Sacred, classical & organ concerts in Seattle - Greater Seattle on the Cheap

St. James Cathedral in Seattle presents a nationally renowned series of sacred music, classical concerts, and organ recitals throughout the year. Some cathedral concerts are ticketed events and others are a free will offering. Read about the history of the cathedral and the historic instruments in her galleries and chapels, which are featured at some concerts.

St James Cathedral west gallery – Hutchings-Votey organ (public domain)

History of St. James Cathedral

In 1838, the Very Reverend François Norbert Blanchet and the Reverend Modeste Demers were dispatched to Fort Vancouver to establish a Catholic Church presence in the Pacific Northwest. The French-Canadian priests ministered primarily to the native peoples (and a very few white Catholic settlers in the area), preaching the Gospel to local tribes in their native language. However, God had already been worshiped on this ground for thousands of years.

Chief Sealth is quoted: “Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors — the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems [chiefs], and is written in the hearts of our people.”

In 1850, Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Nesqually and named Augustin Magloire Alexandre Blanchet as the first bishop (and today, namesake of Blanchet High School near Green Lake in Seatle). His brother, F. N. Blanchet, became the first Archbishop of Portland. A year later, A. M. A. Blanchet dedicates the first Cathedral of St. James in Vancouver, Washington. Blanchet was succeeded in 1879 by Bishop Aegidius Junger and in 1896 by Edward J. O’Dea. O’Dea ultimately receives permission from Rome to move the diocese seat from Vancouver to Seattle. He also secures a plot of land at 9th and Marion on First Hill, overlooking the city.

On December 15, 1907, the doors of the newly built Cathedral are opened for the first time. (It takes 38 more years to pay off the debt incurred during construction.) The occasion is marked by an organ recital on the brand-new west gallery organ. The first piece played on the new Hutchings-Votey instrument is Bach’s Grand Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, by organist Dr. Franklin Sawyer Palmer.

In 1916 a Seattle snowfall collapses the grand central dome of the cathedral. The building is closed for repairs for a year. The dome is replaced with a flat ceiling that included a fresco copy of Raphael’s Ascension. The cathedral was renovated several more time over the years. In 1950 and 1974 the interior was upgraded along with other improvements. In 1992 repairs were required after an arson fire caused one million dollars in damages. Most recently in 1994, the Cathedral was restored and renovated in keeping with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Major changes include moving the altar to the center of the building, the installation of an oculus [skylight], new baptismal font, east apse windows, and more.

St. James Cathedral pipe organs

St. James Cathedral is home to several magnificent pipe organs. The oldest pipe organ is over a hundred years old. This instrument was specially built for the Cathedral by Hutchings-Votey and installed when it opened in 1907. A second organ by Casavant Frères was added in 1927 to complement the Hutchings-Votey organ in the west gallery. It is equipped with state-of-the-art electrical wiring that allows both organs to be played from a single console. In 2000, a Manuel Rosales organ replaced the Casavant, dedicated as The Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Millennium Organ. Together, the Hutchings-Votey and the Rosales form the largest instrument in Seattle and are capable of beautifully rendering a wide array of repertoire. The grand organ is used in Sunday masses and other large liturgies throughout the year and can also be heard frequently in concerts.

St. James also owns two much smaller organs that are used in smaller prayer services, such as weekly vespers: the 1981 Laukhuff/Zuckerman and 1979 Führer. These two portable organs are also typically used in a Baroque continuo group for choral and orchestral repertoire of the 17th-19th centuries. The Cathedral Chapel is home to an organ built by longtime parishioner Frank Robl. It was donated after his death to the Cathedral in 2013. The instrument continues to sound as a testament to his many years of dedication to the parish.

Together these instruments accompany hundreds of liturgical events, public concerts, and other events that take place in the life of the Catholic parish atop First Hill. Their beautiful tone and sonorous power attest to the beauty and glory of God in this sacred place.

St James Cathedral organ – east gallery (public domain)

St. James Cathedral Music Series

St. James Cathedral has a yearly public concert series that hosts choral groups and organists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The annual concert series runs from September to June and contributes beautifully to the rich music culture of Seattle. More info: Concerts & Liturgical Music Events (stjames-cathedral.org)

The cost of presenting the ongoing concert series at St. James Cathedral exceeds the resources of the liturgical music budget. The Friends of Cathedral Music is a group of music lovers whose goal is to make the concert series self-sustaining. An annual gift helps sustain the robust schedule of quality classical music concerts and organ recitals. Donations are tax deductible. More info: Support Cathedral Music (stjames-cathedral.org)

First Friday Taizé Contemplative Prayer & Music

Start your weekend with the meditative, peaceful spirit of Taizé chants with live music every first Friday of each month at 6:30pm. Taizé chants were designed to enable the active participation of visitors at the ecumenical pilgrimage site in Taizé, France. Each month at St. James, the music selection focuses on a central theme, such as wisdom or hope. This beloved monthly prayer service features live music, candlelight, and silence. Note: Paid street parking is enforced until 8:00pm. Free parking is available in the O’Dea High School lot (802 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA 98104). More info: Evening Prayer with Music from Taizé (stjames-cathedral.org)

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