving at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City: with a choir of Sisters of Life and friends of the community, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of that wonderful religious order | June 1, 2016
The annual Gala Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, for & with the Sisters of Life | April 22, 2016
A solemn Mass at St. Mary's in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown: with the choir of Holy Innocents parish, NYC | January 22, 2016
Mass for Christmas Vigil: the Mueller children joined the Cathedral Children's Choir, Cathedral Parish in Bridgeport, CT | December 24, 2015
