Our Sacred Music Program

St Peter’s seeks to foster a rich cultural and liturgical life through the celebration of sacred music. Our Sacred Music Program supports the arts and continues the tradition of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony. Through music, we hope to deepen the beauty of the liturgy and invite people into a fuller experience of the Church’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

Our parish cantor leading music at Sunday Mass

Sacred Music at Mass

Music plays a central role in our Sunday liturgies, drawing us deeper into the mystery of the Mass. Our churches are blessed with gifted musicians. With a dedicated cantor for Sunday masses, and dedicated organists for both our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter’s.

A priest holding the Eucharist at an altar with lit candles during a Catholic mass.

Prayer and Devotion

We hold evenings of Adoration accompanied by sacred music, including a cappella Gregorian chant. These moments create a space of worship and reverence, offering the chance to encounter Christ. We’d love you to join us, see our Parish Calendar for more information.

A man with gray hair and glasses, dressed in a black suit, stands at a wooden podium, speaking or praying with his hands raised in a formal setting, while a person in the foreground captures the moment on a phone.

Our Director of Music

Conrad Helfrich is an accomplished musician with a deep love for sacred music and the role it plays in the life of the Church. He trained as a classical pianist and pipe organist at Brighton Grammar School at St Andrew’s, Brighton. His professional career spans decades, with work as a Music Director, Supervisor, Orchestrator, and Arranger across London’s West End, Broadway, the USA, and Europe. He has twice received ARIA Awards for his contributions to Music Supervision, Production, Vocal Arranging, and Conducting in Australia. Before joining our parish, Conrad served as Music Director at St Stephen’s, Richmond and St Bartholomew’s, Burnley. Now, as Director of Music for St John Paul II, he supports the beauty of the liturgy and helps to preserve and promote the Church’s rich musical tradition.

St Peter's historical pipe organ

Our Historic Organ

The historic pipe organ now housed in St Peter’s Church on Toorak Road has a rich and fascinating story—spanning continents, parishes, and nearly two centuries of liturgical music. Today, the organ continues to serve the Church, supporting the celebration of the liturgy at St Peter’s. Its restored sound and beauty play a central role in the parish’s sacred music programme, enriching worship and contributing to the cultural and spiritual life of the community.

Concerts and Special Events

Our parish also hosts concerts and special musical events. These performances are open to the wider community and reflect our desire to be a place where culture and faith meet. Recent events include The Primacy of St Peter, an original work composed especially for our parish.

  • A choir performing in a church, directed by a conductor, with audience members watching.
  • A group of choir singers, during a concert.
  • People attending a sacred music concert at St Peter's Catholic Church, Toorak.
  • People singing or performing in a choir, holding sheet music, in a dimly lit setting.
  • A choir performing inside a church with an ornate wooden altar and high vaulted ceiling.
  • Promotion table for the choral concert 'The Primacy of St. Peter' with stacked flyers and a poster showing a classical painting of religious figures, event details, and date on a table in a hallway.
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