- Powerful sound fills the soaring ceilings of the iconic Gothic cathedral, and the sheer ambiance of the numerous stained-glass windows and the Carrara marble altars are a feast for the eyes.
Kudos to Frances Nelson, music director and organist at Jackson’s historic Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, for creating a rare opportunity for music enthusiasts to experience world-class organists performing high-quality repertoire on the church’s splendid Rieger track organ.
As pipe organs and those who were skilled performers became scarce in the contemporary world of church music, Frances devised a series of concerts that would expose more people to the wondrous and unique sound of the pipe organ.
Eight years have passed since the concert series first began, and the turnout proves the appetite for quality music in a traditional setting remains strong. Audiences can expect to hear classical selections from Bach and other Baroque composers. Powerful sound fills the soaring ceilings of the iconic Gothic cathedral, and the sheer ambiance of the numerous stained-glass windows and the Carrara marble altars are a feast for the eyes. Calling this a sensory experience that touches every part of one’s heart and soul is not a stretch.
Concert Series Line-Up
The first concert was held on January 7 with Fred Teardo of Birmingham’s Cathedral Church of the Advent at the console. A graduate of Yale and the Eastman School of Music, he set high expectations for the remaining programs in this year’s series.
Beau Baldwin, organist and music director of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Little Rock, will perform on January 21.
Buck McDaniel, who will perform on February 4, is originally from Columbia, Mississippi. He is the current Artist-in-Residence at the General Theological Seminary and serves as director of music at the Church of Our Saviour in New York City.
Each concert begins at 6:30 p.m. and is preceded by a 5:30 Wine and Cheese social hour. There is no admission fee, and all are welcome.
St. Peter’s Rieger Organ
The Rieger instrument was installed in 1987 in honor of Bishop Joseph Brunini, the long-serving and beloved Jackson Diocese bishop. Its case, made of fumed oak from the Lorraine district of France, was custom designed for St. Peter’s. The pipes of polished tin and the ornamental pipe shades, also oak, make the organ a beautiful work of art even before the first note sounds! The term “tracker” refers to the particular way the keys are connected to the playing mechanism by small wooden rods, or “trackers.” The distinct, rich sound characteristic of pipe organs produces the most tender and mellow of soft flutes as well as a vast, full-volume majestic surround sound that stirs the listener to his very core.
St. Peter’s has been blessed to have outstanding cathedral organists ever since the organ was installed. Frances Nelson, a Mississippi College alumnus, is in her ninth year at St. Peter’s and has been playing organ in area Catholic churches for 45 years. She plays three English masses every weekend and directs a faithful traditional choir at the 10:30 a.m. mass on Sunday mornings. St. Peter’s also hosts a 1:00 p.m. mass in Spanish each Sunday.
A History of Resilience
The history of St. Peter’s is worth knowing. It is synonymous with the best of Jackson’s beginnings and the devotion of its community-minded forefathers. During the 1830s and 1840s, the Mississippi legislature provided land-granted plots to religious groups in the capital city to establish brick-and-mortar churches in the heart of downtown Jackson. The city fathers believed a strong spiritual community was the fabric of a healthy city.
The Catholic community built a frame church just behind where the present St. Peter’s sits today. It was dedicated in 1842 and destroyed by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman in his march through Jackson in 1862.
The stalwart Catholic community was not to be defeated. They met in homes and the Jackson Fire Station for a while. However, General Sherman made a second pass through Jackson after his victory in Vicksburg in 1863 and laid waste to the church vestments, communion chalice, and all church property that was part of the makeshift Fire Station chapel.
Once again, the faithful rose to their challenge. After the war, the resilient Catholic parish rebuilt a larger frame church near the first one. The Sisters of Mercy from Vicksburg sent a few members to Jackson in 1870 to establish St. Joseph Academy on close-by Lamar Street. The academy flourished from the beginning and was the forebear of today’s St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison.
The present-day Gothic design church facing Northwest Street was completed in 1900. The exquisite stained glass windows depicting paintings by Italian master Raphael and Spanish artist Murillo are just a glimpse of the outstanding works of art visible throughout the cathedral. These windows were installed in 1914 and are considered by art experts to be among the finest examples of such craftsmanship in the country.
There is also a circular rose window above the altar and the focal point of the cathedral for a person sitting in the pew. In the center of the window is a Madonna with her face barely peeking out from a blue veil. The image is taken from a painting by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, and the meaning of the veiled Madonna is this: It encourages a devotion to Mary and a desire to “uncover” Jesus Christ fully for all to see. “Uncovering” Jesus Christ is an encouragement to embrace the gospel.
In 2025, St. Peter’s imposing façade stands like a bulwark and a comforting presence on the corner of Northwest and Amite Street in downtown Jackson. While the city has witnessed the daunting challenges a changing demographic has wrought in recent years, St. Peter’s has remained committed to ministry to God’s people come what may.
The 2025 Concert Series at the Cathedral of St. Peter is well worth attending. It is a mecca for those who love all things classical, artsy, and soul nourishing. For questions, call Frances Nelson at (601) 969-3125.
Marilyn Tinnin
