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Views from the Choir Loft

New England Catholic Choral Festival & Mass • 2019

Richard J. Clark · January 11, 2019

T’S NEVER just about the music. Singing liturgical music from the great rich heritage of our Roman Catholic faith is about something else: nurturing faith through the Sacred Liturgy.

If you are not familiar with the American Federation Pueri Cantores choir festivals, I urge you to explore this opportunity which is open to any young singers. Girls and boys (grades 4-12) are welcome to sing in the New England Choral Festival and Mass. This festival is not reserved for an exclusive club of singers. Rather it is wide open to those hoping to learn more about our rich heritage of Roman Catholic sacred music from Gregorian Chant to sacred music of the present day. The festival culminates with hundreds of students combining as one choir singing for the Mass. This takes place in a nurturing, positive, and joyful environment!

As the rehearsal accompanist and organist for last year’s Festival in Boston, I can attest to this wonderfully positive environment. (As an adult, even I greatly enjoyed it and could learn from it!) Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley was last year’s celebrant and homilist which added to a marvelously faith filled experience. (My hope is to host the 2020 New England Festival at the newly renovated Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Stay tuned.)

HIS YEAR’S New England Festival will take place Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 11am culminating with Mass at 5:15 pm • St. Mary’s Church, 12 William St., Newport, RI 02840. The church is gorgeous, and interestingly is the site of the wedding of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.

• Download information, Schedule, registration, repertoire, etc. here:
• PDF Download • New England Catholic Youth Choral Festival and Mass • 2019.

• You can also download the Public Domain music for the festival here. Recordings made available to make this process much easier.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

“Participation in Pueri Cantores can be a formational and transformational experience through the Liturgy for both choristers and conductors.” (Pueri Cantores website)

• Offer your singers a combined worship experience with Catholic school and parish youth choirs from all around the region and network with your conductor colleagues

• Teach accessible, historically balanced repertoire from the great treasury of Catholic sacred music that can be incorporated into your choir’s repertoire

• Receive advanced conducting training from one of the leading Catholic conductors in the nation

• School conductors whose choirs participate will be offered 8 Professional Development Credits by AFPC, corporate partner of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

I urge all educators, conductors, and parents to consider taking part in this one-day experience. Its joy may resonate for years to come.

HIS YEAR’S clinician will be Dr. Steven R. Seigart, conductor, organist, and composer based in the NYC area. An extraordinary talent, he is currently the Director of Music at The Church of Saint Joseph in Bronxville, NY, where he directs five choirs, founded the period-instrument Orchestra of Saint Joseph, and oversees the St. Joseph Concert Series.

We hope to see you there!

Soli Deo gloria

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: American Federation Pueri Cantores Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
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    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Every experienced choirmaster’s work is founded on the following three axioms: (1) Few boys have a really good natural voice; (2) No boy is able to control his voice and produce good tone without training; (3) Most boys have a good ear, and considerable imitative capacity. It is on the last of these axioms that the choirmaster must begin his work.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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