Cathedral Arts Series second season revealed

Long appreciated as an ideal space for “heavenly” music, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City is set to host the 2025-26 Cathedral Arts Series, opening Sept. 14.

The second full season of the series will start with an organ recital followed by vespers on the 14th. A collection of events will follow, including choral-accompanied prayer, organ and choir recitals and a children’s concert.

All installments take place at the cathedral, with the exception of one vespers, hosted at Saint Gregory's Abbey in Shawnee in 2026, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of their service to the Church in Oklahoma.

The series is organized by the cathedral’s director of music and organist Nolan Patrick Reilly, who began the series a year after he joined the parish in early 2022. Reilly also accompanies and directs the Cathedral Choir, a dedicated and talented group of singers, during the series. 

The over 100-year-old cathedral features tall, barrel-vaulted ceilings and hard, reflective marble floors, providing strong acoustics, giving the organ a round, full sound.

“To reinforce a very ancient idea that cathedral churches are patrons of the arts and through that patronage, we are able to offer the community art that is beautiful and also glorifying to God,” Reilly said.

Vespers is an evening prayer service, the second-to-last set of prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours. Vespers are around dinner time, a moment for the community to sing psalms and hymns, give thanks for the day that has just passed, and pray for protection during the night to come. Each of the cathedral vespers during the series is preceded by a half-hour recital played by organists from the local or larger community, an opportunity to hear how different hands affect how the organ sounds.

About the 2025-26 program

The program kicks off on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which falls on a Sunday this year. The Cathedral Choir will sing Anton Bruckner's “Christus factus est,” one of his “most iconic and fantastic pieces of choral music for the Catholic liturgy,” Reilly said.

The prelude recital will be played by Joseph Ripka, canon musician at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City and a concert organist who regularly plays across the country.

On April 30, Vincent Dubois, titular organist at Notre Dame (Paris) will present an hour-long concert. This free, world-class performance was underwritten by parishioner Doug Eason, in honor of his late wife, Tish Eason. The performance will include a projector with a video livestream of Dubois’ playing from up in the choir loft, providing a close up of the detailed hand and foot work involved in playing the massive, complex instrument.

Notable seasonal performances include Spooktacular, a short, family-friendly concert at the end of October. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and other Halloween-associated pieces will be performed, highlighting the organ’s spooky side. Immediately following the concert is the cathedral’s annual Fall Festival, which includes trick-or-treating for kids, food, refreshments and live music.

This year, All Souls Day falls on a Sunday, and as part of the series, the Cathedral Choir will perform Fauré’s Requiem during the 10 a.m. Mass. Originally composed for the Requiem Mass, the piece will be sung in its intended liturgical setting.

On the Second Sunday of Advent is Advent Lessons and Carols, a tradition that began in England in the 19th century. It has been a part of the cathedral’s Christmas season for decades. Lessons and Carols is a musical telling of the Advent season. Advent carols are sung along with the scripture readings that the carols are based on. Childcare is available for this event. Lessons and Carols will also be broadcast live on local classical radio station KUCO (90.1 FM).

The Cathedral Arts Series is free and open to all. Aside from the Spooktacular and Fall Festival, every event is followed with a wine and cheese reception. The series concludes in spring 2026. Additional dates for the series, including concerts by both the OCU and UCO choirs, are to be announced. For details, like the dates and start times of each event, visit cathedralokc.org/arts.

Olivia Dailey is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.