And now for some happy news . . .
I'm remote-blogging from the Chant and Polyphony Workshop in Auburn, Alabama. It's being hosted by the Saint Cecilia Schola Cantorum.
The guest conductor is a director of music at a very traditional Catholic parish up north. He's an excellent conductor, and I've already picked up a few tips just from watching him rehearse.
It's distressingly easy to slide into a rut as a choral conductor. If you don't go out of your way to sharpen your skills, you only see yourself rehearse, and you can lose perspective. The guest conductor is very, very good about being relentlessly positive, and it's a trait I could really stand to emulate.
Tomorrow morning we're assisting at the early daily Mass (8:00 AM) and then the rest of the day is dedicated to chant. This is what I really came to hear, but I'm enjoying the polyphonic stuff as well.
Chant is definitely the direction we need to go, and it's the direction of the Church as a whole. No matter how many people might prefer beetle grubs, it's best to give them the real music of the Church.
More after tomorrow. I highly recommend this place, this organization and their publications.
posted by Yurodivi @ 21:59
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1 Comments:
YD: Great to meet you in Auburn.
Unlike you, I had little idea of what to expect about the chants we sang. I'd seen Psalm notation before (isn't that what's used in holds-you-in-his-arms,-yea,-you-can-feel-his disease?) but had no idea about Neumes. I'd always assumed the those notes in the back of my prayer book were more like shape notes--or just stylized notes. I had no idea what they were able to tell me about phrasing, timing, etc. without needing to reading the Italian in typical sheet music. Steep learning curve...
Interestingly enough, after the intensive immersion chant class, I found the polyphony surprisingly easy to sight-read during the brief review before Mass.
I didn't see you again after lunch; I hope you were able to stay for the 5 PM Mass. There were pleased looks on the faces of quite a few older members of the "Vigil Mass Crowd"--the crowd that was surprised with Palestrina and chant on a rainy Saturday.
Maybe we'll see you again soon, now that we know we're practicaly neighbors.
Lizzie
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