Joy

How to judge a church

2012-01-22T20:20:00.000-05:00

I recently found myself in the position of describing (or rather, comparing) two different Catholic churches, to help someone who is traditionally minded decide which to attend. As I thought about it later, the kinds of things that I chose to mention were interesting, and certainly say something about a church. But most people wouldn't consider most of these things significant at all! I hardly even had to mention the devotion to orthodox Catholicism, since the interesting thing is that these things all point to that!

-Of course, the quality of the music. How much chant? Anything in latin? The quality of the choirs and of course what styles of music they sing in.
-The demeanor of the priest while celebrating Mass; including, how much he "ad libs," or brings his personality into the ritual.
-The content of the homilies.
-Whether there are female altar servers.
-Whether the church "looks" like a church inside.
-The demeanor (lack or presence of chatter or respectfulness) before and after Mass from the congregation.
-What kind of vestments the priest wears, and what the altar servers wear.

"Nobody has ever taught us this before!"

2012-01-18T21:42:00.000-05:00

I had a lovely little choir rehearsal tonight.

Looking at the schedule, I realized that we really don't have much to learn between now and Lent, and, (if I wanted to,) I could surely run the rehearsal in 35 minutes each week. That not really being an option (since my pay isn't based on hours,) I have been thinking I need something more to do with the choir. So, I decided to have them work on a little polyphonic 4-part piece. At the very least, even if they never sing it at Mass, I could use it to teach some notes and how to read rhythms.

I decided I would do a lot of "everyone singing the same part" thing, so that people wouldn't get bored, and teach them to "count-sing." (Eg, 1+2+3+4+ for every measure.)

We had started that last week on a mostly quarter note song, and it was going well, so I figured that jumping into the eighth note song would be perfect. I quickly realized that they had less of a grasp on the actual note values than I was thinking, so I set about explaining how "1+2" or whatever fits into which notes exactly, and writing it on the white board. They were very interested, with only mild complaining about the difficulty. So, we had a great rehearsal, got through a bit of the piece, and I'm looking forward to helping them to really learn it solidly, with a complete understanding of the notes over the next few weeks.

However, my day was made (and my heart aches,) when, at the end of rehearsal, I was erasing the white board, and someone said, "Oh, you're erasing that! I was going to use it!" And then they started asking me to re-write it and hand it out! They said, "No one has ever taught us this before!... I failed music when I was in school... I've been singing in choirs for years!"

Wow. So, this will be an interesting experiment at the worst, or, way to change their lives (musically at least,) at the best. I will definitely write out a sheet for them, and even include some rhythm exercises that they can practice counting on their own! This should be fun.
And...this is why I love my job. :-)

oh dear.

2012-01-12T21:21:00.002-05:00

whenever am I going to find time to read THIS?!

Copyrights...

2012-01-10T15:10:00.000-05:00

I'm super excited... I'm currently working on typesetting a new edition of THIS gorgeous piece, which is certainly in public domain. I can hardly wait to be finished so I can put it on CPDL and make it available, accessible, and FREE to the whole world!

I'm particularly excited, because this, as a project, has been in the back of my mind as something that I would like to do... but I just received confirmation today that this is entirely legal, and rightly so! {why deny the world something that was written by someone who has been dead for more than 100 years, just so some publisher can line his pockets?}

Amen and an Unintended Consequence

2011-12-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

I find the new tone to the doxology before the "Great Amen" to be extremely frustrating.
I don't have the exact notes in front of me, but the previous tone ended something like, "doh-re-re-mi-re-do-do" on the words, "forever and ever," indicating a clear "do-do-re" for the congregation to sing "A-me-en." In fact, after singing that for a few months in a particular church, it's almost impossible to not sing it whenever I heard that tone at another church, but found myself being interrupted by the instruments proclaiming the beginning of a completely musically unrelated "Amen."

Now, it is quite interesting (and wonderful!) how the priests are being encouraged to sing so many of the newly translated parts of the Mass, and they are! And, many churches, at least among those I'm familiar with, are taking a stab at singing the corresponding parts, including the "Great Amen." But unfortunately, whatever musical genius decided to CHANGE the final ending tone of the doxology, along with the words, has provided a disappointing level of confusion for anyone trying to sing a simple "Amen" here.
The new doxology ends something like, "mi-mi-re-do-re-mi-re," on the words "forever and ever," (sorry if that's not exactly right, I've only heard it a few times,) but I've even checked the Roman Missal, and yes, the congregation is expected to start their "Amen" on DOH when the priest has just finished on "RE!!!!" ARRRRRRGHGHGHHGGHGHGHG!!!!!!!!!!
(I'll start it strongly on the proper note, doh, and the congregation cautiously joins in, as it is slightly intuitive, especially if the congregation is able to follow someone who knows what they are doing.) But... I am extremely sad as I suspect that this hesitancy of non-naturalness of being expected to start on a different note than what has just been heard, will not contribute to any congregations ever finding this tone "natural," which is what I found when I sang it previously.

It seems that hardly anybody is truly satisfied with the new translation, or at least the baggage that it brings with it (I heard a good priest recently complaining over the word "prevenient" in one of the prayers for the Immaculate Conception. And while I can't really argue against his complaint that he had no idea what it meant, I do wish that at that moment I had said, "Well, even if we don't know what it means, it does make me want to go and look it up!" le sigh.)
Anyhow, an interesting unintended consequence of how the priests have not been encouraged at all to sing their parts for the past 40 years, is that now, once they are, I have heard more than one person comment on how it helps the congregation with the new translation. By this I mean, in many churches, the automatic response to a spoken "The Lord be with you," is, of course, "And also with you." BUT... if "The Lord be with you" is sung, then it suddenly requires a moment of thought for the congregation, and they are more likely to sing "And with your spirit," especially if they are in a church which hasn't been singing the dialogues for the past 40 years.

So...for once, we can thank them for trying to (indirectly?) eliminate certain degrees of solemnity from the liturgy! It has helped at least one thing about this new translation to be easier!

Random thoughts

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

My life has been rather interesting... I had a great post to write about my new (temporary) job, but then things changed and I decided to not write it.

Organists, don't forget this fabulous postlude for this weekend! Sorry I can't find a link online... Franck's Sortie "Venez, divin Messie" from L'Organiste!

How come in the Mass, the priest says at the doxology, "All glory and honor IS yours," but then a moment later, after the Our Father, we say, "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory ARE yours..." Which is grammatically correct? And is there a difference that I am not seeing?

Speaking of translations... We should just say, "And also with your spirit." And get over it. (haha, not really.... but that's about what it comes out to be!)

Children's choirs simply do not work during the liturgy. By the very nature of them being there, you have all their parents there, who are going to be turning around and waving at them, and being distracted by them, and so there is no way that the congregation is "paying attention" to Mass itself. And then, there is the applause. Even if it's not until after the final song, it just goes to show what people were *really* there for...

I'm not in love with the latest music trend among traditionalists...

2011-11-14T15:07:00.000-05:00

"Contemporary Sacred Music."

Specifically, Kevin Allen. The CMAA (or at least related people) has totally taken him under their wing and is promoting him loudly.
http://musicfortheliturgy.org/Kevin_Allen_Motecta_WTRMrk_2011.pdf

But honestly, I'm not all that impressed. While of course I greatly appreciate his attempt at writing 3-part, latin choral music (easily transposed for a 3-voice mixed choir!) and I also love the idea of singing psalm-tone verses in between repetitions of the same short motet (what choir hasn't been so sad at watching all the work they put into learning a piece, quickly disappear as they sing it once...and then it's done?!) I just haven't found the several pieces that I've listened to to be all that...good.

Yes, it's a bit contemporary sounding, and I know one of the reasons that it's so lauded is that it's relatively easy for a church choir. But... I wish I knew more about music theory... (I felt like I barely passed it in undergrad...) so I can't necessarily comment on his music as regarding the rules, but I find much of what he does, (like in terms of using accidentals,) to be...cheap.
Random picardy thirds, or borrowed minor chords, that just seem to...come out of nowhere!
I think it's pretty good voice-leading, but the actual chords themselves...just irritate me sometimes. They don't seem to be going anywhere!
(This is what I'm going to be working with the choir on.)

I mean, it's not bad, and can be quite enjoyable to listen to... well, I just don't know how to describe how I feel when I'm plunking out the chords on the piano. I'd love to hear someone chime in who has more theory background...

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

2011-10-30T20:52:00.001-05:00

I suppose I'll post this under the actual name of the cathedral, since I don't really have much to say that is negative... which, btw, it is quite a lovely cathedral, and really looks exactly like what a Catholic cathedral is supposed to look like... (unlike, ahem, certain dioceses in another state to the northwest...)

So, on this day which was both mine and my dear husband's last Sunday without both of us having church/work commitments, we decided to go to the cathedral for Mass, and were not only blessed with the bishop saying Mass, but also were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful music selections!

I didn't take a copy of the bulletin (which had most of the congregational of the music selections in it,) but I'll write about what was notable to me.

Apparently the full choir does not normally sing, and they certainly sounded quite prepared and professional!
There was a lovely organ prelude, followed by the choir singing some beautiful polyphonic piece (I believe it was in Latin, but unfortunately I have no idea what!)

The opening hymn was "Lord whose love in humble service" which isn't such a terrible hymn, although some of the verses have some very annoying PC social justice-y themes to them.
The Kyrie was surprisingly lovely; I believe it was an interesting combination of simple call-and-response with the congregation, with a middle "Christe" verse that was a beautiful polyphonic choral setting.

Followed by, unfortunately, the awful diocesan-mandated setting of the Mass of St. Paul the Apostle Gloria. I mean, it's not such a bad piece of music, but...suitable for the liturgy? And to be sung by a congregation? And the accompaniment, to be played by your average church organist? It's just so...syncopated. I love it when non-musicians (or else professional musicians with no sense of appropriate liturgical music) choose music to be learned by an entire diocese...
Lansing, consider yourselves lucky!
Anyhow, the choral section was really neat to listen to, and the organist was of course fabulous, but none of it really made anyone in the congregation attempt to sing along!

I don't remember much about the psalm...it might have had cool choral verses.
The Alleluia was taken from "For all the Saints."

The Offertory was a modern-sounding choral piece, probably a bit dissonant for some people, but very nice for the occasion, IMHO.
I believe that the Sanctus/Mem Accl/Amen were from an old-translation Mass.
And now I'm trying to remember the Agnus...I *think* it was similar to the Kyrie (or else I'm mixing them up,) with some congregation, and some lovely choral singing.

The song for communion was that awful "Center of My Life" song, that seems to be the absolute favorite of every single church around here (but I had never heard prior to coming here,) As a song, it really just makes me want to link arms and rock and sway with everyone else around me. Maybe we should all pull out our lighters (or cell phones) and wave them in the air.
I can't remember the verses, but I'm pretty sure that every time I've heard it, something about the theology (or lack of) has really bothered me about...maybe the last verse?
Finally, the closing hymn was the ever-wonderful and rousing "For All the Saints." (with, I must add, the PROPER rhythm... "ALLLLLLLL who by faith..." NOT "All WHOOOOOOOO by faith..."

And then I believe that there was a nice but relatively brief (the church emptied fast) postlude, although I didn't listen closely.

Anyhow, overall the best cathedral liturgy that I've ever seen! I'd give it an 8.5/10!

St. Joseph in Toledo

2011-10-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

Today being one of my last weekends where I am completely free to attend Mass wherever I want (at least until late February, and certainly one of my last in the SE Michigan area.) I received a recommendation to attend St. Joseph in Toledo, which was interestingly on my way to where I had to be later on Sunday!

After an unexpected realization that I must have written down the directions wrong, I knew I was in the right (somewhat sketchy) Toledo neighborhood, driving around on a Sunday morning. I had a vague idea of the cross streets, but couldn't find the church. I saw a steeple of what I was sure must be the church, but no, it was just some Protestant church. Finally I followed my gut, making use of the directions I had to leave the church (which were more accurate,) and saw another (much less impressive) steeple in the distance, which I determined to be it.

I found the church surprisingly small, but I decided that the inside was about the same size as St. P. (It's amazing the difference that being in the city versus country can be!) I attended their EF Latin Mass, and had a few observations.

One of the more interesting was that I noticed a great percentage (10%?) of the women wearing not just mantillas, but pashminas or scarves as a head covering. I must say, I am a fan. I approve of the simple, not-drawing-attention scarf, that a woman might even wear on the street today, (rather than the lacy mantilla...like...who ever came up with that idea?!)

I won't comment on the music, other than it was about what I expected, (Missa de Angelis, that pretty holy week Adoramus Te, I think Arcadelt's Ave Maria, the Panis Angelicus hymn, etc.) although this is not the first church like this that I've been surprised to find an all-male choir! (small though it may be.) They could also use a new organ. I didn't go up in the loft, but I could see pipes, but, let's just say...I don't think that's what they were using. :-/

The only liturgically interesting things I noticed, were that even though they did Missa de Angelis, they split the Sanctus/Benedictus as is permitted (required?) for a polyphonic setting. (Is that permitted for a chant setting? Every rubric I have ever read has directed it to be sung non-split.)
Also, I noticed that the communion antiphon was sung at the very end of communion. Is this an option, or incorrect?

ok, that's about all I can remember, although I thought there might have been a third liturgical interesting thing... the priest gave a VERY short homily (you know, one of those ones where you just start to really listen...and then he's done!) maybe cuz Mass started more than 10 minutes late I think cuz people were in confession... but yeah, overall a lovely church and liturgy! Thanks for the suggestion, JL!

Holy Family

2011-09-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

It's nice to be free on Sunday mornings...
Finally got a chance to go to Holy Family in Greektown this morning! It did not appear to me that they do ANYthing illicit. It is basically just a Latin, Novus Ordo, ad orientem, (very sparsely attended) Mass.
The claim to fame, being that it is likely that they are the only Catholic church in the US that has NEVER had an English, versus populum Mass!
(The rumor is, since they are the Sicilian church in the diocese, apparently back when VII happened, the grandmothers there were just like, "no, we're not doing that...") I would like to now dispel the rumor that it is much of a "mixture" of EF/OF.
There was nothing illicit, especially that the priest did as far as I could tell... the only "crossovers" that I noticed were in what the people did:
-knelt at beginning of Mass
-didn't sing pretty much anything (the tiny choir did.)
-servers lifted chasuble
-didn't say "Amen" at communion, the server did. (at the rail)
-knelt for final blessing

A little gem of a church, housed away downtown! I think it seems smaller than it is, being surrounded by those big buildings. But when I was inside and thought about it, I'm sure it's actually larger than St. P! (It just doesnt have as high a ceiling. maybe thats why it seems smaller.) Very gorgeous. If you want to sort through some pictures, you can get an idea of what it looks like from AF- http://picasaweb.google.com/115178373895033328671/DetroitChurchBlog or his whole experience (similar to mine) http://detroitchurchblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/holy-family-greektown.html

Electronic organs

2011-08-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

While being a student of organ, I was always taught to look down on "electronic organs" (read: an organ without pipes. Which pianist would prefer to play an electric Clavinova over a Steinway?)
And, in my experience, this was easy to do. But I had pretty much only ever played 30+ year old electronic organs.

That's one of the big accusations against them--how many other electronic devices do you know that dont last more than a few years? So isn't it obvious that these organs will all need to be replaced within our lifetimes? Contrast that to "real" organs; many of the good ones last well over 100 years, and just need the occasional re-leathering.

Obviously, for most or all churches who end up buying a new electronic organ, price is a huge factor. A "real" organ will easily be $200,000+, whilst a nice, large, electronic organ could run $20,000-$50,000. (I *think* my figures are about right. I kind of guesstimated, based on little things I've picked up over the years.) While the electronic one is still expensive, I wonder if churches forget to factor that they will probably have to buy a new one in 30 years? (Well, maybe nowadays most churches aren't thinking that far ahead--they're wondering if they will even be open by then!)

Other than the replacement likelihood, the real organ has other advantages, like the enjoyablity of playing it and how it *sounds* better. (Like, it sounds "real.")

I used to think that I could tell the difference, but the extent of my experience was from the 30-year old Allen that my first church had. (It was an awful instrument, if you can call it that...) More recently, my fiance, has been pointing out the occasional electronic organ, that sounds quite impressive to me, and pointing out how it is not real (and he would know as he has played on lots of electronic organs!)

And my surprise has led me to being quite impressed with some of the sounds that I have heard! And recently, I even was able to spend some time playing a brand new, very impressive Rodgers. I was pleasantly impressed with how much I enjoyed playing it. One thing I noticed, (compared with the only one other electronic new organ I have played recently,) it was LOUD. The volume was much more comparable to that of a real organ. For some situations, a single stop was enough. There was even one rank that I could not believe that didn't have pipes (it was a bourdon in the pedal for which a few of the middle notes, I *heard* some breathy, wind noise. [sorry, I don't know what the technical term for that is. I hope the organists understand!]) I looked for the pipes, and there didn't seem to be even a hidden rank, but, I should mention that the organist of that church was not there to verify if it did not have any ranks of pipes.

So what is this post about? My genuine surprise at the level of quality of some (at least one!) of the more recent electronic organs. Would I ever encourage a church to buy one? No. I will always value the artistic value of the craftsmanship that goes into making a pipe organ, as well as the other reasons listed above, and others I probably haven't mentioned, but I won't disdain some of the newer electronic organs as much as I used to.

more on accompaniment books...

2011-08-24T12:45:00.002-05:00

apparently, there IS more than one church in the world whose organist likes to lock the accompaniment book away in his office! wow! who would have guessed....

Also, word to the wise-- be sure to check *how much* you are getting paid with the person who is actually hiring you for a service, before you do it, and don't just believe anyone who tells you what they "think" you will get! :-/

holy moley!

2011-08-23T08:25:00.000-05:00

A parish FIVE miles away just posted a job description that includes the word "schola!"

This is gonna get interesting...

So I THOUGHT all organists kept the accompaniment books in an obvious place...

2011-08-22T11:38:00.000-05:00

I mean, every single church I had ever seen had the organist hymnal right next to the console, within grasp of the organist!

So I had to play a wedding this weekend at a church where I had never touched the organ, and I assumed they would be where the books always are, so I didn't bother swinging by St. P's to borrow their books.

oops, fail. apparently there is at least one organist in the world who keeps her books locked up in her office.

LUCKILY, the wedding was at 4 on a friday, so I was able to have the office lady open the MD's door for me to get the books! phew! no more assumptions about that! (and the kind of weird thing is that the MD *knew* was coming, and had been very helpful in all other ways; I just forgot to check if the hymnal would be out, and perhaps she assumed I wouldn't need it, or didn't think of it.)

My liturgical life

2011-08-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

A lot has been going on in the past couple months. Most significantly, I formally finished up my work at St. P's, where I have been for the past 5 years! (I left because I am moving to a new city!)

It leaves me in the interesting position of looking for a new job, which has its own repercussions...

For the first time in *years*, I am going to freely choose where to go to Mass on Sunday! I really don't know yet. I'm a huge fan of beautiful music, so I'd like to go to a church with that, but it's hard to know in advance when that will be! It's not like there is a published schedule put out by the diocese...

And secondly, until I find a formal job, I suspect that I will be "selling myself" (or I could use cruder terms...) anywhere as a sub. Goody. I'm going to be immersed in the full experience of a wide variety of liturgical styles, most of which I have been not only trying to avoid for the past several years, but also deliberately working to combat!

I suppose that's cool...

2011-08-03T09:22:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the Mass setting that my mother co-wrote will be one of the 5 in the St. Augustine Hymnal. (Not that I am advocating for that particular hymnal ;-) but I still think it's pretty cool!)

I am not quite sure what Pope Benedict means here...

2011-07-19T08:41:00.001-05:00

It is true that splitting the Sanctus and the Benedictus is not necessary, but it makes a lot of sense. if the choir sings the Sanctus and the Benedictus together, then the break between the Preface and the Eucharistic Prayer can indeed be too lengthy. When this happens, it no longer serves the congregation’s silent, yet cooperative entering into cosmic praise because the inner tension is not sustained. On the other hand, if a filled silence and an interior greeting of the Lord along with the choir take place after the consecration event, it corresponds profoundly to the inner structure of the occasion. The pedantic proscription of such a split, which came about not without reason in the development, should be forgotten as quickly as possible. [A New Song for the Lord, (NY: Crossroad, 1995) p 145]

It seems to me that he first praises it, but then calls it a "pedantic proscription" to split it, which should "be forgotten."

So... is it, or is it not ok to split it? (In the Novus Ordo at least, is all I care about at the moment.)

And this one:

A Choral Agnus Dei

Now just a word about the Agnus Dei. In the Regensburg cathedral it has become a tradition that after the Sign of Peace the Agnus Dei is first spoken three times by both the priest and the people and then continued by the choir as a communion hymn during the distribution of Communion. Over against this custom it has been asserted that the Agnus Dei belongs to the rite of the breaking of the bread. Only a completely fossilized archaism can draw the conclusion from its original purpose of accompanying the time of the breaking of the bread that it should be sung exclusively at this point. As a matter of fact, it became a communion song as early as the ninth and tenth centuries when the old rites of the breaking the bread were no longer necessary because of the new hosts. J. A. Jungmann points out that in many cases in the early Middle Ages only one Agnus Dei was sung after the Sign of Peace while the second and third ones found their niche after Communion and thus accompanied the distribution of Communion where there was one. And does the request for the mercy of Christ, the Lamb of God, not make sense at that exact moment when he defenselessly gives himself into our hands again as Lamb, the sacrificed, yet triumphant Lamb who holds the keys of history in his hands (Revelation 5)? And is the request for peace made to him, the defenseless yet victorious One, not appropriate especially at the moment of receiving Communion since peace was, after all, one of the names of the Eucharist in the early Church because it tears down the boundaries between heaven and earth and between peoples and states and joins humans to the unity of the Body of Christ? At first glance, the Regensburg tradition and the conciliar as well as postconciliar reform seem to be two opposite worlds, which clash in harsh contradiction. Whoever stood right between them for three decades was able to experience the severity of the posed questions for himself. But where this tension is endured, it turns out that all this belongs to the stages of one single path. Only if one holds these stages together and holds out will they be correctly understood and will true reform flourish in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council—reform that is not discontinuity and destruction but purification and growth to a new maturation and anew fullness. The cathedral choirmaster who has borne the weight of this tension deserves thanks: This was not only a service for Regensburg and its cathedral, but a service for the entire Church. [A New Song for the Lord (NY: Crossroad, 1995) p. 145]

(I've read it now a couple times, and I'm STILL not sure what conclusion he makes about a "choral sanctus!")

Thoughts?

I may be temporarily cracking down soon on the privacy of this blog...

2011-07-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

When I next apply for a promising job, I will most likely need to change the privacy settings on here for a time so that the whole world can't read every post (like the ones in which I unknowingly sabotaged future job prospects at churches which may not completely agree with my views ;-) ). Hopefully, this will only be temporary, until I get a job and they decide that they like me. :-)

I'm not sure the best way to go about doing that-- after looking around on here for a minute, it only seems to give me the option to include people by email address. I will automatically add people who are under my google list of "friends," (I have no idea when I made this list, so don't be offended if you are not on it,) so if you ever notice that you can no longer view this blog, feel free to just shoot me an email (and if I like you,) I'll add you.
Not sure yet what is involved with reading this and needing to sign in...but we shall see.

(and the annoying thing is, I think my name is linked to this blog in only one place! and it's from someone that I am not sure I can contact! argh!)

EF

2011-07-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

ok, I admit it. While I do not mind it, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is not my favorite.

Occasionally I have heard the argument that "little children seem to instinctually know that something sacred is going on, and are much more calm and sedate than at a 'happy-clappy' Novus Ordo Mass."

sigh. I beg to differ.

At our EF today, there was a young child (about 1 year old?) who was *shrieking* his head off the ENTIRE second half of Mass. good. freaking. grief.

a little QA fail? (how about some proofreading...) ;-)

2011-06-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

Just received in a pdf from my diocese's Office of Worship...

oops...

Looking back over the last 5 years...

2011-06-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

Someone just asked me to explain the "plan" that Fr. G and I had as we improved the music and liturgy at St. P. Well, we didn't really have much of a "plan," we mostly just did what seemed like a good idea at the time, thinking at every step to try and make the liturgy more like the Church envisioned it, and with the only other clear goal to teach the congregation the Latin Mass Ordinary that all Catholics were expected to know after Vatican II, as complied by Pope Paul VI; "Jubilate Deo,."

It seemed appropriate for me to think through this, as I only have a few more weeks at St. P. :-(

Looking back on this 5-year period, I must say that I am quite impressed with what has been accomplished!

Here's the timeline as I remember it-
-I started working at St. P
-immediately began phasing out 1970s popular style music, and replacing with more traditional hymns or other acceptable (sometimes contempoarary) music
-I began singing Communion antiphon for the first couple minutes of Communion every Mass (she would sing the English translation first)
-taught/reminded translation of simplest "Agnus Dei"
-created and put in pews a small hymnal supplement that contained some latin as well as english translations of chant (and other hymns/prayers we thought might be useful)
-several of the (female) choir members were interested in joining me in singing the communion, I would send them a recording and they would learn it on their own every week
-taught/explained translation of and began using "mortem tuam," (but this was discontinued soon afterwards)
-meanwhile, more traditionally-minded parishioners were starting to come to St. P, who came deliberately for the combination of better music choices we offer as well as the preaching/reverence/etc of Father G.
-Put the communion rails back up from where they had been in front of the first pews.
-meanwhile, congregation singing more chant, especially english translations of things like Adoro Te and Jesu Dulcis
-Introduced chanting of english translation of Introit at 10:30 Mass, set to a gloria-patri tone (based on Anglican Use Gradual); provided a photocopy in the pews for people every week. Explicitly taught to congregation the first few weeks, then just let them follow the choir afterwards (since the melody remains the same every week)
-taught simple Sanctus to congregation at all Masses (it was included with a word-for-word traslation in the hymnal supplement we made.)
-began including a very simple, shortened version of the Proper Offertory (set to a simple psalm tone,) on the same page as the introit. Began using it; we treat it similar to the responsorial psalm: I sing it, the congregation sings it, I sing verses of the appropriate Psalm alternating with the congregation singing it for the remainder of the Offertory (following an Offertory hymn.)
-re-introduced "mortem tuam" memorial acclamation
-invited the congregation to begin receiving communion at the communion rail at the 10:30 Mass (I believe that most people do, since that is the most popular Mass for the more traditionaly-minded people to go)
-taught and began using latin "Gloria" at all Masses (over the past 4-5 years, as we have been teaching all the latin Mass Ordinaries, we have not usually been doing all of them at the same time. We have usually just done one or two at a time, with other settings, like Proulx's Community Mass. It has only been the past few months [a year?] that we have been doing them all in Latin.)
-began offering a monthly Extraordinary Form Mass
-invited the congregation to receive communion at the communion rails, if they wished, at all masses. (the option still remains to receive standing, usually from an EMHC.)
-Sometime in the next few months, we plan on updating our hymnal supplement to a more permanent book, which will include more chants (also in latin, like Veni Creator,) as well as all of the Introits that we will need, in the English settings described above.

Two other things to note that don't really fit in the time line:
- I would NEVER have attempted anything close to this without the full support of the pastor.
- As a result of his support, at every step of the way, we both worked together at catechizing the people and explaining and teaching everything. I don't know how you would do that without a supportive pastor, and I do not think the people would appreciate it or get much benefit from it if they did not understand why we were changing things.

Low Mass and High Mass?

2011-06-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

Interesting conversation going on at my favorite forum (uh oh, maybe it's becoming second favorite. well, regardless, I'm not telling you where the other one is... ;-) )

It was mentioned, that one of the things (among many, as we know) that has really changed after Vatican II, was the distinction between Low Mass and High Mass.

Now, I realize this may not have been so cut and dry in every parish, but if my understanding is correct, then at most parishes, most of the Masses were 45 minutes (or even 30), music-less, or else with a smattering of hymns. Then, every parish had it's "main Mass," which was High Mass, and while I'm not sure exactly how long that would normally be, it was the one with all the frills, and was definitely going to be longer than the other Masses. And you knew which one it was!

So, people who wanted Mass to be quick and easy, went to one of the Low Masses, and those who wanted the full "experience," could go to High Mass.

SINCE the Catholic Church is pretty much the only one that "requires" weekly Mass attendance, and now that we have lost this distinction, if Mass goes over 60 minutes, everyone is complaining and leaving as soon as they can.

Wouldn't that be interesting if we brought back this distinction? (For many other reasons also than the ones I've just mentioned.) Say, at St. P, if people KNEW that the 4:30 pm and 8 am were going to be less than an hour, with no incense, not even any sung Mass Ordinary (ok, now I'm getting into dangerous territory,) and Father would talk on the faster side; and then that the 10:30 am Mass would easily be 1.5 hours, with LOTS of singing... and it was always this way every week, then people wouldn't complain about the long Mass, since they would only be there if they wanted.

This could be about any priest...

2011-06-18T11:52:00.002-05:00

http://theblacksheepdog.us/

This could happen to any priest. In fact, when I first came across this website, I thought, "oh here we go again. Another priest who is whining because he has been "censured" by the Church authorities for preaching things that maybe were contrary to official teaching..."

Ooops, I assummed too soon, once I realized as I skimmed through it and gasped when I read the author's name at the bottom.

But I did find it interesting that much of what he said could have been from any priest--orthodox or heterodox!

(not to be airing the Church's dirty laundry or anything...)

EDIT:
Having no idea what was going on, or even any prior experience of Fr. Corapi, I was slightly confused about why he referred to himself as "no longer Father..." but this article helps me understand how I feel-
http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2011/06/my-first-reaction-to-corapi-news.html

Dear bishop of xxxx diocese (to which I am moving)

2011-06-11T13:55:00.000-05:00

Why does it have to be so hard to find a job? All I want to do is serve the Church, really, honestly! I don't even have to paid a lot of money! All I want to do is to provide high-quality, sacred music, just like the Roman Catholic Church directs.

And the pastors and churches in your diocese are not exactly making it easy.

Here's a description of the last three full-time job openings in your diocese--

The most recent parish sounded very promising. They claim to appreciate both contemporary as well as traditional music, and say that their mission is in line with the values of the Second Vatican Council. Well, apparently we must not have read the same Vatican II documents, because after browsing around on their website for only a couple of minutes, I came upon a video of a large Mass from a couple years ago, and not only was the viewer blessed by "liturgical" dance, but the Mass also involved a large glass bowl filled with little pieces of leavened bread at the offertory. How original. (Um, the Eastern Churches beat you to that by a couple thousand years. Sorry guys, how about you stick with the directives for the ROMAN Catholic Church.)
I think I would cry every weekend if I worked there.

Also recently posted, is a parish that requires "comfort in various liturgical styles," as well as a Bachelor of Music, but declares that "no experience is necessary" for the applicant. Wow. Not sure how that would work. I was curious to discover more of what this church values, so I went to their website to read their mission statement. In the very first sentence of it, they call themselves an "open and welcoming Catholic community, centered in the Eucharist and celebrating God's gift of Diversity." Well, "Diversity" can be nice, but to put it right up there with the Eucharist? Hmmm... It appears that everywhere else on their website or bulletins that they use certain buzzwords, they are always capitalized, like "Peace and Justice" or "Diversity," but won't capitalize the word "bread" even when referring to the Eucharist. I only bothered to look at 3 of their recent bulletins, but 2 of them included pre-Vatican II bashing in the priest's bulletin article, as in "the bad old days when no one but priests or nuns were allowed to read the Bible." Moving along...

Prior to that, a parish that I had recently visited for a concert publicized a job opening. While at the concert, I noted that they had a pretty nice, new, organ, but that the "Stations of the Cross" around the sanctuary (which I believe are required in every Catholic Church?) were not exactly scenes from the Way of the Cross...they were more like "Happy Scenes from Jesus' Life." A church that does not appreciate the value of suffering, especially Christ's Redemptive Suffering, is not somewhere I want to be.

So, dear Bishop, please help me. Either find me somewhere to work; like I said, I really don't need a lot of money! I just want somewhere that will appreciate me! Somewhere that I can use music to glorify God, and not a parish whose theology centers around making people "feel good." Or else, please just lay the smack down in your diocese. Kick some butt, please. You're the bishop! I know of priests who get letters sent to the bishop because they preach things that are true and beautiful, (and those priests hear about it!) so why don't you do anything about priests who are actually disobedient to the directives of the Church? I know you won't do anything. Why bother.

With all respect,
-me

(A letter which I very seriously will consider sending if nothing changes in the next couple months!)

a job that I'm NOT going to apply for...

2011-05-31T12:29:00.000-05:00

upon seeing a new job posting, always go and check out their recent bulletins, to find gems like this:

Those of us who grew up in the Catholic Church before Vatican II did not learn much about the bible or how to read it. In fact we were discouraged from reading it.

oh...those "bad ol' days..." when everything was sooo horrible!

for Catholics:

2011-05-26T22:24:00.002-05:00

why do some priests give really long homilies and then use the shortest Eucharistic Prayer?

I don't really care what you have to say. I want the Sacrifice!

:-/

"Great Amen"

2011-05-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

So, at most Catholic churches, the "Great Amen" at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer is taken as an opportunity to bring out all the bells and whistles and to make the loudest most complicated setting of music for a two syllable word ever.

I suspect that this tradition originated with some quote from St. Jerome about this particular "Amen" making the pagan temples tremble, or something like that.

However, at St. P, for pretty much the whole time I have been there, we have been singing the simple two-tone "A-me-en" that is the appropriate response to the tone on which the priest sang the final doxology. I wonder what people notice when they hear that and are used to hearing a much more complicated and un-chant-like version?

For myself, now that I am used to it, I am always struck with appropriateness and ease with which it is sung. In fact, I find that when I go to other parishes and the priest sings the doxology, and my mouth opens in preparation to sing the final, easy, fluid Amen, I am literally *jarred* when the instruments interrupt loudly to introduce us to some loud, completely unrelated, musical ditty.

And to those who might argue that this "simple Amen" is not "resounding" enough to qualify within the writings of church history? Well, you should have been at my church for confirmation this week when the bishop sang the doxology. The church was completely packed, and let me tell you, boy, did that "Amen" resound. It was the most natural thing in the world. Every single person sang it, and not one felt "forced." A glorious sound to attempt to sum up the majesty of the Consecration.

cardinals

2011-05-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

am I not that funny, or is this the funniest Fr. Z quote that I have ever read?

Lastly, I have a single male Cardinal visiting regularly. I hope he finds a girlfriend soon and starts a local consistory.

this is interesting...

2011-05-02T10:51:00.000-05:00

I love reading things like this on the VIS and thinking "this doesn't happen every day..."

"OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father removed Bishop William M. Morris from the pastoral care of the diocese of Toowoomba, Australia."

and then going and reading more thorough articles...

one of my heros

2011-04-25T12:57:00.000-05:00

seriously. and this hardly shows a sliver of his genius

Triduum

2011-04-21T20:59:00.000-05:00

I was feeling pretty blah earlier this week, thinking about tonight, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday and all the liturgies that I have to do and the work the choir had to do, and especially about how little sleep I'm going to get on Saturday night! and so I was just sort of wishing that it would just hurry up and be Easter afternoon already!

But during Mass tonight (which was absolutely beautiful, btw, more on that later...) I almost began to cry several times, realizing that this will be my last Holy Week at St. P, and wondering where I will be next year. I honestly have NO idea. It's pretty scary.

I am pretty sure, that never again will I experience another church, where the congregation heartily sings the Latin chants of the Mass, where they sing six verses in latin of the Pange Lingua, where a parish of 500 families can produce a choir that can pull off Durufle's 6-part Ubi Caritas!

I am so blessed. I can't even begin to describe it. But, I will admit, it took work. I had four Holy Week's here before I've felt this way; weeks of anxiety and not-singing-anything-terribly-impressive lol.

Here's the lineup:

Holy Thursday:
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Gloria VIII
Psalm: Our Blessing Cup (a contemporary SSA arrangement)
Gospel Accl: Respond & Acclaim
Washing of Feet: (I wish we had more appropriate music to sing that reflected the proper texts for this time, but unfortunately everything that is in the hymnal of a "servant" character is either extremely trite, or else theologically questionably appropriate.)
Ah,Holy Jesus
Glory Be to Jesus
Offertory: Ubi Caritas (Durufle! woot woot! and they rocked!)
Ordinary: The usual
Communion:
Hoc Corpus
O Domine (Palestrina)
Humbly We Adore (Adoro Te)
Sing My Tongue (6 verses, Latin)

Good Friday
Psalm: Respond & Acclaim
Veneration of the Cross:
Reproaches
Psalm 51- Miserere (4-part chanted setting by some 20th century Italian, can't remember whom, alternating with chant)
Were You There (if needed)
Offertory (or whatever it's called): What Wondrous Love
Communion:
Pater, Si Non
Sing My Tongue (Picardy)

Easter Vigil:
7 Psalms (mix of R & A and CTK Psalms)
Gloria: chant
Psalm/Alleluia: R & A
Litany of the Saints (Becker, with REAL Saint names.)
Vidi Aquam
Offertory: At the Lamb's High Feast
Communion:
Pascha Nostrum
Worthy is the Lamb (Fishel)
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Hyfrydol)
I Know that My Redeemer Lives (Duke Street)

Good Friday

2011-04-12T14:53:00.000-05:00

I have always noticed that the Gregorian Missal (Graduale Romanum), from which I base most of the music for Mass, is strangely silent on music at Communion on Good Friday. Since it isn't even a Mass, there isn't a "communion antiphon."
Given that, this year, I was thinking that we would just have silence for Communion, since that seems not only appropriate on Good Friday, but that seems to be what the book is telling me, as well as being a lot easier for the choir to not have to sing for an additional 5-10 minutes!

Then I came across this thread on my favorite forum, which seems to give other sources that do suggest that there is appropriate music.
http://musicasacra.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=4574

Sigh, what to do. It's barely a week away! And I have like 2 or 3 choir rehearsals before then (with lots else to learn!)

Either silence will be starkly appropriate, or else 7 minutes of awkwardness. lol.

I almost fell off my chair!

2011-04-05T09:01:00.002-05:00

I just got an email from our diocesan worship person regarding music/liturgy for First Communion Masses, and at the bottom it said this:

"Since our parishes use such a variety of hymnals, I do not have a list of music suggestions for Holy Communion. However, I do not recommend the theology found in "Take the Bread, Children" by Herbert Brokering (GIA). ".

woot! finally! something remotely helpful from them!

pontifical (low? solemn? something) Mass!

2011-04-03T21:06:00.002-05:00

argh!

2011-03-30T12:09:00.000-05:00

I got engaged on Saturday, and now it is hitting me that I also should be really preparing for the Extraordinary Form Mass with the bishop on SUNDAY!
I am so not ready for this...
:-o

wedding cancellations

2011-03-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

I'd be curious to hear from other organists if they've ever encountered this, but I have found that I have NEVER been paid in advance for a wedding that ended up being cancelled. A few years ago, a wedding was cancelled the day before it was supposed to happen that I was going to play for, and I hadn't been paid for it yet! Fine by me, but the strange thing is, I almost always get paid sometime *before* the wedding. (maybe 75% of the time?) I don't require it, since I've never actually been short-changed, but when I meet with the couple a few months before their wedding I always encourage them to pay me then, but I tell them that they can mail it in to the church or even wait til the day of the wedding, but I discourage that.
Relatively recently, there has been 3 weddings cancelled that I would have played for. In the case of 2 of them, I hadn't yet met with the couple (not terribly unusual; I'm not sure how far in advance they were cancelled, but that may or may not be strange because sometimes the couple wants to meet with me really far in advance, but other times they wait til like 4 weeks or less!) But then the third wedding that was cancelled recently I *had* met with the bride and worked out her music, she was just going to mail me a check!
Is that unusual? For the only two weddings that I had already been communicated with regarding the music but were later cancelled, I had not been paid! I'm not saying I mind; I would certainly rather not have to worry about whether I should refund a check or not!
BUT...it's like...I wonder, did they suspect? Did they think there was a chance they would call off the wedding?
Any other church musicians experience this?

summertime...

2011-03-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

I need something to do this summer! something inspirational, that will help me to be a better church musician! Well, but for other reasons in my life I have de-motivating things going on right now.
But, honestly, I don't necessarily need to spend $500+ on a week somewhere...why can't I just get myself to practice hard-core for half that time?!
I was talking to an organist-friend a couple months ago about taking lessons from someone who specializes in french improvisation (which tends to be particularly suited to Mass,) and it seemed at the time like a great idea, but then I realized that I lack much of the basic improvisation/musical skills that would make special (and expensive) study very productive. So...why can't I just get myself motivated (and organized?) enough to practice extra?

help for church musicians! :-)

2011-03-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

I know it happens... you want an easy piece but beautiful piece, and yet your basses all totally flake out and you realize that you have a weekend with a 3-voice choir coming up! Never fear, there are plenty of SSA or TTB music written...and all it needs is a simple transposition for a competent but small mixed choir to sing it!

I have a couple of nice little books put together by our friend Carol Rossini that contain 3 part music in ridiculously high keys, but since I've done the work on transposing one down a perfect fourth (!) here it is for the enjoyment of the world and my fellow church musician friends, and so that the 45 minutes I spent inputting this can have additional benefit!
Adoramus Te
perfect for Lent!
(If you want it a whole step higher or anything, leave a comment or email.)

tee hee

2011-02-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

wow... I never thought that I would get my 15 seconds of fame from NPM!

http://www.npm.org/EducationEvents/convention/national/exhibitor_pros.htm

ritardando

2011-02-02T12:36:00.000-05:00

One of the most difficult things that I teach little kids in piano is the concept of "ritardando." A *gradual* slowing down of the music. They just don't get it. I explain, with huge exaggeration, the "gradual" part, and then when they go to play it, they come to the "rit" and suddenly play everything twice as slow. What do I need to do? Count out loud and wave my arms to indicate the gradually slowing notes like my college professor?!

when non-musicians lead the hymns

2011-01-31T11:18:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze/amuse me when I go to daily Mass somewhere, and there is no instruments, and some congregation member just leads an opening and closing hymn, and I am always fascinated by the range they sing in. I think people pick the starting note as something which is comfortable in their range, (and too bad if that happens to be a high or low point of the song!) but much more often than not, it ends up that the song is transposed down a perfect 4th or even 5th! I have been involved with plenty of arguments about how people complain that the songs are too high so therefore we should teach the people how to sing higher. Um, something is slightly lacking from that argument, I would say. (Mainly, what church musician as the opportunity to "teach" the "entire" congregation HOW to sing?!?!)
So, it seems to me that the obvious solution would be to lower the songs, even slightly. But upon listening to a congregation of non-musicians sing something, it's rather amusing how we argue about whether a particular song should be in C or D or even Eb...let's talk instead about lowering it down so the highest and lowest notes are A! I bet you very few people would feel it was too low...

priests

2011-01-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

Dear blog readers,

If you appreciate/love a priest, send his bishop a letter/note to let him know why. It really does make a difference.

my recital!

2011-01-25T11:17:00.004-05:00

my masters organ recital did actually get recorded, and here are the links to it for those who would like to download:

Praeambulum, E Major, Vincent Lubeck.wma

Postlude for the Office of Compline, Jehan Alain.wma

Sonata VI, Felix Mendelssohn.wma

Fantasia in C minor, Johann Sebastian Bach.wma

Suite Medievale, Jean Langlais.wma

hope you enjoy!

missal translation

2011-01-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

I know there has been a lot of discussion on the new translation that we are supposed to have beginning in November, and about how people will receive it, and how angry they will be, or if they will love it, and perhaps whether some people will refuse to say it... but as I think about human nature, and my experiences of it, I believe that people generally don't like change, and complain about it for a brief period of time...but then soon after? they don't even remember what it was like before.

This is MY prediction: (well, it is only my prediction if the scenario occurs as I describe)
I think that if there was just a little bit of explanation, "so we'll be using a new translation soon, that will be more accurate to the original..." and then hand them a copy-but not too far in advance! and then say, "ok, read this during Mass." they might complain a bit, but you know what? I betcha that (especially if whoever presents the material doesn't present it in a negative light,) I betcha that 4 months later people won't even remember that they were ever saying anything differently.

new look!

2011-01-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

wow, thank you AF... I haven't made any changes to my blog since, like, uh, 2006? wow I'm old...
anyhow, that was all for the purpose of allowing YOU to easily become my "follower." ooooo....how stalkerish is *that*?! (It didn't seem like I could add the "gadget" with my old template, at least not easily.)

soo...feel free to click on that, you know, little thing over on the right side. It seems to be the cool thing to do.

Unfortunately, in the changes, I seem to have lost my list of links, (which doesn't really matter anyhow, b/c it's not like I ever looked at more than a couple of them regularly!) So, apologies if your blog isn't linked to anymore, let me know if it should be, or if you know of any others that are interesting. But, that has the added plus that I now don't have links to any abandoned blogs, and that I've even added some new ones! yay!

worst sound EVER...

2011-01-19T09:41:00.002-05:00

a church full of old and middle-aged women belting their heart out on the refrains of "Be not afraid" and "Here I am Lord."
Even if I didn't dislike those songs in particular, the sound of 100+ old ladies singing as loud as they can is pretty awful...

(It's funny how the sound is imprinted in my memory. Even at this moment I can recall in detail how it sounded. I literally cringed at the swell of singing that occured at the onset of those refrains. Maybe it was just one person who was singing loudly in particularly, but still...*shudder.* It was like...yelling. or croaking.)

songs and text

2011-01-16T18:15:00.002-05:00

so, what do you do when there is a song with perfect *text* that matches the proper antiphon...but it sounds like either something right off Broadway, or else a schmaltzy love song? I've looking at "Lord When You Came to the Seashore" as a substitute for the antiphons for this upcoming Sunday having to do with "Follow me, I will make you fishers of men." ok, well, looking at it again I guess the text doesn't match as well as I thought it did...but still, there's other times that this occurs! So where's the line? Should all songs that are musically inappropriate be excluded from the liturgy, even if they could substitute for a proper antiphon where nothing else can?

this is REALLY funny...

2011-01-07T19:11:00.003-05:00

ok, I admit, I didn't even read it (I don't think I need to...)

but it was even funnier before they modified the note at the end, which now says:

Editor's Note: When this column was first posted, NCR incorrectly reported that this homily was given at St. Patrick Church in Ann Arbor, Mich. We are waiting to hear back from Bishop Gumbleton about where he celebrated Mass last weekend. In the meantime we apologize for the error.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/peace-pulpit/all-races-sexual-orientations-welcome-christs-table

Confession time...

2010-12-14T10:53:00.002-05:00

ok, I admit it.

I actually sort of like the song "On Eagle's Wings."

(sorry, I feel like I may have blogged about this before....apologies if so!)

It's a bit of nostalgia-- when I was a bit younger, I remember sitting down at the piano and playing the melody line, while my mom (who is an excellent pianist,) embellished the chords and made a beautiful accompaniment. I thought it was just lovely.

And, I still think that it's quite a nice song, just not appropriate for Mass.

I'm thinking...musical theater? Yes, that would be perfect! Or the soundtrack to a movie. Something like that.

;-)

a year seems so long...

2010-12-08T10:24:00.002-05:00

It's funny how a year seems so long...

one year ago, when I was wondering what to play as a postlude for Gaudete Sunday, someone suggested a piece (I forget the composer) based on "O Come Divine Messiah." I discovered it too late, yet realized how cool it was, and thought "oh, I guess I could play it next year...but next year is so far away! The world will probably like have come to an end by then!"

and here we are.

It's "next year."

And I can play "Venez, Divin Messie" as a perfect postlude!

the 7th year...

2010-11-22T11:44:00.003-05:00

I'm not honestly sure exactly what a "sabbatical" is. I have some ideas (like, my professor took one during the semester of my undergrad organ recital!)

I suspect it has something to do with the biblical command of giving the laborer the 7th year off? Or I am confusing that with the whole "jubilee year" thing that was like every 70 (or 49?) years. I'm feeling too lazy right now to go look it up.

Anyhow, I had a realization that on this upcoming Easter Sunday, I will have been a semi-full-time church musician for SIX SOLID years! That's six solid years of three Masses every weekend, one choir rehearsal every week, every single Christmas filled with 3-4 rigorous Masses, and every single Holy Week containing 8 rigorous liturgies!

And I kind of realized as I was sitting there during Mass this past weekend... I'm kind of a little bit...tired? I mean, I LOVE my job! I could barely ask for a more perfect one! But, oh, how I long for a period of time where I don't have to BE anywhere...a time where I could go to Mass wherever I wanted! A time where I'm not in CHARGE. How I would love to just sing beautiful music in a schola once a weekend and be done, or play just one Mass at someone *else's* church occasionally, and then be done for the weekend!

To be re-inspired. Refreshed.

hmmm...this whole sabbatical thing... I think they're on to something.

All Saints TLM...and difficult music

2010-11-02T10:22:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a wonderful opportunity to go to a TLM in a certain city, (and don't even try to guess where, cuz it is not anywhere near where I live!)
and, well I know there has been a rather heated discussion about this on the MS forum, I did get a chance to witness a very small choir with a couple of talented people and a couple of less-so singing a VERY HARD polyphonic Renaissance Mass setting!
I'm not quite sure how to describe it... I mean, it was very nice that they attempted it, and I quite admire them for it, but there was quite a few places where someone was out of tune, or I was trying to tell if they were just going along trying to get back in place...
I mean, I'm singing in an "Early Music" choir this semester, and here you have a roomful of music school students who can barely get through these pieces with 5-parts that are completely independent. It is HARD!
Of course, I don't know the choir at this church at all, or how much they worked on this Mass setting or anything else, but it does make me wonder if it would have been better to have found a simpler setting. (a 3-part Mass? or even one that was more chordal/homophonic?)
Perhaps part of the problem is that there are SO MANY Renaissance Masses written in the former style, and relatively few in a more simple style.

Anyhow, it was a lovely experience. However, I find that whenever I attend a TLM Mass, I am SO focused on "figuring out what's going on," that I can barely pay attention. In my case, I'm trying to know what's going on precisely because I have to understand it enough to be able to play organ for it! So, yesterday was a perfect experience to refresh my memory on all the things that I will need to prep for next weekend. (oh yes, let's figure out a 9-fold Kyrie. maybe a slightly fancier Agnus Dei then we do regularly? and I'll have to teach that priest AND choir the Ite Missa!)

let's just say...a low liturgical point...

2010-10-19T12:26:00.002-05:00

so low, in fact, that I just have to laugh.

A friend and I were visiting a touristy-island recently, (yes, I'm being vague deliberately...) and since it was off-season, there weren't very many people there.

We decided to go to Mass, and as it neared the time Mass was supposed to start, there was no priest in sight, candles lit, other Mass-goers, etc. We sat in a pew and waited. A couple minutes before Mass was supposed to start, the priest shuffles in.

My friend and I agree that most likely the priest is not thrilled to see *any*one at Mass, since now he actually has to go through with it, but precisely for that reason we are going to make him say Mass. tee hee. (sure enough, he checks with us that we're going to participate.)

He seems to be over-all a pretty decent priest; he says some good stuff about how God is the only thing that matters, and doesn't change too many words. (except replacing "Him" with "God," and adding a whole bunch of chatty-pray-y type stuff,)

UNTIL...he is saying the prayers at the offertory and his phone goes off! (which is, btw, right under his chasuble, as there is no alb or stole or anything else as far as I can tell covering his street clothes...sigh.)

AND he says to us something about expecting an important call, and ANSWERS IT!!! No one seems to respond on the other end, so he hangs up and continues with the prayers.

good grief. It was just so ridiculously horrible that all my friend and I could do was look at each other and try not to laugh.

oh dear God, have mercy on us, and the state of Roman Catholic liturgy...

first choir rehearsal!

2010-09-11T10:23:00.003-05:00

Well, Thursday was the first choir rehearsal of the school year! It was extremely excited to have 10 people there, and 5 of them were completely new! (I had done no small amount of recruiting over the past couple weeks!)

However, I was reminded that having such a "new choir" poses some interesting challenges.

In addition to having several new members who truly do not read a bit of music (which I shall certainly work hard at fixing, at least to a minimum amount,) I am constantly reminded that my choir can't read my mind.

Not that they could at the end of last year, when we'd all been working together for a while, but I can tell a distinct difference. There are things that I say, phrases I shoot off, assumptions I make about what they know, that...with a half-new choir, they don't yet know how to read between the lines of what I say. Once we work together for a while, there really is a bit of ...mind reading? going on. It's fun. So, I am now reminded of the new challenges I will have this year. Challenges that I am looking forward to, challenges which will invite me to constantly be evaluating what I'm saying and how it comes across.

Overall, I'm quite excited for this upcoming school year, if Thursdays rehearsal was any indication of things to come. I think that I have a lot that I can teach them, if I can just be alert and creative. While it would be *wonderful* to have a semi-professionally trained choir--a choir that I never had to remind about pure vowels, or explain rhythm; a choir that could sightread perfectly! (sigh), it is always an adventure, and a greater challenge--requiring a greater level of skill! to work with such an inexperienced choir. And even more challenging is working with a choir with such varying skill levels, the difficulty being keeping everyone engaged and yet explaining everything in such a way that everyone can understand.

I hope I'm up for the challenge. :-)

organ music

2010-09-11T08:43:00.002-05:00

A while back, I was asking my organ teacher for ideas of pieces/composers that are suitable for Mass, especially as preludes. He suggested, among other things, a fellow by the name Dom Benoit, or something like that. At some point I also happened to discover a book by this guy in my choir loft, and I only recently realized that it was the same guy! It's called something like "60 Devotional Pieces on Modal Themes for Mass" or something, and he hints in the introduction that he intended them for the "Elevation" (although he has another book with that in the title,) or something like that. This book is one of those delightful little finds, musty and yellowing pages, written in the 1950s or 60s, that has been sitting in my choir loft for who knows how long. I have found several other books like this, of varying levels of usability, and sometimes I think of showing them to my teacher and asking, "is this guy worth it?" and I even wondered that the first time I discovered this book and decided against it, since I just sort of assumed it was some drivel. They are nice, short, rather easy pieces, and with the reverent character that I am always looking for!

an edit on "new translation."

2010-08-26T13:48:00.004-05:00

well, perhaps my excitement was a little premature about being able to sing the Mass in Latin and not having to worry for a while about teaching the congregation a new musical setting.

However, I received an email from the Office of Worship in our diocese, and among other things, it said, "Bishop has expressed his desire that all parishes of the diocese learn ONE Mass setting for six months, so that we might all be able to sing together. After that, feel free to introduce your parishes to other settings."

hmmm...I wonder if that will be a requirement *excluding* use of a Latin setting? But...perhaps I was too excited prematurely for other reasons also...a year and a half is a looooong ways away. I could be...on the other side of the world. Who knows what St. P will look like...

Churches (and music programs) have been torn down in far less time than that!

(also, the email didn't say anything about HOW the new setting would be chosen. This could be interesting. Almost something should be organized by a very high/national authority. Like how all Catholics pretty much know the "Mass of Creation?" What will be the "universally accepted setting" with the new translation? Who will decide? The big publishers? Or someone with a little bit more of a sense for the sacred... Well, I guess we could just all learn the Missa Jubilate Deo...ha!)

new translation!

2010-08-23T12:44:00.002-05:00

yay! the new translation has been approved and scheduled for implementation on the First Sunday of Advent!

(yes, I know I'm a few days late with this but I was just reading another blog and this issue was pointed out...)

that while it is still unclear whether permission will be given to teach/use/practice musical settings of the Mass Ordinary, the first time that the congregation will be singing the GLORIA in the new translation will be (besides Immaculate Conception,) CHRISTMAS EVE! So, you're not exactly going to be teaching music to the congregation before Mass on that day.... but the congregation at St. P won't care, because they already know it in Latin! :-)

so I'm delighted that mine and Fr. G's efforts to introduce various Latin parts of the Mass to the people, and planning ahead!, will truly pay off, since for every part that they sing in Latin, they will notice one less immediate "change!"

piano students who can't read music

2010-08-11T13:09:00.002-05:00

I occasionally get a new piano student who "took lesson before" from someone else, and about half the time, I am absolutely horrified by how the student cannot ready music at ALL. Then, as soon as I discover that, I try to see if they know the names of the notes on the lines and spaces...then if they don't remember those very well, I try and figure out if they even know the names of the notes on the *keyboard,* and I am sometimes shocked when they don't even know that! I'm sure it's at least somewhat related to how long ago they had their last piano lesson, but I have had students who had recent lessons and were as described!

My point being; I wonder if my students would be like that.

I hope not, but wow, I can't believe how sad that would be, how much one would be failing their students if that were the case.

so, is it that students just forget these things? Or that the teachers neglect to adequately teach them? Or that the teachers never taught them?! Or that the teachers just forget to regularly reinforce these? (the last one is most likely in my case!)

Maybe I'm just wondering whether I get to *judge* and *disdain* the previous teachers of my certain piano students (haha!) or I'm terrified that some future piano teacher will say the same of MY current students! :-o

Organ music for Assumption of Mary

2010-08-09T13:58:00.001-05:00

so I'm trying to find a couple pieces of organ music to play for the Assumption this Sunday, and I'm just struck by how little of it I have among my loads and loads of books of "Preludes and Postludes."
Pretty much zero.
The reason? All the books I have are written by and for Protestants! argh! :-D

I'll use the Langlais Ave Maria, Ave Maris Stella as a prelude, but I'm still looking for a good Mary-based postlude. hm. Maybe I'll have to give up on that one.

"ecumenism"

2010-08-06T17:39:00.004-05:00

I'm finding myself a bit intrigued/baffled/saddened/interested by a discussion going on over at PrayTell http://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2010/08/04/holy-regret-on-intercommunion/

While some of the comments are getting into some of what sounds like rather deep theological discussion and quoting of documents, etc, I'm mostly disgusted by the swiftness with which people take offence at "I know that my church is right and yours is wrong."

Allow me to explain.

I know that the earth is round. Have I actually flown around it, or do I completely comprehend the scientific explanations of how we know it's round? No.

But I do believe that it is round based on others evidence and explanations. And if someone were to come up to me and insist that it is flat, I would have to shrug my shoulders, and say, "I'm sorry, but I believe you are wrong. The earth is round."

I also believe that the Catholic Church holds the fullness of Truth. As a matter of fact, I believe that I have more *personal* evidence of that than that the world is round!

WHY would it be offensive for me to tell that I believe that to someone who didn't agree with, that statement?

I suppose the difference would be that the earth being round is an acutally scientifically provable point, perhaps the Truth of the Catholic Church isn't.

ok, so what if I try the example of something a bit more arbitrary? (I admit, I haven't totally thought this through, I'm kind of just typing as I think :-)

What if I said, "I believe that my recipe for brownies tastes better than your recipe. While I admit that it wouldn't be the nicest thing to say, taken right out of context, but let's say you and I were trying to figure out which recipe we should enter in a contest? A very important decision! Then why would it be wrong for me to assert that my recipe is the best? It would certainly be necessary to the conversation!

If there were an even more important decision to make, then why I should I not make the statement, "I believe that [this particular statement,] which you hold to be only an opinion of mine, is factually the highest truth."?

And that is, of course, what Catholics are saying when they say that their Church is "completely right" or something to that effect. (sorry, this is where my lack of "theological terminology" comes into play!)

Coming at this from another angle; I have often wondered why more non-Catholics don't make the same claim: "My religion/church holds the fullness of salvation/truth."

I would not want to belong to a church that was "not sure" if it was completely right, at least in the main doctrines.

And if I myself wasn't sure what I or my church believed about any of the main disputes among Christians?

well, I would certainly not stop seeking until we had figured that out!

and, to flip it around? If someone were to say to me, "I believe the fullness of truth is found in my church." I'd say (or think,) "well, that seems a bit arrogant, but not really, cuz I actually think that same thing about MY church, so obviously, *one* of us is wrong..." but I'm not going to be like offended... (maybe cuz...I actually KNOW that I'm right? :-D )

;-)

"Revised" Mass Settings

2010-08-03T21:18:00.003-05:00

I'm finally getting around to looking through the (mostly) awful music from the "music reading packets" at the NPM convention. I find the "revised Mass settings" rather interesting.

first of all, I think most people would much rather learn a totally new musical setting, instead of one with different words that sneak up on you or are awkward to sing

and secondly, since when did the publishers start caring whether or not they used the right text?

for example, I'm looking at the "Mass of Light" right now, and instead of where it used to (incorrectly) say "Glory to God in the the highest, SING, Glory to God," it now says "Glory to God in the highest, glory to God..."

so...it was ok to add/change words in 1988...I wonder what changed now? :-/

(I suppose I should be *glad* that they have realized the importance of using the correct text, but...I am still skeptical of their motives.)

edit: actually, I'd like to modify a bit of what I said. I'm looking through this booklet, and it seems to me that the infamous "Mass of Creation" (or the Gloria at least, cuz that's as far as I've gotten,) may actually be an improvement on the old version! and the parts that are different are different enough that it's not hard to sing, cuz it's like a new verse!

Charismatic Worship during Mass

2010-08-03T10:36:00.002-05:00

I found a good quote that puts into words what has perhaps been my biggest discomfort with charismatic worship during Mass.

It's from Romano Guardini's "The Spirit of the Liturgy," p. 19

This was written in response to much of the "popular piety" at Mass prior to the Second Vatican Council, but I believe it is certainly applicable to charismatic worship.

"The primary and exclusive aim of the liturgy is not the expression of the individual's reverence and worship for God. It is not even concerned with the awakening, formation, and sanctification of the individual soul as such. Nor does the onus of liturgical action and prayer rest with the individual. It does not even rest with the collective groups, composed of numerous individuals, who periodically achieve a limited and intermittent unity in their capacity as the congregation of a church. The liturgical entity consists rather of the united body of the faithful as such--the Church--a body which infinitely outnumbers the mere congregation. The liturgy is the Church's public and lawful act of worship, and it is performed and conducted by the officials whom the Church herself has designated for the post--her priests. In the liturgy God is to be honored by the body of the faithful, and the latter is in its turn to derive sanctification from this act of worship. It is important that this objective nature of the liturgy should be fully understood."

piano student

2010-08-02T15:00:00.003-05:00

So I have a little piano student, and he is all fascinated by Gregorian Chant. I've given him some books to read, and had him learn what I could think of on the piano that will help with singing chant. He's also a little ambitious composer. At his last lesson, however, he was more of an "artist."

He had "written" a piece of gregorian chant (I think he used the text Ave Maria Stellis or something,) in chant notation, and while it looked quite lovely, and incorporated all sorts of neumes, when I asked him to play or sing it, he could do neither!

he had just written the notes down!

hehehe... (don't worry, I definitely gave him an assignment for his next lesson... "ummm...well, how about if you find out what you wrote sounds like?")

New setting of responsorial Psalms

2010-07-18T17:17:00.001-05:00

In my opinion, these are very well-written, singable Psalms, complete for Year A with lectionary texts (with years B and C coming) for those who want more variety than psalm-tone verses. (can be adapted for use with the organ.)

http://ilpmusic.hostasaurus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=VA&Category_Code=printed

improvising

2010-07-15T21:42:00.002-05:00

I went to a very good workshop at NPM today, on organ improvising. And I had a realization about 3/4 of the way through it. What he was explaining was the basic, (I'll call it for lack of a better word,) "American Protestant Improvisation." You play a hymn, and then you do cool things with it, but it still always sounds like the hymn. And people listening can always find the tune.

Then...contrast that to an amazing experience I had at the OTHER conference a few weeks ago, listening to an amazing organist improvise throughout a Tridentine Mass...the music never ended. (barely.) and it lifted your soul to heaven. There was no "theme," or hymn that it was based off of. (That I could immediately tell, at least.) Here's the TEN minute organ communion that absolutely made my week: http://music.dierschow.com/2010Colloquium/26Mass/Organ%20Interlude%20Communion.mp3

What a contrast. I guess that is improvising in the "french style." that of Langlais, even Messiaen. And that is...Catholic. That is what we use at Mass. The most holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where the music actually occurs *during* liturgical action.

I need to think more about this, but there is just something... different about that. And that is my goal in improvising. To be able to play like that. I suppose I need to study Langlais to do that. We will see if K will let me play Suite Medievale for my recital? :-)

book

2010-07-08T21:15:00.002-05:00

So, we're in the process of making a "book" for St. P.

A real, published book, unlike the current "hymnal supplement" that's in the pews now. (thanks to Lulu, I think?)

(It also has something to do with the new translation, and will have that in there as well, I think, but reading the latest liturgical gossip online, I'm not quite sure what's up with that lately...)

so, my job this summer (and before I go to NPM on Sunday!) is to compile all of the songs/Mass ordinaries, etc into a pdf format to be published.

good grief.

thankfully, I can use most of the songs from the previous "hymnal supplement," which I've already input into Sibelius to make that, so I'm just adding songs that might possibly be wanted (I found a few more Communion ones from an old choir book in the loft [that book in itself I could write a blog entry on! It seems to be one of the first after Vatican II--incorporating the "newbies" like "they'll know we are Christians..." as well as the Latin chants... interesting!] so I added a few,) but seriously, can you imagine thinking ahead for a few years and trying to imagine all of the songs which your congregation might POSSIBLY want?!

and, the Mass ordinaries. I'm not quite clear on my mission for this one. We have the Latin Ordinary Jubilate Deo (minus the Credo--based on how long it's taking to learn the Gloria; we haven't even started the Sanctus or Pater Noster! well... on second thought, maybe I had better include that...who knows what will happen in 2 years?) but am I supposed to find English settings of the new Missal translation? I hope not. But, it does seem to be a good opportunity. I have at least one friend who has composed for it, and when it does finally come out and become required, I'm not sure that I'm going to want to teach my congregation whatever is published by "the establishment." hm...

so, anyhow.

I'm trying to think of all the songs I might possibly want in here. Of course, when I made the first book, I left out a number of songs that I was like, "duh! why didn't I include that?!" like "Veni Creator," and an English translation.

but tonight, as I was working, I came across something where I had reminded myself of a gem... "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," set to Nettleton.

so, I put it into Sibelius, thought about the "Precious Blood" that those Protestants are talking about when the sing it, and felt really peaceful inside, that this song was needed (I think the choir sang it as an arrangement once, and at least one congregation member was like, "why don't we ever sing that?") so, I'm just so happy that it's there.

the end.

how to pronounce "Introit"

2010-07-08T19:42:00.002-05:00

I've heard it pronounced "in-TROW-it" and then this website confirms it:

http://www.shrinesf.org/mass.htm

but why?

(I'm currently listening to a talk by Fr. Phillips who says it quickly and seems to say "in-troht.")

I have usually heard it as "in-troit," with the diphthong "oi"

but...it usually seems that people who are slightly more "knowledgeable" say it either in 3 syllables, or like Fr. Phillips.

but why? doesn't Latin have diphthongs?

bulletin article

2010-06-30T09:17:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a conference about sacred music. Many of you probably noticed that I was not present for the weekend Masses last week, and that is because I was in Pittsburgh at the annual Colloquium sponsored by the Church Music Association of America, which is an association of Catholic musicians, and those who have a special interest in music and liturgy, active in advancing Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, and other forms of sacred music, including new composition, for liturgical use. The CMAA’s purpose is the advancement of musica sacra in keeping with the norms established by competent ecclesiastical authority. I highly recommend their quarterly journal, Sacred Music, for those who are interested. More information can be found at the website www.musicasacra.com.
This year was the 20th annual conference, and I am told that even just four years ago there were only about 40 people that would attend. I had been to the same conference 3 years ago, and while it was a great experience both times, the difference was surprising. Three years ago, it was held in Washington D.C., and for the first time ever the conference was filled to capacity, which was just over 100 people. This year, the capacity was 250 people, and even that was filled and had a waiting list by mid-April! This is truly a testament to the growing interest in our country to the restoration of sacred music. I was also extremely surprised by the increase in overall musical skill at the conference; it seems to me that most people in attendance were professional church musicians, unlike the same conference three years ago, and a similarly surprising percentage were young adults!

The days were filled with few breaks, and packed from 7 am until 10 pm almost every day. They contained chant and choral polyphony rehearsals based on your experience level, workshops (including organ playing and conducting chant,) sung morning and night prayer, many lectures on various aspects of sacred music, and of course the choirs sang everything at Mass every day, ranging from an English Novus Ordo to a Solemn High Latin Tridentine Mass. Almost everything was recorded, and can be accessed via www.music.dierschow.com (click on the link to access the recordings from the 2010 Colloquium.)

Although as of this writing only about half of the files are currently available online, I am sure they will be by the time you read this, so I would like to direct you to a few personal highlights for me. If you only have a few minutes, I would encourage you to listen the "Responsory" from the Vespers Service on June 25. This was a favorite for me because I was in the group of women singing it (under a director who may be one of the best conductors I have ever sung with!), and I also thought that the chant was particularly exquisite. Another highlight that I am sure you would enjoy listening to was the beautiful "Post-Communion: Locus Iste" on June 27. This was sung in the impressive Church of the Epiphany by ALL 250 participants as a 4-part choir scattered throughout the church!

If you have a little more time, the lectures are also available online at the bottom of the page, and I would encourage everyone to listen to them, in particular the introductory lecture by Dr. Mahrt about Sacred Music on June 21. Another favorite lecture of most people was that given on June 22 by the esteemed Edward Schaefer on the relationship between the Ordinary and Extraordinary Masses.

While it is extremely impressive to listen to the recordings of any of the individual Masses (and it was even more stunning to be present at them! My absolute favorite was the Mass on Saturday morning, in large part because of the remarkable improvisations by the talented organist,) it is important to understand that the musical result of this gathering of 250 musicians will most likely not be obtained in any normal parish! The talent and sheer forces required are simply beyond us. Instead, what I have taken away from these Masses and the conference overall, are many individual ideas that can be used even at this parish. I observed excellent chant and choral conducting, and was given many ideas for how to improve the sound of our own choir. I also learned many new choir pieces that I hope to incorporate in the liturgy at Old St. Patrick, and was so impressed with some of the organ playing and improvising that I am encouraged in my own practicing of the instrument!

To summarize, I was able to participate in a variety of incredibly beautiful liturgies celebrated according to the Roman Rite, as the Church has directed and given options, and I see this beautiful whole as far-off goal to inspire all of us to deeper and more reverent worship at Mass.

EDIT: Actually, this won't be in the bulletin til next week.

a realization

2010-06-11T18:39:00.003-05:00

I just had a kind of sad (but intriguing) realization:

If I were to have to pull together a small choir for, say, a wedding or funeral at which was requested "chant and sacred polyphony," I might actually be able to get a group of good musicians together who would say, "we love doing this music so much...we never get a chance to! that we'll do it for free!"

isn't that sad? (the point being: the more "qualified" a musician is, the more likely they are to appreciate and *want* to perform this type of sacred music...but the riff-raff give them barely any chances to!)

however, not to be saying everyone should be taking advantage of this... I think I can quickly ascertain how deep someone's pockets are when they are discussing music for an event. So I would, and I have, said, "yup it'll be $$$ per singer..." but the beauty of what I mentioned at the beginning would more likely happen if someone were like, "we love this music sooo much, but we just can't afford it..." then the musicians might say, "wow, that's just wonderful. of course we'll help you--it's so rare to find someone who appreciates it!"

contradiction

2010-06-11T18:16:00.003-05:00

I'm a little confused about when the "Year of the Priest" actually ends.

When I was at Mass today, I was looking at the picture of St. Vianney, and as we were praying the prayer for priests I was thinking this was the last time we would do that, since I'd heard at least one place today was the last day, confirmed on a website such as this :

http://www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/

but...that seemed a bit early to me, for some strange reason, and I would tend to trust these guys over the ones referenced above:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/tribunals/apost_penit/documents/rc_trib_appen_doc_20090425_indulg-anno-sacerd_en.html

:-D

(I do acknowledge, that the USCCB website doesn't explictly say "the last day for the year of the priest is..." but it sure looks like it is June 11!)

spread the good news

2010-06-08T14:43:00.002-05:00

I talked on the phone with someone this afternoon who actually has a very similar background to me, and will be moving out west to be the music director at a parish. He was at St. P this weekend, and wanted to ask about different things like where to do I get the English version of the Introit. It was great to talk to him. Very encouraging to talk to a person who could *tell* that the prelude this past week was Bach! And even more encouraging to hear how these things like the English Introit (and the "hymnal supplement" that I put together) will be spreading through the country! (I also know that there are far less hymnal supplements in the pews than when I put them there, so I can't help wondering how many other music directors have stopped in and "borrowed" one without letting me know... :-) )

the secret to finding SA-Men choir music is...

2010-06-01T20:48:00.002-05:00

...to transpose SSA music.

then, you will never run out.

I had this realization recently when I discovered a famous SA-Men piece, and then realized that I had the same piece as an all women or men schola arrangement in a book I have written for TTB or SSA (which of course was the original.) then, I realized that almost any piece can be transposed! Which is wonderful, cuz even though my women can sing SSA music, the sopranos do hate those high F's and G's...

So, take any SSA/TTB piece. I'm looking at this book, and I'll just take a piece by Aichinger, "Assumpta est Maria."

The top part goes from treble F to high A

The middle part goes from middle C to high E

The bottom part goes from a low F up to A

transposed down a perfect 4th?

We will have the sopranos singing the top part from middle C up to E

The altos will sing from low G up to B

Then the men will all sing from C up to middle D

I would say that works *perfectly!*

(some pieces might need to be transposed down a 5th instead, especially for the benefit of the men.)

(wow, it's been a long time since I've written here! see what happens when it is May and I am not in school and doing hardly anything?! my life practically falls apart!)

summer reading list

2010-04-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

This is a little overwhelming as I type this all out, but (for posterity's sake,) here is my summer reading list (only as it may interest you.) Just finished reading (finally! can't believe it took me all these years!) Ratzingers' Spirit of the Liturgy

Sitting on my desk right now: (and calling my naaaame....)

The Liturgy Betrayed: Denis Crouan (purchased for $2 off amazon!)

The Spirit of the Liturgy: Romano Guardini (Ratzinger mentions it a bunch in his book, bought brand-new with gift card. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how thin it is!)

The Organic Development of the Liturgy: Alcuin Reid (also bought with gift card. However, *not* pleasantly surprised at how thick it is! This could take me awhile...)

Sing Like a Catholic: Jeffrey Tucker (borrowed from a friend)

The Difference God Makes: Francis Cardinal George (given to me at sitting on my desk since Christmas...)

An Introduction to the Interpretation of Gregorian Chant: Agustoni/Goeschl (library)

A Short Treatise on Gregorian Accompaniment: Bragers (library)

What Happened at Vatican II: O'Malley (waiting for me at the library! must pick up soon!)

The Reform of the Reform--A Liturgical Debate: Kocik (ordered from ILL)

Vatican II--Renewal Within Tradition: Lamb/Levering ("waiting in queue" for me at library)

wow. that is a lot. But, I'm super-excited! If I get through all of these, it will make quite a dent in my list of "must-read-books in your lifetime regarding your favorite topic..." and who knows when will be the next time that I don't have a full-time job during the summer...

EDIT:

I also received from interlibrary loan, the book "Turning Towards the Lord" by U.M. Lang.

(this brings the current stack of books on the floor to 7.5" high...)

clapping for the choir

2010-04-19T17:57:00.003-05:00

I made an interesting observation recently.

I was at a concert of sacred music in a church. The first piece was chant, sung from the choir loft. At the end of the piece, there was no applause. Then, the next performer came out on "stage," in front of the audience, and everyone clapped as she came out. And they clapped when she was done.

This got me thinking about and wondering "why" people didn't clap for the chant singers in the choir loft.

It could be, possibly, that chant is just a style of music that does not encourage clapping. While that is true, try to imagine the same group of singers, walking out onto stage, and singing the chant, and walking off again. Of course people would clap when they walked onstage, and when they were finished.

People don't clap for things in the choir loft, or really, for things they can't see.

Leading me to conclude... (as I already knew before typing this...) that musicians during Mass should be *unseen* and in a choir loft if available, and not up front where it *looks* like they are performing, and people may even want to clap!

church jobs

2010-04-15T22:54:00.002-05:00

so, I just found out that an organist position which I once called "my dream church-job" may be opening up soon.

But...I have recently realized that there are more important things than having a huge church with a big, beautiful, fancy, loud organ.

Things like having a pastor who loves you and supports you in whatever you do, and a congregation who (mostly) thinks that you're just absolutely wonderful.

There are some things...that money just can't buy. And you can't be sure that you will ever have again, for the rest of your life.

babysitting

2010-04-14T17:28:00.003-05:00

so, apparently people think that the music director/organist has time during Mass to babysit their kids.

This has happened more than once: a kid or two, come up the stairs to the loft (during Mass,) kinda look around, then decide to stay. The thing that freaks me out the most is how they hang over the choir loft rail, or they stand on the kneeler and lean over, then I'm REALLY nervous! Or there is books or papers sitting on the ledge of the railing, and I'm thinking about how easy it would be for them to bump them off...

Either I'm actually playing a hymn, and so I can't do anything at the moment, or I'm just afraid to make the kids view me as "the mean organist." Kids are funny, cuz if you say something like that without having a previous "relationship" where they know and trust you, then they will definitely not like you if you chastise them, even very nicely!

But my point is, I shouldn't even be having to WORRY about this...people, please, you should know where your kids are during Mass, and if you know they are in the choir loft...well, *why* are they?! and why aren't you there with them?!

a quote

2010-03-30T09:28:00.002-05:00

I am (finally!) reading "The Spirit of the Liturgy" by our beloved pope, and I found a quote worth sharing in the chapter on "Music and Liturgy."

He is contrasting "Rock" music... "in opposition to Christian worship. People are, so to speak, released from themselves by the experience of being part of a crowd and the emotional shock of rhythm, noise, and special lighting effects."

hmm, I thought to myself, that reminds me a bit of the Easter Vigils of certain un-named churches, no?

sin

2010-03-26T08:31:00.002-05:00

Fr. Z writes a little rant about the latest abuse scandals in the Church.

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/03/i-am-angry-and-sad-about-this-new-round-of-exposure-of-sins-and-crimes/

One sentence in particular caught my attention... "The sins this man and others like him (committed) deserve eternal hell."

And I so badly wanted to respond in the comments (but they were off!) "The tiniest sins of ANY of us deserve an eternal hell!"

Not to excuse anyone's sins, but just keep that in mind when you are judging others of their heinous sins!

bulletin article

2010-03-21T21:42:00.004-05:00

Here's an article I'm planning for a few weeks from now. (Notice it is NOT official yet, and could still be altered from this present form.)

I am also posting it in order to receive input from people about it, so that I can change anything that should/could be changed BEFORE it is published! :-P

For those who regularly attend the 10:30 am Mass, can you believe that it has been nearly two years since we started chanting the Introit? Doing that, combined with some of the other changes that have been made, such as "ad orientem" worship, have resulted in a beautiful, sacred, and solemn liturgy. Father Gerald and I have received many positive comments, including from people who admit that these elements are the main reason that they are parishioners at Old St. Patrick!
Several people have also requested that these changes be incorporated into the 8:00 am Mass, since they would prefer to attend that Mass. This seems to make a lot of sense, since many can attest that the 10:30 am Mass is regularly packed to overflowing! To begin this process, over the next couple of weeks we will be teaching the Introit at the 8:00 am Mass, to help familiarize the congregation.
However, many of you are probably wondering: What is the Introit, and why is it better than a hymn?
The "Introit," sometimes called the "Entrance Antiphon," is a text that is proper to each Sunday that has been given by the Church as the first (and therefore, preferred,) option for the "processional" at the beginning of Mass. It is found as Gregorian Chant in the Gradual Romanum (which is the book of Latin chants for the Mass,) but we will be singing a translation of it as a congregation in English to a psalm-tone, so even though the words change every week, the music will stay the same and involves many words on the same note.
People often ask me if I get to "choose the music" for Mass, and while I do, it can be a difficult task because I try to match the text of whatever hymn is chosen for the entrance, offertory and communion, to the text that is found in the Gradual Romanum. This Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter or "Divine Mercy Sunday" is a perfect example of this. It is also occasionally called "Quasimodo Sunday," since (along with "Gaudete Sunday" and "Laetare Sunday") that is the first word of the Introit for that Mass.
The text of the Introit is always very rich, and even teaches and affirms theology. Compared to this, most hymns have a simple theme of "Praise the Lord," or even more shallow and having almost nothing to do with God and worship, a theme like "All are Welcome." In direct contrast to these relatively ambiguous hymns, an example of an Introit text from today (which begins in Latin with "Quasimodo,") is "As newborn babes, alleluia, desire pure spiritual milk. Alleluia. Rejoice in honor of God our helper, shout for joy to the God of Jacob." While it is short, one could literally spend hours studying and meditating on the theological references and implications of those sentences! In fact, it is taken straight out of the Bible, from 1 Peter 2:2. And I am certain that there are no hymns in our hymnal that have any reference to this text!
For the next few weeks, since we are in the particularly joyful season of Easter, many of the Introits do revolve around themes of "Praise the Lord," (like next Sunday, April 18,) but the Introits for Ordinary Time, which encompasses the majority of the year, are usually focused on themes of "Have mercy on me, O God, protect me..." And certainly all of Lent the Introits are based on this, for example as recently as the 5th Sunday of Lent, (March 21 this year,) the text was "Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly nation; from wicked and deceitful men deliver me, for you are my God and my strength." None of the hymns that we are familiar with even come close to expounding upon this particular image.
I hope that as we sing the Introits, you are able to meditate on the text as we prepare for Mass, and appreciate the richness and wisdom of our Church in giving us these beautiful, sacred, scriptural texts. For those who attend the 8:00 am Mass, it will take some time to get used to the tune that we are using for the Introit, but my hope is that as time goes on, you will become more comfortable with it and will be able to participate more fully in the worshipful tone that it sets for the liturgy.
As always, I greatly appreciate those of you who give me feedback on the music at Mass. It warms my heart when I know that the music is a blessing to others, and I am also thankful to those of you who may disagree with aspects of the music at Old St. Patrick but are willing to engage in dialogue with me, or those who just want to learn more and understand why we do certain things! I am privileged to work at such a beautiful parish with so many wonderful parishioners!

Mara is...

2010-03-11T17:42:00.001-05:00

having a musically interesting day.

This morning I (well, the church,) got offered a "like-new" Hammond B-3 organ. And this afternoon three of my piano students quit.

The former is particularly interesting b/c I get offered old, crappy, tiny, electronic organs all the TIME, and there just so happened to be someone in the room who knew that this kind of organ is actually worth something! (I know next-to-nothing about electronic organs.) And the later is notable b/c I don't feel like I could try to get more students right now, b/c at this point in my life I can't commit to being here for more than the next year.

sigh.

the volume of the organ

2010-03-09T21:06:00.002-05:00

A parishioner told me recently that he was at another parish in the city, and that the organ was "so loud!" compared to my organ, I supposed.

Really, he doesn't know, but if I HAD a bigger organ (more than, ahem, a 3-rank Moller...) it would most certainly be louder than it is now!

I was planning on blogging on how interesting that was that people thought that this other organist played too loud...but then, I just happened to be talking to another person who goes to this other parish, and they are not necessarily musically inclined, but they told me that they did NOT think that their organist was too loud, (that in fact, they loved the postludes after Mass.)

So...is loudness relative? I wish my organ could be louder. How I long for a Trompette en Chamade for the final, rousing verse on Easter Sunday morning! But perhaps my parishioners have just gotten used to my organ being quieter than a much bigger organ in a much bigger church?

I've heard lots of stories about parishioners at other churches complaining about the organ being too loud. Apparently, mine don't complain b/c the organ CAN'T get as loud as I want it! (well, once I had someone tell me that. but they go to the least crowded Mass, so the sound isn't absorbed by the people, and there is no choir singing, just me, so I should just sing louder. Their actual complaint was that they can't hear ME singing.)

So the problem is, how can the organist tell how loud is too loud, since we are up in the loft, and can never test out the sound on a full church?

seminarians

2010-03-03T17:09:00.002-05:00

during my previously-mentioned internship this semester, I have been able to make several interesting (although not earth-shattering) observations.

The first is that I am extremely impressed with how polite the seminarians all are. Someone has clearly been training them. (a friend of mine made an amusing comment about this topic...I wish I could remember what it was...but it made mention of a few older priests who apparently were *not* taught this in seminary...it seems the rectors are learning their lesson!)

Like, when I'm leaving for the day, and they're in choir or something, rather than just muttering "bye," I receive a chorus of "Thanks for coming!" "Drive safe!" When I was first there, *every single* one of them (who was in the class) came up to me and introduced himself!

Also, I was fishing around for some indication of the general trend of liturgical/musical preference among these young men who will be our future priests (and therefore my future bosses,) and of course while this is really a generalization and everyone is different, it was noted by a-well-aware observer that while they have many different preferences for musical styles, the general trend is that they all see the importance of "vertical" worship. That is, Christ-centered. Awesome.

"back in the good ol' days.."

2010-03-01T15:02:00.002-05:00

well, actually this post isn't quite going to be about what you think it is....

It's really about...corporal punishment!

Every once in a while, I hear someone (usually over the age 60,) talking/joking about how when THEY were growing up, their teachers (nuns, usually,) would smack them for getting an answer wrong. Usually the story involves making the point that, however cruel and uncivilized this appears now, it actually *worked*, since the student never forgot that particular answer ever again! (and was even better at learning other answers for fear of the lash.)

now, of course I would NEVER do this, but everyone once in a while... I really want to smack a student. Only because I think that it is something like THAT which will make her (usually) recall the answer to a particular question, or at the very least, never forget it again!

A couple times recently I've had situations like this:

"(insert name of child,) what is this note/other musical question?"

(long period of waiting...)

no answer

(I attempt to be extremely patient, offering helpful hints, re-explaining things in different ways, trying to guide the thought process)

finally I say,

"this is a g/we call this a quarter note/whatever the answer is..."

recently, it happened that the student needed to know and could not remember the EXACT SAME answer to the same question a few minutes later, after ALL of that explaining... and that got me thinking of how the answer would probably not have been forgotten so easily after having been explained, had I had some instrument of corporal punishment handy!

quote

2010-02-26T12:56:00.000-05:00

"One of the major errors of our time, at least on the religious plane, is to believe that a liturgy can be invented, that the ancient liturgies are inventions or that elements added in a spirit of piety are such; this is to confuse inspiration with invention, the sacred with the profane, saintly souls with bureaus and committees. Another no less pernicious error is to believe it possible to jump over one or two thousand years and retrace one's steps to the simplicity -- and the sanctity -- of the primitive Church; now, there is a principle of growth or of structure to be observed here, for a branch cannot become the root again. One must tend towards primitive simplicity by recognizing its incomparability and without imagining that it can be recaptured by external measures and superficial attitudes; one must seek to realize primordial purity on the basis of the providentially elaborated forms, and not on the basis of an ignorant and impious iconoclasm, and one should above all renounce introducing into the rites a pedantic and vulgar sort of intelligibility which is an insult to the intelligence of the faithful."

--Frithjof Schuon, Christianity/Islam: Essays on Esoteric Ecumenicism, transl. Gustavo Polit. Milan: Arche Milano, 1981.

do you wanna sing or not?!

2010-02-24T12:35:00.002-05:00

so, I'm there. Before Mass, standing at the ambo (the church is too small for another lectern,) and I'm standing in front of a full church, everyone is looking at me, and I'm supposed to teach them a very short, easy, 2-line, *Latin* acclamation.

You wouldn't think it was hard, and when I look out across the sea of faces, most of them (60%?) are making admirable attempts, and I'm so proud of them.

Of the other 40%, I'd say you have the group that's your typical totally apathetic "I don't care at all what happens, you could start screaming and jumping up and down and I'd probably still ignore you, I'm just here cuz I have to be..." and they comprise about 30% of the congregation. And, ok, fine, I admit. They are pretty much a hopeless cause. It's sad, but I don't lose sleep over them.

But...it's the final, remaining 10% of people that really get to me. I'm standing up there, and they're looking back at me, and I can see what they're thinking; they're like, "I'm not going to sing in Latin. I'm not even going to try. It's probably toooo haaaard! So I'm not even going to open the hymnal and at least pretend to look at it..."

(and don't accuse me of judging them cuz I of course can't actually read their thoughts--but I can certainly see that they aren't trying!)

And the thought occurred to me, the most recent time that I was up there, trying to teach them, looking into their faces...

"YOU! You all are the exact ones who have been clamoring the loudest for 'active participation' for the last 40 years! And yet look at you! I could just have the choir sing all the time, but oh boy, I wouldn't hear the end of that... So now I'm trying to make it so you can sing easily; I'm doing everything that I can so that this tiny, little, two-line snippet of music could be easy for you!"

The...irony? They don't really care about active participation...or, at least, not when there's any Latin or something else that might stretch them uncomfortably even a little bit...

a nine-year old who loves chant

2010-02-20T10:10:00.003-05:00

so, I have a piano student who loves chant. And he is nine years old.

As part of his lessons, I have been having him learn a different chant every week (written in modern notation) on the piano keys.

His mom told me that his dad got him a copy of this book on chant, which he has been devouring. It seems pretty legit, but I only got to look through it for a moment (and I hope it isn't too "new-agey-spiritually" if you know what I mean.)

But...then what? He is homeschooled, and with very supportive Catholic parents, but keep in mind I'm only his piano teacher, so I don't really have time to do much more outside of things directly related to piano. I'm thinking I will next have him start learning chants on the piano that are written in square-note notation. He has a very good ear, and will sing along quite well with what he is playing on the piano, so of course the obvious benefit is that by learning how to read chant notation better on the piano, he will be able to sing it better. But of course that will only get him so far, and at some point he is going to have to learn the practical application within a choir, and how to make it actually beautiful, (by following whatever method of singing chant that is being used.) He is also VERY creative, definitely a budding composer (but he is only at level 2 in the piano books, so his composing skills on paper are kind of limited to that.)

So...any other book resource ideas? (keep in mind that it has to keep the attention of a creative nine-year old!) Or other general teaching ideas?

the things we realize in the later part of life

2010-02-10T17:42:00.002-05:00

I read this in Faith Magazine a month ago, and I found it thought-provoking enough that I wanted to re-post it here. It is from an article in which our previous bishop talks about his life since retirement.

"The good Lord is giving me time, time to be open, time to be open to being a priest in the full sense of the term. Before I retired, I was a priest for many years, 53 years actually, and I had a false notion about retirement. I had the idea that once I was retired I could really get down to the business of my spiritual life and then, in a definitive and positive way, devote all of my time to becoming a saint. But I quickly realized that journey should have been going on for 53 years."

...food for thought.

our pope is just so smart!

2010-02-09T19:04:00.002-05:00

"...Let us think first of all of the Dionysian type of religion and its music, which Plato tackled from his own religious and philosophical point of view. In many forms of relgion music is ordered to stupor and to ecstasy. Freeing humans from limitations, which is the goal of that hunger for the infinite proper to humans, is supposed to be achieved through holy madness, through the delirium of the rhythm and the instruments. Such music pulls down the barriers of individuality and personality; in it human beings free themselves from the burden of consciousness. Music turns into ecstasy, liberation from the ego, becoming one with the universe. Today we experience the profane return of this type of music in a large part of the rock and pop music whose festivals are a counterculture of the same orientation---the pleasure of destruction, the removal of the barriers of everyday life and the illusion of redemption in the liberation from oneself, in the wild ecstasy of noise and the masses. It is a question of redemptive practices whose form of redemption is related to drugs and diametrically opposed to the Christian faith in redemption. Hence it makes sense that in this area satanical cults and satanical music are constantly spreading today whose dangerous power intentionally to wreck and eradicate the person has not yet been taken seriously enough. The dispute between Dionysian and Apollonian music with which Plato deals is not ours, since Apollo is not Christ. But the question Plato posed concerns us in a most meaningful way. In a form we could not have imagined a generation ago music has become today the decisive vehicle of a counterreligion and thus the showplace for the discerning of spirits. On the one hand, since rock music seeks redemption by way of liberation from the personality and its responsiblity, it fits very precisely into the anarchistic ideas of freedom that are manifesting themselves more openly all over the world. But that is also exactly why such music is diametrically opposed to the Christian notions of redemption and freedom, indeed their true contradiction. Music of this type must be excluded from the Church, not for aesthetic reasons, not out of reactionary stubbornness, not because of historical rigidity, but because of its very nature."

A New Song for the Lord
"The Image of the World and of Human Beings in the Liturgy and Its Expression in Church Music"
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

singing something for the sake of singing it

2010-02-09T11:32:00.003-05:00

A classmate of mine (who works at a very high, professional level,) recently made the comment in class about, "we don't sing something during Mass just for the sake of singing it."

She gave some sort of example like how we shouldn't have the choir sing "Sheep May Safely Graze" just because we want to learn it, but instead should just sing Easter pieces at Easter, etc. (I can't remember what the exact examples that she used were.)

I've been thinking about that assertion quite a bit since then, because, honestly, that's something that I do all the TIME! I find a bunch of pieces that the choir could learn and that look good, and then I kind of have an idea of what order they'll go in, occasionally I'll find one that fits a particular Sunday particularly well, and then they'll sing it when it sounds good (which I usually have a pretty good idea about when that will be.)

Anyhow, a particularly limiting factor for me is simply due to the skill level and numbers of my choir. It is VERY difficult to sing anything in 4 parts, it takes quite a few weeks so I can't just pull out any old 4-part anthem and be like, "oh, we'll sing this on this week!" So I sift through the internet looking for quality 2 or 3-part pieces, or easier 4-part, and since those are all somewhat hard to come by, and I try to do one choir piece every week, well, if it works then we'll do it!

Then, there is the whole other topic of how to "pick" pieces for Mass. Going on the assumption which I have written about before that the Propers are the primary choice of text, and *not* that of the "theme" of the Mass for the day (which may or may not exist,) that brings a whole new level to the debate. What can be sung *after* the Proper is sung? Can't anything? At St. P, the congregation sings a simple arrangement of the Introit in English, a very simplified arrangement of the Offertory after a hymn has been sung, and a small schola of women sings the latin Communion chant. Once that has been sung, then can't *any*thing be sung? Therein lies the dispute. Some people firmly hold to the belief that every Mass has a "theme," however, I subscribe to the belief that (especially since V-II rearranged all the readings,) most Masses are just a hodge-podge of scripture readings, and certainly don't relate to the "theme."

Finally...what is the "theme" of every single Mass?

Repentence, Praise, Adoration.

In that order.

I'm pretty sure that any piece that I have the choir sing will fall into one of those categories...

tomorrow-

2010-02-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

TOMORROW--we're being "reviewed!"

itinerantchorister.blogspot.com/

how cool is that?

stay tuned and check back for the write-up!

church musicians query?

2010-01-30T21:55:00.003-05:00

so... during church, when you are playing/singing a particularly beautiful piece of music, and every once in a while (but always perfectly on cue,) a little kid starts to have a temper tantrum somewhere in the church--do any other church musicians ever get the urge to either seriously strangle the above-mentioned child, or else at the very least, to scream "shut up!" from the choir loft?

oh yes... it is very tempting once in a while...

the wisdom of the Bible...

2010-01-23T18:14:00.003-05:00

from Nehemiah (the first reading for tonight and tomorrow)

""Go your way, eat fatty meat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

I first saw it in the Communion Antiphon (which we only do this particular one once every 3 years, so I had neve seen it before,) and laughed out loud.

however the translation for the first reading is LAME-O! It doesn't even mention wine...it says something like "drink sweet stuff." yeah, whatever. Go read the RSV. We all know the NAB is horrible...now it's trying to hide the fact that we're *supposed* to drink wine to celebrate the day of the Lord!

the story of how I almost held the door for the archbishop...

2010-01-21T17:38:00.004-05:00

alright, never fear, my (three) regular readers, I have not given up blogging!
I just sometimes feel like I have nothing to write.
However, TODAY, I do!

so, to start at the beginning of the story, I may have mentioned this in an entry before, but now it's official. I will be doing an internship at the seminary with the music director there this semester, AND getting credit for this! (no one at either institution seems to know what to do with me, since apparently this arrangement has not been done before, but today went well. I filed a ton of music, and there is lots more to organize-which I love doing, warmed up the seminarian schola, then observed their rehearsal. I am also planning on doing more there like talking to the director and getting ideas and observations.) Of course, it doesn't hurt to make friends with nice young men who will possibly be your future employer some day! :-P

SO...today was my first day. Everyone was talking about this special vespers service that would be done tonight for bishop so-and-so who is leaving, and I thought it might be interesting to stay for that, but I knew that would involve me getting no dinner before my own choir rehearsal (which I am eating now.) Plus, I wasn't sure if it would be like me and 100 priests and seminarians, or if this was a more general open-to-the-public thing.

So there are priests everywhere, and as I'm walking out the front door to go home (and eat dinner) about 15 minutes before it starts, two priests are approaching me coming inside, and one of them has a suitcase-with-wheels type thing, so I figured I should probably hold the door for him, but then it was a little weird because right behind me there was a man and a woman leaving, so I figured I should hold the door for *them* too, but they, as people naturally do, took the door from me and held it for the priests. THEN they greeted the priests and addressed the one as archbishop! (duh! I should have guessed it! I knew he looked familiar!) So once the priest and archbishop were safely inside, the man and woman and I continued walking to our cars; one teased the other, "oh I should have let *you* hold the door for the archbishop!" And so I couldn't resist turning around and teasing them both, "Oh but you know really *I* should have been the one to hold the door for him!" and we all laughed.

So that made me smile the whole way home through rush-hour-highway-city traffic. (yay.)

It is funny; driving in, I even had a conscious thought, "now what if I see the archbishop?! I'm not even sure I would recognize him!" haha, what are the chances?

blogging

2010-01-18T14:27:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking about this blog lately, or, rather, I haven't been thinking about this blog lately.

It's like... I have no new thoughts on liturgy or music.

I feel as though I'm just coming out of a really incredible journey (in a sense) from this stage of my life. I would say it started probably in... 2006 sometime? What I mean by a journey is, that I've been through all of these phases and wondering all sorts of questions and talking to lots of people and reading tons and trying to figure everything out about (wait for it...) the perfect liturgy and how music relates to it.

But I feel like I've kind of explored every nook and cranny of this big old room, and I've finally just decided to sit down and curl up by the fire.

In my own mind, I've straightened up some things; realized some are more important than I used to think, others are less important, and that there certainly are negotiable areas. However, I'm certainly not done with my intellectual wanderings, and no doubt I will still continue to change my mind about more things, and discover other things.

But...the whole purpose of this blog (for me) has been to share my questions and my thoughts and observations and rants, and now I feel like these are becoming less and less common, as my own opinions become more steady.

so, yeah. that's all for now.

The Problem

2010-01-12T11:59:00.002-05:00

wow, it's been quite a while since I've written here. My apologies to my (two or three...) regular readers!

Also, a note to those who aren't regular readers: I am fully aware that everything I say on here is completely available to anyone in the world with an internet connection. I have published nothing on here that I would not want ANYone to read. If even the bishop himself were to stumble across my blog, and read things I've written about him, I would not regret anything I have written! So, my apologies to anyone who has been offended by anything I have written. I would hope that if that were to ever occur, people would take the opportunity to engage in intelligent dialogue with me, to determine if there really is any reason for offense.

now, on to business.

my latest thought:

I wonder if I'm beginning to grasp the heart of the difficulty of music in the Catholic Church.
People *want* to sing. The Council of Vatican II instructed to have "active participation" among the faithful, and while there can be a great deal of debate about what that actually means, I am certain that they meant at least *some* level of physically-engaged participation. However, as music goes, they gave us the Graduale Romanum, and put the chants in there as the most highly valued option over hymns! There's no way the congregation is singing that! So they gave us the Graduale Simplex, with simpler, more seasonal responses. (sort of what I do at Offertory, but in Latin, and with different melodies.) Could they truly have intended -as the first choice- to not have the people sing at all at entrance, offertory, and communion? What about what I do as the introit (setting the whole text in English to a solemn psalm tone that stays the same every week.)?
THIS is what I mean by wishing I knew what the "perfect liturgy" would look like...
sometimes I think it would be cool to just hear a schola singing everything, but...people *want* to sing! even if they can't read music! so what to let them, or encourage them, to sing?

future book review

2009-12-29T19:31:00.002-05:00

I have heard good things about this book:
http://www.ocp.org/products/6152
"Keep the Fire Burning"
mostly that it gives an accurate historical narrative, although the author tries to give a positive spin on the events of immediate post-V-II, apparently he is not very successful in making it seem like a good thing.
(see the review in the Winter 2009 issue of Sacred Music)

my question for my readers is, I don't really want to spend $20 for this book, nor do I want to own it, so is anyone interested in reading it after me, to make it a little more worthwhile?

inactive Catholics

2009-12-29T12:59:00.002-05:00

I was at a party, (it was a very unusual party, for sure,) and I had several interesting conversations with interesting people about interesting things.

One was a guy from the Czech Republic, and while we didn't talk for long, he did make clear to me his disdain for anything besides the Tridentine Mass. (I told him to come to St. P, that he has probably never seen a Novus Ordo quite like how we do it there, and it might change his views on that...) I wish I had gotten to talk to him longer, to find out more his background, and why he thought that way, etc.

More interesting to me, however, was a girl about my age who I talked with for quite some time. She seems to be an "inactive Catholic," and the only reason that she said was that while growing up, the church she attended had just had guitars and tambourines, etc, and it just never appealed to her, and she thought that if she had been in a more reverent environment, she would have continued going to a Catholic church. (of course, I also told her to check out St. P--which she has been to but 10 years ago; quite different now!--next time she is in the city.)

relevance? ha. for all of human history, when people have gone to worship, they have not wanted anything relevant or every-day! rather, something different; holy and mystical.

She mentioned something about no one her age still going to church back where she is from, and I asked her if it was because they stopped just because of apathy, or if it was for her reason; that they would have appreciated a more reverent liturgy.

She didn't know.

oh, if we only knew the level of damage. the clarity of truth revealed.

in other, unrelated news...

2009-12-25T09:07:00.003-05:00

good grief.

you put your umbrella in the closet cuz it's wintertime, and you can't imagine using it for a while.

then you need it...Christmas morning?!

(I'm posting here cuz I just posted on facebook and I just really need to let the world know my every banal thought. Maybe it's time for a twitter account...)

clothes for holidays

2009-12-24T09:17:00.002-05:00

when I was in high school, I used to *love* getting a new dress or outfit for Christmas or Easter.

but now, I *hate* having to pick a new outfit every holiday! Because the problem is, I only have so many "new outfits!"
Since people see me so much around the holidays, (up in the choir loft,) and they also see me every single other Sunday of the year in my nice Sunday-clothes, I really only have so many outfits to wear that are nice, and only so many that are extra-nice for Christmas and Easter!

I feel a little "lame" wearing my nice, cranberry sweater for Christmas, that I just wore on a weekend 3 weeks ago!
I have learned that, while *I* can hardly remember what outfits I have worn for past holidays or even past years, *other* people (usually women) remember every detail about what they or other people were wearing on a particular occasion! amazing!

part of the problem for Christmas is also that I hate dressing up when it's cold. I only have so many cold-weather outfits, also. I have lots more fancy summery outfits, but there aren't any fancy holidays in the summer! (Easter is usually still pretty chilly!)

so now I'm just kind of rambling. The problem is, I guess...I wish I had money and/or motivation and time to go buy a new outfit every holiday. (but I don't. Plus, I think that would be wasteful.) So I guess everyone just has to see me in a boring sweater and black pants...like I wear every Sunday. (An interesting contrast to my male organist friends: they just wear a suit and tie every weekend. easy. and no one thinks, "didn't you wear that last weekend?" I wonder if they would ever wear a tux for Christmas?)

reading music

2009-12-15T23:06:00.002-05:00

every once in a while, I sit down at the organ at Mass (it's usually on a Saturday,) and I look at the music in front of me, and I think, "omg, what if I can't remember what all these notes mean?!"
So I just put my hands down and start playing, and it always comes out fine.

I was reminded on this, cuz a couple Mondays ago, after not practicing all weekend, I sat down at the organ to get ready for my lesson, and it really was like I had forgotten how to play the organ! argh.

but wouldn't that be funny? like, if in the middle of Mass I go to play this hymn that I've played a million times, and I just *can't remember* what all of these notes mean?!
haha...that would be hilarious. (not.)