In 1873 Singenberger founded the American St. Cecilia Society,[2] an organization belonging to the Cecilian movement which sought to revive the spirit of the masses and motets of Palestrina.
[4] Pope Leo XIII knighted Singenberger, conferring upon him the order of St. Gregory the Great.
He attended St. George Seminary in St. Gall where he befriended Sebastian Gebhard Messmer, who later became Archbishop of Milwaukee.
Here he studied piano, organ and composition under Winnebald Briem and was also influenced by Augustine Line, a noted musician.
While he was at Regensburg, the celebrated firm of Pustet decided to publish Singenberger's first collection of hymns.