The St Cecilia choir
Since time immemorial the St Cecilia choir sang from the organ loft of St Catherine's church; in the 19th century it was still called the St Cecilia Circle. Louis Hauwaerts was its precentor for three quarters of a century, from 1860 to 1935, and for many years its conductor too. In 1921 the printer Louis Peeters took over; in 1971 he received the gold St Rumbold cross for 50 years of service. Chairman Jozef Willox also received that distinction; by 1977 he had sung in the choir for 65 years. Every year on St Cecilia's day the church council offered the singers a feast, and on the annual outing the choir sang mass in another church.
The choir also sang on special occasions: in 1948 at the sexton's golden jubilee, in 1961 at a televised mass from Diegem, and regularly in Diegem-Lo, among others in 1926 in the Van Crombrugghe fur works, then used as a temporary chapel, in 1930 at the blessing of the new church and in 1979 at that church's fiftieth anniversary.
A mixed choir
In 1967 the St Cecilia choir merged with the young boys' choir to form a mixed choir. Not only were the women's voices new: besides the organ there were now guitar, xylophone and drums. Its first performance was the Milac soldiers' mass in 1967, which grew into a tradition for the annual Soldiers' Week. The choir was led in turn by Louis Peeters, Jan Deraedemaeker and, from 1973, Luc Boulangé, with Marcel Moens at the organ.