What began as a small student choir at Thomas Aquinas College in late 2017 has become Floriani, a highly sought-after men’s vocal ensemble — dedicated to preserving the Church’s heritage of sacred music — which performs both nationwide and overseas.

Thomas Quackenbush (’14), Giorgio Navarini (’17), Joseph Daly (’19), and Graham Crawley (’20) were not in the same class at the College, and their backgrounds vary widely, but as students they shared a common love of music. Fortunately for them, opportunities for musical enrichment abound at the College, in multiple musical ensembles.

“Those ensembles provided the first serious experience with sacred music for some of us,” recalls Mr. Daly. “The beauty was captivating, but it wasn’t just beauty. It was experiencing this beauty in its proper context: worship. At the College’s liturgies, the awesome music, the soaring architecture, and the reverence of celebrant and congregation alike pointed to the reality of the Eucharistic sacrifice.”

“TAC was offering us something profound, and we felt sharing it was an imperative,” says Mr. Daly. And so Floriani was born — first as a student ensemble, adding another layer of finesse to the College’s liturgical life, but soon venturing further afield with its mission. “As students, we started singing off-campus for liturgies and workshops, as far south as Orange County and as far north as Montana. In the summer of 2018, we even made a 10-day pilgrimage to Rome, where we sang for Cardinal Burke’s Pontifical High Mass on Pentecost and for Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica!”

….In addition to their liturgical and other performances, Floriani provides instruction in Gregorian chant through its Chant School podcast….

Watch a 4-minute sample of Floriani on YouTube.

The above comes from a Sept. 6 release from Thomas Aquinas College.