Author: Amanda G

This coming Saturday, we begin our final preparations for Holy Week with a choral workshop. There is so much to cover for both Holy Week and Easter! Most of the difficult pieces are scheduled for the morning session so that we will have fresh voices and lots of energy. Remember to stay well hydrated all week so that your vocal chords are ready to work.

Since we have recording equipment now, we will be putting it to use! Recordings will be available online within the week. I hope that these will be of some use to you as you continue to practice, but also its a good way for us to hear what things we are doing well vocally and what could use some improvement.

The projected program for the workshop is below. (subject to change)

• AVE MARIA- VICTORIA
• REGINA COELI (COTTONE)
• JUBILATE DEO (MOZART)
• MISSA BREVIS
• CHRISTUS FACTUS EST
• MISERERE MEI (ALLEGRI)
• SEVEN LAST WORDS
• DOMINE NON SUM DIGNUS
• REGINA COELI (PALESTRINA)
• LAUDATE DOMINO (PITONI)
• O JESU CHRISTE (MANTUA)
• CANTATE DOMINO (CROCE)
• GLORIA LAUS
• THE REPROACHES- GOOD FRIDAY
• CRUX FIDELIS- GOOD FRIDAY

Mark your calendars for April 1st for a choir workshop for Holy Week & Easter. There is so much chant to cover, as we found out last night! The Saturday workshop will run from 10:15- 2pm with a break for lunch. If you are not available, please let me know in advance so that I can make needed the adjustments. Food will be provided for a light breakfast and lunch.  The music schedule for the workshop  will be posted online soon. We’ll also use this time as an opportunity to record some of our pieces.

• Chanticleer, an all male vocal group, will be performing a concert at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown Cincinatti, Friday April 7th at 7:30pm. Tickets are on the expensive side, but probably worth it! $50 for adults & $20 for students.  Call: 421-2222 or online at http://www.stpeterinchainscathedral.org.
• NPM Easter Choral Festival-  We participated in this a few years ago….
  Easter Choral Festival – Dayton (at Incarnation Parish) on Wed., May 3 at 7pm, the other in Cincinnati (at St. Columban) on Sun., May 7 at 7pm.
  Choirs will sing 1 or 2 pieces of their own choosing, then join together as a “Combined Chorale” to sing 2 pieces: Shaw’s “With a Voice for Singing” and Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus.”
  If your parish choir is not coming (I’m not planning on it) but you’d like to still sing, please come and join us in singing our two combined pieces!
  Please reply back and RSVP your choir’s participation and the piece(s) you’ll be singing, or your name and parish if you are coming as an individual.
  RSVP to:
  Kevin Samblanet
  Kevin.Samblanet@incarnation-parish.com

In the Middle Ages, Gregorian chant was memorized and taught by masters who would travel in from far cities to pass along the traditions of singing the chant. Holy Family Parish has had such a Chant Master for the last 6 and a half years. He will leave our parish beginning Ash Wednesday this year (Our true Lenten sacrifice!), but the effects of his work will be here still giving glory and honor to God.

John S. has given of his time, energy, leadership, talent for organization, his strong supportive voice, depth of knowledge, and his ability to inspire love for the Sacred Liturgy and Gregorian Chant. He built a choir, a schola, a team, and a family. We have been truly blessed to know and work with him! As we continue what he has begun, we owe him our thanks, and offer up our prayers for all that he has done for us.

May God reward him!