THE MEETING
All the parish musicians from all the various factions, er, groups met with Fr. Doug tonight. His purpose was to thank us for our service & encourage us to keep on keeping on.
He publicly validated our schola, saying the workshop Mass really captured his heart & he looks forward to hearing more sacred music from us in the future.
THE NEW MASS ORDINARY
That said, it probably would have been better for me to go to Confession after the meeting, because the new Mass setting that St. Thomas will begin using soon is, well, uh, um... let's say an improvement over Missa Luna.
Drum roll, please! Our new Mass setting (cue Soul Train theme) is the Heritage Mass, circa 1977. Chicka-bow. Chicka-bow-bow. OK, it's not that bad. The Agnus Dei is actually pretty sweet. However, it does have heavy 70's, nursery-rhyme-meets-Peter, Paul, & Mary overtones. One of my favorite quotes: "Why is it better to be nostalgic for 1979 than 1579?"
Alright, enough of that. It is an improvement. And we will sing it as beautifully as we can & supplement with genuine sacred music as we are able. I will get copies for all of you as soon as I can.
Father emphasized smoothness & predictability in the flow of Mass, both for himself & the congregation. He needs a choir that he can rely on to know what to do & when to do it. That means we should all commit to being true students of the liturgy so that there are no surprises. If necessary (& it is), read the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) & the Missal itself . You will be surprised how much you learn.
THE PROPER THING TO DO
I asked Father if he was open to having the Introit & Communion propers sung at Mass instead of recited or ignored. He said go for it. I will talk to Donna to about implementation plans, but I may have to write all of them myself, because what's in our missalettes doesn't match the standard texts for those pieces.
THE PLAN
Practice will move to Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Here is our schedule for the next few months:
Sep 24 - Practice
Oct 8 - Practice
Oct 22 - Practice
Oct 26 - Sat Vigil Mass, 30th Sun Ordinary Time - meet at 4:00pm to warm-up
Nov 5 - Practice
Nov 19 - Practice
Nov 23 - Sat Vigil Mass, Christ the King - meet at 4:00pm
Nov 26 - Practice
Dec 3 - Practice
Dec 10 - Practice
Dec 17 - Practice
Dec 21 - Sat Vigil Mass, Advent IV - meet at 4:00pm
Note that weekly practices are scheduled from mid Nov thru Christmas
CHRISTMAS
I am very much thinking of a Christmas program where the schola can really offer some lovely things to the parish. Christmas is on a Wed this year, so maybe the evening of the Sunday prior? Other suggestions? I will put together a list of potential music. One thing we will learn even if it kills us! is Alma Redemptoris Mater by Palestrina. It is simple, but gorgeous. YouTube it.
We may also participate in the music program for Christmas Eve or Day. Please let me know your availability at the next meeting.
We may also take our show on the road & sing carols/hymns/motets at some of the local assisted living facilities in the area. I've done that before & it's an absolute delight.
Be working on your music until then. E-mail, call, or text me anytime with question, concerns, or ideas. Thanks!
"Become a saint!"
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