A *What* School ?!!
These are things a choir director needs to think about as he plans to build a successful choral foundation at his own cathedral or parish.
Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”
Dr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.—Read full biography (with photographs).
These are things a choir director needs to think about as he plans to build a successful choral foundation at his own cathedral or parish.
Choir Schools would help to fill our parishes with congregations and choir members who would expect real sacred music sung to a high degree…
This lesson is no less true in the realm of sacred music than it is in the realm of lovers.
Now back in Los Angeles, Avendano hopes to found a Catholic boys choir dedicated solely to singing the Church’s music.
If we desire to educate, we should keep our end in mind—to teach children what is good, and to love that good.
A choirmaster must always be recruiting…and a summer camp is a great recruiting tool.
The parish’s new venture, the St. Rita Choral Academy, is the brainchild of Dr. Alfred Calabrese.
Most of these students, without ever having studied the Church’s documents on liturgical music, have an innate sense that our sacred mysteries require sacred music… and they WANT IT!
St. Paul’s Choir School is one of only three Catholic choir schools in the United States, and provides an approach we might call the apprenticeship method.
James Kennerley’s “rehearsal with the men and boys was brilliant as is his organ playing.”
I have heard it said that magic shows up at every concert but usually goes home disappointed.
Nevertheless, we have had, and quite frankly still have, a number of fine choirs, conductors and organists that I would place on par and even above our European brethren.
If you are interested in the great English Cathedral music tradition, please consider listening to these podcasts.
I am reminded of the care with which the Pieta was transported from the Vatican to New York City for the World’s Fair in 1964 and I hope and pray that the Westminster Cathedral Choir will be treated with as much veneration and respect.
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