Beginning Summer 2026
John A. McInnes Choral Fellowship
A paid choral fellowship for 12 outstanding singers in CISM’s Summer Graduate Choral Institute
About the John A. McInnes Choral Fellowship
The John A. McInnes Choral Fellowship was established to encourage twelve outstanding Catholic singers to exercise their musical gifts for the glory of God in the context of the sacred liturgy.
Fellows will serve as section leaders for the CISM Choral Institute, an intensive week-long graduate course held July 20–24, 2026, under the direction of CISM faculty Prof. Christopher Berry and Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka.
During the Institute, participants sing daily Lauds, Mass, and Vespers, immersing themselves in the Church’s living tradition of sacred music.
In addition to their liturgical leadership, the 2026 Choral Fellows will participate in a professional recording session featuring one new work from each of the five composers enrolled in the concurrent Composition Seminar under the direction of Dr. Frank La Rocca.
Summer 2026
Dates
Arrival: Morning of Saturday, July 18th
Departure: After 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 24th. Singers are welcome to stay until the morning of Saturday, July 25th.
Location
St. Patrick’s Seminary
Menlo Park, California
Each Fellow receives:
- A $1,000 stipend
- Up to $600 in travel allowance
- Room and board for the duration of the program
Application Deadline
- Sunday, February 15th
Acceptance/Non-acceptance:
- Via email by Friday, March 20th
Fellowship Responsibilities
- Prepare all music in advance, except the newly composed works, which will be received while on-campus. The daily repertoire includes two motets, five Gregorian propers, and Gregorian vespers, as well as three Gregorian and two polyphonic masses throughout the week.
- Serve as a section leader in the CISM Choral Institute, attending all rehearsals, recording sessions, and other obligatory activities.
Eligibility Requirements
The fellowship is open to practicing Catholics of all experience levels, aged 25 years and older, including current and prospective CISM graduate students.
Singers must be excellent choral musicians with outstanding sight-reading abilities.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:
- Application form
- Video recordings of themselves singing their voice part in two a cappella Renaissance motets of their choice
- Video recordings of themselves singing two Gregorian chants of their choice
FAQ
What are the qualities of a successful applicant?
We are looking for practicing Catholics aged 25+ who are outstanding choral singers. Successful applicants will have a significant amount of choral experience, singing especially Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant. They will have a tone that blends well, and excellent sight-reading skills. They should be interested in serving as a positive, encouraging leader for other singers in their sections, and have a collegial disposition, open to learning, formation, and suggestions. They will understand proper choral etiquette (e.g., not constantly interrupting the director), and be a sophisticated singer who can unify a section in the context of the larger ensemble.
What is the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music?
Founded in 2022, the mission of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music is to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music and the liturgy.
The Institute offers a substantial program of accredited, graduate-level coursework and, beginning in the summer session of 2026 pending WSCUC approval, a Masters of Sacred Music and Post-baccalaureate certificates in Gregorian Chant and Sacred Choral Music. All of the Institute’s coursework and public outreach are designed to help church musicians and clergy better to know and love the Church’s treasury of sacred music and her teachings on sacred music. Our goal is to equip students with the theological, philosophical, and historical knowledge, as well as the practical skills (singing, playing, conducting, composing, organizing, fundraising) necessary to build excellent sacred music programs in parishes and schools. We aim to help others revitalize the faith of Catholics and instill vitality in parish and school life through a vibrant sacred music program.
We are committed to a faithful and generous service of the Church. We cultivate fidelity, resiliency, a healthy sense of creativity, and selflessness within our student body and faculty as characteristics of our service as we labor together in the vineyard of the Lord to bring in a rich harvest.
Who can apply for the John A. McInnes Choral Fellowship?
The fellowship is open to practicing Catholics who are at least 25 years old. It welcomes both current and prospective graduate students of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, as well as other experienced singers interested in sacred music.
Do I have to have an undergraduate degree to be a Fellow?
No. The fellowship is open to singers aged 25+ who are practicing Catholics. An undergraduate degree is only required if one wishes to receive graduate credit for the week as a graduate student at CISM.
Can I obtain graduate credit for participation?
Fellows wishing to obtain 1 graduate credit must go through the normal application process for admission to CISM as an MSM, certificate, or non-degree seeking student. They must also pay for 1 credit hour ($250). Admission to graduate studies at CISM requires an undergraduate degree, though the degree does not have to be in music.
What are the benefits of participating in the fellowship?
Fellows receive a stipend, travel allowance, and room and board during the program. They gain invaluable experience in sacred music, participate in a professional recording session, and have the opportunity to lead in liturgical settings.
How can I apply for the fellowship?
To apply, candidates must complete an online application form and submit video recordings of their singing.
What is the duration and location of the fellowship?
The fellowship takes place at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California, from July 18th to July 24th, 2026. Participants are immersed in an intensive week of musical training and liturgical leadership.
What pieces should I sing for my application?
It is your choice! You’ll need to sing your part in two a cappella Renaissance motets, and 2 Gregorian chants.
How do I send my application videos?
Upload your videos as public or unlisted videos on YouTube or Vimeo, or share a link from Google Drive that will be accessible without a permissions request from us. Copy the access link, and put it in the application.
I made a mistake on my application. Can I edit it?
Yes, the Google form should allow you to edit your response.
My question isn't answered here. Who can I contact?
Contact our Program Associate, Sr. Mary Vianney, at mary.vianney@stpsu.edu.
+John A. McInnes
A longer, more detailed obituary for John McInnes will follow in 2026 in time for the inaugural class to commence. In brief, John grew up in an age rapidly fading from our memory—a Great Depression era existence in which life-long frugality became a bulwark against uncertainty. John lost both his father and mother to cancer, his father in 1934, his mother in 1955, shortly before his civil marriage to his wife, Joan McInnes, who passed way December 25th, 2020. An only child, John maintained a reflexive reticence to speak about his family and personal life to all but his closest confidantes. Combined with his depression-era moderation, he was able to leave behind enough for posterity to enable this scholarship program to be created.
In his corporate career, he had seen the perishability of buildings and legacies. His final verbal wishes were to “make it something that endures.” Received into the Catholic Church on July 16th, 2020, John would endure declining health and the loss of control over his faculties common to many who enter their ninth decade. His late father, Archibald McInnes, served on World War I ships until his discharge. John would never return to his father’s homeland in Scotland but would finish his days watched over by the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer in the Orkney Islands and the Discalced Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
May this gift give voice to the aspirations of continuing generations in their service and a reminder to all of us that “The world is thy ship and not thy home.”
Become a John A. McInnes Fellow Today
“The ears of God signify the desire He hath that the soul should sing in perfect joy. And that this song may be perfect, the Bridegroom bids the soul to send it forth, and to let it sound it the clefts of the rock, that is in the transformation which is the fruit of the mysteries of Christ…”