Change coming...

We will soon be on the move again. We are being transferred again out of state, so will be finding out how things stand in our new place -- near Macon, GA.

In the time that I have left, I'll be working with the FW Schola Gregoriana to try to make arrangements for them to continue singing after our departure... also will be working with a new group trying to get things kicked off for a new schola up in Plano, TX.

There is so much to do in the time still left here. I'm working on a project with a friend to try to help spread the word about Sacred Music in a new way. Updates will be forthcoming when the project is ready to roll out.

This Sunday will be the last weekend we sing at Mass at San Mateo before Fr. Bob goes on vacation (and the schola, too, will be taking a needed break).

I posted a new link to a Vimeo production put out about 3 months ago by Corpus Christi Watershed... I really enjoyed it and think it has some great information for people out there. Take a look at it!

Fort Worth Schola Gregoriana update

OK... back from my little rant about NPR and Sesame Street...

Our schola had its rehearsal last night and got much work done. We worked on the new Communion chant that we had begun learning last week -- Qui manducat. Also, we worked on the Introit for the 2nd week of Ordinary Time -- Omnis terra. They did very well with both of them. We also worked on Jesu dulcis memoria and Ave verum corpus . In addition, we did a quick review of the chants we'll be singing this weekend.

I have been talking to them all about the workshop that will be given in Sugarland, TX in February. You can see details about it here. Scott Turkington will be the director, so I know it will be a very good workshop. I think it would be very good for the schola members to get the opportunity to study chant with him and to experience singing with so many other singers of like mind. The polyphony portion of the workshop may turn out to be a bit difficult for our group, since we do strictly unison singing at this point, but even so it will be a great experience.

This coming weekend (the last Christmas season Mass) we will be singing:

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Opening: Angels We Have Heard on High
Kyrie VIII / Gloria VIII
Responsorial Psalm (chant tone by Arlene at Chabanel)
Alleluia (simple chant tone)
Offertory Cordis natus ex Parentis (chant hymn)
Sanctus XVIII
Our Father, chanted in English
Agnus Dei XVIII
Communion: Viderunt omnes (we are getting really good at this chant!)
Post Communion: Anima Christi
Closing: Good Christian Friends (I would prefer a not-so-politically correct version in which the friends remained "men", but this is the version in the misallette)

It is time to get going on the day... no more reading the forum and email in an attempt to avoid my housework!

Merry Christmas

I am happily typing this on my new laptop... yes, I opened it this morning amid the mountain of ripped and torn wrapping paper that quickly piled up around our Christmas tree as the boys delved into all the good things there. As my youngest was opening up a package that was, unmistakably, "just clothes", he was heard to say: "Come on, everyone knows that kids don't want clothes for Christmas!" Happily, there were things other than clothes under the tree for the little spoiled darling.

I have successfully moved my files from the hubby's computer to mine... software is installed... everything is working beautifully. Perhaps I'll be a bit more regular at posting now that it will be much more convenient.

Christmas Vigil Mass was very nice at San Mateo. Father Bob was (as always) wonderful... the Mass was solemn and reverent... incense, sung prayers... it was joyful and peaceful. Our little schola did a nice job. Because I forgot to tell them, they were unsure a few times just how we were going to do things. Fr. Bob had a few changes he wanted me to make right before Mass, and I forgot to tell them. They are pretty flexible, though, and stayed with me! I am so enjoying singing with these wonderful people. Can't wait for the other new things we'll be learning in the new year.

Te Deum Laudamus!

Advent begins again!

Just a short entry today... we had our first Schola Mass at San Mateo this morning. I was very proud of our group and thought they sounded great. We sang the following:

Introit: Ad te levavi

Alleluia -- simple chanted English verse

Offertory: Alma Redemptoris Mater

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Sanctus XVIII

Our Father -- chanted in English

Agnus Dei XVIII

Communion: Dominus dabit

Closing: Veni Emmanuel

It was well-received by the parishioners, I think. I submitted my plan for the Christmas season today as well...

We are taking it very slowly and gradually. I heard a lot of parishioners singing the ordinaries this morning. I am hoping the same will happen at Christmas, when we add in the Kyrie and Gloria from Mass setting VIII. I realize these are ordinaries could be replaced by others that are perhaps more beautiful and less commonly heard. But... I think the idea of taking things slowly and allowing the folks in the parish to have a certain comfort level with the basic ordinaries before we start modifying will help it to have a long-lasting effect.

Parish Book of Chant ordered again...

I just had to put in another order for more Parish Book of Chant books. At Monday's rehearsal I gave out all but the last one. We continue to have newcomers joining our group. It slows up the process of learning new things a bit, but I think it is worth it. My philosophy on this is still evolving as I go along... I think it has value to expose as many people as possible to the world of singing Gregorian chant. Whether they come and learn just the ordinaries for the Mass that we will be singing on Sunday, or whether they get totally committed to it as so many others have in recent years, we are building up the total chant-singing ability of the Church.

In working with folks where we lived before, I found that many had no idea what they would be doing when they said they would like to learn Gregorian chant. They had no idea of just how different the music is in the singing style, notation, solfege, rhythmic markings, etc (neither did I, for that matter). As we went along, many found that either the time commitment required was too great, or that it just wasn't their thing. Many who started out with us didn't continue over time.

So... I am gathering a very large group of beginners here... we'll throw a lot of mud on the wall and see what sticks! I ordered 10 more copies of the Parish Book of Chant (PBC). I am thinking I will be getting the new edition this time around, because the availability date was November. With this new batch of books, it will make 25 copies that I will have either distributed or will distribute here. I'll be giving one copy to the local pastor out of this next batch and one to the director of the schola in Louisiana... Let's just think... if each of the 45 or so Chant Intensive attendees distributed 10-20 copies each year and taught that many people the rudiments of singing the ordinaries and a few hymns... in only a few years we'll have our Catholic community growing and learning right along with us...

What if every Colloquium attendee did this?

While I am making copies of certain pieces and marking them with the rhythmic markings and notes in advance of rehearsals now, my plan is to move more and more to using the PBC and teaching them how to mark their own music (in pencil) in the books and to make them their own. Perhaps in the future we'll only need to make copies of propers and a few other pieces that aren't in the book.

Ft. Worth Schola Gregoriana?

Well, no doubt my few readers will be wondering just how auspicious a beginning our new schola has made... I am happy to say the first meeting was a great success. Now, I must tell you that we didn't have the full contingent of six of us that I was hoping for. In fact, four either had second thoughts about the amount of time commitment (good to have that out of the way) and two others had conflicts. So... you can tell by simple arithmetic that we started out last night with two! We had a wonderful and very productive evening, with excellent progress on singing the Kyrie Orbis Factor and going through the entire list of things I had planned. We joked about being the "anonymous two".

I must say that, although there were only the two of us, the sound was really quite nice... my first new schola member has a lovely voice with a very large range. She has a great deal of enthusiasm and many contacts for the area. She is already planning our first sung Mass and has a particular local priest in mind (he is dubbed the singing priest, apparently due to the fact that he often sings portions of the Mass already!).

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I can't help thinking of the difference in the beginning here versus our startup in Shreveport. When we began in Shreveport, I had none of the knowledge about chant notation, propers, ordinaries, Solesmes, modes, chironomy, solfege... This startup is going to go so much more quickly and effectively (I hope). Because of my newness to the area, I don't know as many people, so the numbers we are starting with here are smaller. There will be so much less stumbling around trying to figure things out this time around that I think we'll be ready to sing in a relatively short period of time.

I have been ruminating about names for our schola and have thought that the name Fort Worth Schola Gregoriana has a very dignified and substantial sound to it... any comments?

I am still continuing to work on recruiting more... it would be a great blessing to have more voices like my first new recruit... Our family also going to Mass at a smaller parish west of our home this weekend. Perhaps more victims (er, make that potential chant singers) are waiting there!

Corpus Christi

In preparation for Corpus Christi, our schola worked on Lauda, Sion at our schola rehearsal last night. We only sang the shortened version, that begins at: ... Ecce Panis Angelorum...

It was a very congenial group last night... good singing, good cameraderie and hopeful for the future...

Vespers at St. John Berchmans

Last night a special Vespers service was held in anticipation of the ordination/installation of our new bishop Msgr. Michael Duca. The church was almost full and the feeling was one of joy and anticipation, I think.

Our schola sang several pieces during the prelude time. I have a few recordings, but must apologize for the chit-chat and rustling... the recording was done downstairs amid the crowd. However, I am very proud of our little schola and want to post a few examples of our singing...

Adoramus te, Christe (our lone polyphony piece)
Ave Verum
Veni Sancte Spiritus
Kyrie Orbis Factor

Today at 12:00 pm, the Ordination/Installation will take place at the Shreveport Convention Center. The prelude music will begin probably by about 11:30 a.m. or so... you can see a webcast of the ordination here:

http://www.lifecastpro.com/members/ShreveportDiocese/WebCast.htm

Great Chant Rehearsal Last Night

Well, I must say we sounded pretty good last night at rehearsal. We were in the chapel due to the use of the cathedral by Loyola High School for their baccalaureate. We all loved the accoustics in there. There were a few comments about practicing in their every week since it seems to sound so much better.

We ran through the entire list of chants planned for Vespers, plus the Veni Creator, which we will do if time permits. I was very pleased with the sound we are getting. The blending of voices is getting better and better over time.

I brought the boys with me, and only had to go up and help hunt for a lost stylus once near the end. The search was futile, so a trip to Wal-mart's game section is planned for today.

We are all looking forward to seeing the new Narnia film Prince Caspian, perhaps even this evening or tomorrow. I'll give my own personal review of it if we are able to get to that this weekend with all the activity planned.

On to the day's activities...

Vespers May 18th, St. John Berchmans

Our schola will be singing for part of the prelude music for the Vespers service to be held at St. John Berchmans on May 18th. We are so pleased to be able to participate in this and hope our music will be inspiring...

We'll be singing about 15 minutes' worth of the prelude music that will begin about 6:30 pm (Vespers begins at 7:00 pm). Our chants will be alternated with choir music and instrumental music . Here is the working list we have so far. We may make some slight changes, but this is what we've been working on... We have only the one piece of polyphony that we'll do -- Adoramus te, Christe... otherwise it is all chant.

1st 5 minutes:

Ave Maris Stella (B)

Agnus Dei de Angelis (VIII)

O Salutaris Hostia

Regina Caeli Jubila

2nd 5 minutes:

Victimae paschali

Kyrie Orbis Factor (XI)

Adoramus te, Christe (polyphony)

Regina Caeli

Ave Maria antiphona

3rd 5 minutes:

Ave Verum Corpus

Sanctus de Angelis (VIII)

Ego sum

Veni Sancte Spiritus (sequence for Pentecost)

We'll be working hard this last bit of time before then, so I may not be posting much... between the excitement for the ordination/installation of our new bishop and moving, I'm a bit busy.

Only a short while until I head for Chicago and my Chant Intensive course, too...

Much Ado

This has been a very busy week... many preparations are taking place to get ready for our bishop-elect's ordination/installation. I've been trying to get in as much practice as I can while my better half is still in town -- it means babysitters to attend rehearsals after he leaves. Not only is it expensive, it is not always easy to find them!

The last two evenings I have spent rehearsing for the ordination (to be at the convention center on May 19), the upcoming 'Red Mass' (when Cardinal Egan from NY will be here) that will be tomorrow morning at Holy Trinity, and the Holocaust remembrance this Sunday afternoon. Just so that I don't get bored this weekend, we luckily will also have the boys' Suzuki concert on Saturday afternoon and my hubby's change of command ceremony on early Sunday afternoon -- oh, yes... I'm also cantoring for the 5:30 pm Sunday Mass.

Whew! It is a good thing I have just mentally listed all those things... otherwise I might have dropped something off the list!

Tonight will be our schola rehearsal... we are going to be singing a few pieces for prelude music prior to the beginning of the Vespers service on May 18th. I'd like them to be especially nice, so we'll go through some of our repertoire tonight and decide what we'll focus on polishing up. Our task is to provide about 15 minutes' worth of chant music... I am very pleased that we are going to be able to participate for it.

Time to get the house spiffy in case a buyer wants to wander through today...

Alternate use for large wineglass...

Here is a photo of the beautiful oversized wine glass given to me by our schola used (in this case) as a vase -- perhaps its actual intended use? The roses are the first I have cut from the yard this year.

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Thank you all very much.

Schola Anniversary

Last night our schola celebrated our one year anniversary. Meeting at the home of one of our members, we enjoyed a great evening of chanting (not very much... just enough to sort of call it a rehearsal), eating, drinking and talking. I was very touched by cards and gifts given to me to take with me when we move... a beautiful crystal vase (which was jokingly recommended as a possible wine glass for me -- much better than those dinky glasses usually offered) and a wonderful coffee mug imprinted with the name of Jesus in various languages of the world... I'll drink my coffee from it and think of the wonderful friends I have had the pleasure of getting to know here...

We spoke of music, upcoming events in the parish and diocese, not the least of which is our upcoming Bishop's ordination / installation. We will be anxious to hear how the planning goes (where it will be held, etc.).

It lasted quite a bit later than our normal rehearsals... talking takes much longer than singing! Happy Anniversary, Schola!

Step by Step... Recorded Music links

To sum up...

Last year when I first began working with the schola, I soon found that I needed a way to make recordings of myself singing the chants for our group to use for practice CD's. Even though we found recordings online, it was often difficult to hear the fine nuances of pronunciation, interpretation of neumes, etc. A simple, one-voice recording seemed the way to go.

1. I bought a simple recorder at one of the local computer stores... an Olympus DS-30. I love it for the fact that it is extremely simple to use and very compact -- about the size of a cellphone. With it and the uploading cable that came with it, I have been happily recording practice CD's for our schola ever since. It does record in a format denoted .wmv. This is, apparently, a proprietary thing and is not compatible with .mp3 or .wav, which are more common and easily edited. Although the recorder came with a simple editing package, it is very limited and doesn't even actually work on the new computer we now have with an XP operating system.

So... although it was still working wonderfully well for its original intended purpose, I was beginning to see the limitations in terms of sharing the music online (no good in .wmv format) and editing.

2. Next I bought a simple online program (available for $19.95) called Smart Audio Converter. It allows me to convert my files from the DS-30 to .mp3 format or .wav format.

3. In order to be able to do editing on the files, I downloaded a simple free program called Audacity. With it, I am able to do simple editing to remove the loud 'click' from the button pushing. I am sure there is much more capability than I am currently using, but I'll investigate that as time goes on.

4. Once the files are recorded, converted, edited, they are ready for uploading, sharing in emails, etc. I found that, if you want to be able to link to these files in a blog, you have to have a place on the internet to store them. I found a free web-hosting site -- fileave.com where I opened up a free account for the music file storage. There are many others out there... I didn't really spend a great deal of time comparing... I found uploading the files to this site was extremely easy -- idiot-proof even. Once they were uploaded to the site, I have unique addresses for each recording that I can link to my blog, or in emails, etc. The site even offers the codes for imbedding the files onto a blog (so I was able to place one of the files on my blog so that it plays when the blog site is opened up -- it doesn't play continuously... just once through).

So... maybe there was a simpler way to do all this... but it works! I'll continue recording my chants in the church foyer to leave behind (perhaps several) CD's for the schola to use after my departure... with the promise that I'll make more when they need them. Maybe I'll find another place to record with equally good acoustics in the new place... but will I have a key that allows me to go there when no one is using it? That is the question... the future awaits!

Anniversary Mass

Our first anniversary... We sang for the Novus Ordo Mass yesterday at 5:30 pm. After that, we sang for the Extraordinary Form Mass at 7:00 pm. It took about an hour and 15 minutes (I am guessing, based upon when I looked at the clock in my car on the way home). It was a very good experience. I was very proud of the sound that emanated forth from the choir loft this time. We did learn a few things... for one, we took way too long on the first Alleluia... in future Missas Cantata we will not do any repeating of the alleluia and move a bit more quickly through the music so that Father doesn't have to stand waiting for us to finish up... I'll have to make notes about that so that I don't forget next time.

We will be celebrating together in April with the schola... and planning for Trinity Sunday. We have quite a bit of new music to learn before then, but I think plenty of time.

I'm attaching a photo of the altar at our parish that was taken by one of our schola members from up in the choir loft. He has a blog here... thanks!

Divine Mercy Sunday

Well... soon I'll be heading off to another schola practice. Tomorrow is a big day for our little group. One year ago (according to the liturgical calendar, that is) on Divine Mercy Sunday, our schola sang for Mass for the first time. It was a Novus Ordo Latin Mass, complete with most propers and all ordinaries. When I think back about how large an undertaking it was, I am amazed.

We started about the end of February last year. We had a couple of members who had sung Gregorian chant in their youth and who were somewhat familiar with the notation. The rest of us were complete novices. We began learning with the Jubilate Deo booklet that is available online. I had bought a book about learning Gregorian chant a couple of years before, so had a basic idea of the various clefs and how to figure out where the half-steps were in the music. Our pastor, Father Peter, had the most practical knowledge from singing in the seminary. As such, he was our director initially.

Our progress has been good over the past months. One year later, the entire group is pretty good at singing solfege (although our weekly exercises do always still require concentration). We have a number of chant hymns that we are all very familiar with... for the various seasons of the church year. We have learned not only the ordinaries from the Jubilate Deo booklet, but also the Mass XVII ordinaries and the extra Mass VIII ordinaries that weren't part of the booklet. We have learned a number of propers for the various times we have sung for Mass over the past year... revisiting those propers is like meeting up with an old friend...

Tomorrow we will sing for two Latin Masses. We'll sing for the Novus Ordo Latin Mass at the 5:30 pm time. Then, we'll also be singing for an Extraordinary Form Missa Cantata later on. It will be our first time to do so, and we hope it goes as it should. Prayers on our behalf would be much appreciated.

Please Pray for Sister Cristina

Sister Cristina Angelini, of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, and also a valued member of our schola is threatened with deportation.

See the entire story about the issue at hand. Sister Cristina Angelini has been called the heart and soul of Shreveport's Renzi Center, an early child development center run by the Catholic church. It sounds like there has been some sort of major mixup or problem with her paperwork. Whether it is because of a bureaucratic mixup due to the after effects of Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans office of immigration, or something lacking in the paperwork, I ask for prayers on her behalf.

She is a true blessing to her order here in Shreveport, a blessing to the Renzi center, and, more personally, to our schola.