Bringing great music, art, and ideas to the community in the beautifully-restored Cathedral of Saint Joseph.

Join us for the eleventh season of the Sacred Arts Series.

Each season this series gives you the opportunity to encounter some of the world’s greatest art and artistry, right here in Sioux Falls. The Cathedral of Saint Joseph is a stunning home for the series, acoustically, visually, and spiritually – you could travel the world and not find a better place to hear sacred music. If you have not yet had a chance to visit the Cathedral or attend an event here, it is time to discover this local treasure. 

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Saturday, September 21, 2024 – 7:30 PM
 “Dawn”
 Vocal Ensemble Transept
 Timothy Campbell, Director

Transept returns to the Cathedral to open the 2024-25 Season with a journey from darkness to light. This varied program includes ethereal plainchant, the splendor of Renaissance polyphony, and a selection of exciting music from contemporary composers. Works by Tallis, Lassus, Macmillan, Caroline Shaw, Dobrogosz, and Kirchner.
 

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Sunday, October 27, 2024 – 7:30 PM
 The South Dakota State University Concert Choir
 Laura Diddle, ConductorJoin the SDSU Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Laura Diddle with collaborative pianist Angela Hertling as they present the premier of their fall Concert Facets of Love.  Join the concert choir as they perform repertoire illuminating the different types of loves in our lives; philia (love in friendship), agape (love for Creator), eros (romantic love). Music by Rene Clausen, Tim Takach, Andrew Thomas with many others will be featured.

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Saturday, December 21, 2024 – 7:30 PM
 “Transept Christmas: This Endris Night”
 Vocal Ensemble Transept
 Timothy Campbell, Conductor

 
A seasonal tradition returns to the Cathedral of St. Joseph! Transept Christmas interweaves music from many centuries to form a tapestry of inspiration and wonder. From early medieval carols to radiant works from the Renaissance to treasured modern works, experience the ineffable beauty of Transept Christmas.
 

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Saturday, March 8, 2025 – 7:30 PM
 The University of Sioux Falls Concert Chorale
 David DeHoogh-Kliewer, Director

The Concert Chorale is the primary choral ensemble at the University of Sioux Falls, and couples performance and community service on its yearly tours in the USA and abroad. The Chorale has performed on the Sacred Arts Series many times, and always offers a beautiful and spiritually-moving concert.
 

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Saturday, April 12, 2025 – 7:30 PM
 The Augustana Choir
 Russell Svenningsen, Director
The Augustana Choir and Augustana Brass Choir are honored to return to St. Joseph's Cathedral for this season's Sacred Arts Series. The program will present a diverse selection of music, ranging from the solemn elegance of Henry Purcell's "Funeral Music of Queen Mary" to works by Jean Berger, Stacey Gibbs, and others. The evening’s highlight will be the world premiere of "I Am the One", a piece composed specifically for the Augustana Choir by Lee Kesselman, featuring text by Hildegard von Bingen. The Augustana Choir has a rich history spanning more than 100 years. Founded in 1921 and chartered by the faculty of then Augustana College, its mission has always been to "serve God, the Church, and our school" through choral music. Today, the Augustana Choir continues to bring choral music of the highest caliber and many genres to audiences around the region, nation, and world.
 

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Tuesday, April 15, 2025 – 7:30 PM 
Bach: St John Passion
The Augustana Bach Collegium
David Chin, ConductorThe Augustana Bach Collegium is an elite choral-instrumental ensemble founded by conductor David Chin and dedicated primarily to the study and historically-informed performance of music by Johann Sebastian Bach. This year the Collegium will present Bach’s monumental St John Passion. In this beloved masterwork, Bach sets the story of Christ’s passion, as told in the Gospel of John, to music for choir, orchestra and soloists. This performance, like the Leipzig premiere in 1724, takes place during Holy Week, connecting scripture and music with the central week of the liturgical year.  

 

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Friday, May 9, 2025 – 7:30 PM
Bach: Cello Suites
Robert Erhard, Cello

Robbie Erhard, principal cellist of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, presents a program of his South Dakota Bach Project, an initiative to bring the iconic six Bach Cello Suites for Solo Cello to audiences across the state. The Cello Suites are some of Bach’s most recognizable works and are compositional explorations of the expressive range of the instrument and the depth of human experience. Join us for a program featuring the first three of these masterpieces: the pastoral first Suite, contemplative second Suite, and the celebratory third Suite. This program guides the listener through the inventive variety of Bach’s music, from peaceful to brilliantly energetic, from somber to elated jubilance. Hear Robbie bring these works to life on his historically significant c.1750 German cello in the beautiful acoustics of the Cathedral.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 7:30 PM
“THE TIME OF BLOSSOMING”
Vocal Ensemble Transept
Timothy Campbell, Conductor

 
“The time of blossoming now comes with joy and great beauty
... The rays of the sun approaches and everything is reborn.”
 
The words of a 17th-Century Swedish hymn, “Den blomstertid nu kommer” inspire this program which explores music of abundant joy and beauty. This concert features sublime works by Mouton, Kolmodin, Billings, Tormis, Tavener, and more.
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Ticket sales only cover a fraction of the expenses of the Sacred Arts Series. Your donations are very important, as they enable us to continue to bring world-class artistry to the community. Please consider making a contribution to the series – any amount helps! All individual and corporate sponsors are listed on our website and in our event programs.

Checks should be made payable to: Cathedral Sacred Arts Series
And mailed to:
Sacred Arts Series, 521 N Duluth Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104