Workshop on Sacred Music in Colorado Springs
FYI:
Friday January 18 - Saturday January 19
There is going to be a fun, educational, 2-day workshop on singing and learning about Sacred Music that will leave you inspired and spiritually uplifted: January 18 -19, 2008 at St. Mary’s Cathedral at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs.
This Practicum on Gregorian Chant and Choral Polyphony provides a valuable introduction, as well as continued education and information, for all who are active and interested in the sacred music of the Catholic Church.
Hosted by the Diocese of Colorado Springs and under the direction of Dr. Horst Buchholz and Scott Turkington, the workshop will feature:
Singing sessions in sacred choral music and polyphony by Palestrina, Victoria, Byrd, and others
* Instruction in singing chant and reading Gregorian notation
* Singing sessions on the essential Latin chants every Catholic should know
* Dinner on Friday night and lunch on Saturday
* Sheet music as part of registration
* Lectures dealing with pertinent topics related to sacred music in the liturgy
* Fellowship with other musicians in the region
* SPECIAL GIFTS: 2 books (Introduction to Gregorian Chant & Basic Chant Collection for practical use)
The workshop culminates with a closing mass on Saturday at 4:00 pm at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Most Rev. Michael Sheridan presiding.
To sign up, go here
posted by Sherry W @ 8:07 AM
3 Comments
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3 Comments:
Hello Sherry,
First, by way of explanation, I've chosen "Anonymous" as my identity. This is really only for logistical purposes, though, as I've never done any "blogging" before and perceive this "Anonymous" option as being the easiest way to respond. I'm not ready to figure out how to go about blogging and, as to Google/Gmail, I learned from a night class in Internet security that there's some kind of security issue with Gmail (I forget the details). So I don't use Gmail, either, at least for the time being.
Anyway, it's interesting to read about a sacred music conference at St. Mary's Cathedral, since I live in the SF Bay Area and have had the opportunity to attend at least 2 such conferences at the SMC there (Gregorian Chant only?)! In fact, on my "to do list" is to contact the previous sponsor, the local chapter of the Latin Liturgy Association, about it maybe being time to have another one - or at least so something in light of the recent "Motu Proprio" (re: "Latin Mass").
The LLA, by the way, has been around for I'd guess about 20 years if not more. It came to my attention in the '80s, among other things, when socializing with members of the local "Schola Gregoriana" after my then-parish's monthly "Latin Mass" (Novus Ordo, not Tridentine, rite). It has advocated from the start for the preservation of Latin in the Liturgy, although apparently only for the Novus Ordo rite; however, most recently it now appears that there is some support for the Tridentine rite. Therefore I now add "with some reservation" to my long- time support of this organization (www.latinliturgy.org?).
With respect to Gregorian Chant in particular, please allow me to offer some personal background info first. As a "cradle Catholic" I'd learned Latin in order to be an altar boy but things changed shortly thereafter to a "hybrid", then to all-vernacular within about 5 years. Afterwards I thought that the "Latin Mass" was more or less "de-commissioned". It wasn't until I'd moved to San Francisco that I learned - with my own eyes - of Vatican II's apparent intent on the matter (hint: have you heard of ANYONE who thinks that the Council intended the Tridentine Rite to allow the vernacular? This seems to be "proof" of an intent for a "Novus Ordo" of some kind).
Thus we have a somewhat confused situation, at least in popular understanding, of the "Latin Mass". My own understanding - hopefully accurate after all these years - is that strictly speaking ALL Masses of Latin-Rite Catholics are in Latin, originally, but that for the Novus Ordo rite (i.e., within the Latin-Rite) the various vernacular languages are permitted as a privilege, but generally have become "normal"; with the Latin "norm" being mostly ignored, and contrary to Conciliar intent! For the Tridentine rite, however, I understand that the vernacular never has been permitted and indeed the entire rite itself has been restricted to use only with the applicable bishop's permission - until the recent Motu Proprio. So, to say "I do (not) want the Latin Mass" isn't clear - is it one or the other, or both?
Anyway, Gregorian Chant, as I understand it, was written specifically for the Latin language, and of course predates the Novus Ordo rite (but maybe also the "traditional" Tridentine rite?). However, most of my experience with it has been at Novus Ordo Masses, although some of the chants come right out of the Tridentine rite. On the other hand, G.C. can be used with the vernacular although resources seem few. There was a book published on this very subject in the '60s, by the Liturgical Press, but it proceeded to gather dust as confided to me by the author who was among those I met in the Schola Gregoriana. If you're confused by now, I understand...
But what shouldn't be confusing is that this music actually is to be held in highest esteem within the Church, if not also its "official" music (I'm not certain on the latter point). Yet church leaders, at least at the parish level, don't seem to support it. Over time, the problem gets compounded as less and less priests even know Latin, esp. as seminaries apparently have stopped teaching it (I believe that there are some exceptions). The "best solution" may be simply to adapt the chant to the vernacular, as suggested back in the '60s...
So, while I appreciate learning about your current conference, I encourage you to consider a big distinction b/t the 2 types of music being featured! I'd make a comparison, by the way, between going to a conference occasionally and going to Mass occasionally (even if every Sunday) - neither is as effective as should be without "walking the talk" on "Monday". I hope that there might be some momentum generated, at least for G.C., in Colorado Springs as has been done at least in the past in San Francisco!
Pax,
Tom Havey
Called & Gifted Graduate
St. Dominic's Parish, SF
Hi Tom:
It's always good to heard from a C & G alum! But it es not our conference.
I was just letting people know that this training was being held locally. I believe it is through the local St. Cecilia schola. So feel free to share your observations with them by going to the registration link.
When creating workshops like this, music music instructional dvds are important and useful for demonstrations about music.
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