HE STORY IS TOLD of an old man on a beach littered with thousands of starfish (washed ashore by the tide). He came upon a young boy who was painstakingly placing each starfish—one by one—back into the ocean. Asked what he was doing, the boy replied: “I’m saving these starfish, Sir.” Chuckling, the old man mocked him: “There are thousands of starfish out here, but only one of you. What possible difference can you make?” The boy gently tossed another starfish into the water. Then he gazed into the old man’s eyes and said: “I made a difference to that one!”
Spanish Responsorial Psalms • Almost half a decade ago, I featured the CHAUMONOT COMPOSERS GROUP on our blog. In a moment, I’ll have more to say about that—but first, feel free to download one of their recent offerings (below). I created a rehearsal video. Please ignore my terrible Spanish accent. Instead, listen to the music:
* PDF Download • 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
—Spanish liturgical music by Chaumonot Composers Group • Posted with permission.
Chaumonot Composers (1 of 2) • One of the founders of the Chaumonot Composers Group is a former student of mine. Not long after I featured some of their offerings back in 2020, she asked whether I’d be willing to act—in a very informal way—as their mentor. If my teachers from the conservatory knew about this, I suspect they’d find it amusing that I have become a PROFESSOR OF COMPOSITION, but such is life.
Chaumonot Composers (2 of 2) • The reality is, I feel inadequate as a composition teacher. Nevertheless, they seem to deeply appreciate the “pointers” and “counsel” and “guidance” I’ve been providing. Similar to the story about the starfish, I’m happy to make a contribution in my own small way. Over the next few months, it’s my intention to provide more exposure to the CHAUMONOT COMPOSERS GROUP, which has great potential.
