Monday, August 16, 2010

New Season To Start Early

The following is from director Kathy Reinheimer. 
Dear Choir Family:
[...]
Most of you have heard me say that someday God would send us a priest who would be trained in the preferred liturgical music of the Church and would want our choir. He is here.
Last June, I was contacted by a priest who thought he was going to be transferred to Reno and was interested in the choir. I did not know until later that he was to be the new rector at the Cathedral. [...]
Father Francisco Nahoe, OFM, is highly trained liturgically and musically. Interestingly, we have had two of the same chant teachers, one of whom is a current teacher and mentor of mine. We are absolutely on the same page. Father wants everything we have to offer; singing the Propers, Gregorian chant Masses, the Pater Noster, the responses in Latin - everything! And this means ALL the Propers including the Gradual and the Alleluia. This will be an incremental process because you can’t throw the entire thing at people in one go. I have agreed to sing for the first Mass on Sept. 19 at the 11:30 AM Mass. We will only sing one of the Propers that day, the Introit. But Father has set a goal of the First Sunday in Advent for a full Missa Cantata (i.e. sung Mass) in Latin. I am certain it will be the first one ever in the Diocese of Reno. And we will sing for it!
And we will be singing for Christmas at the Cathedral as well, although the Mass time has not be set. Polyphonic Masses for special occasions are definitely fine with Father Nahoe.
As a bonus, Father Nahoe is one of the kindest people it has been my privilege to know. As one of my teachers assured me, “He is the real deal.” I can scarcely believe it, yet I have spent enough time with him to know that he is serious about implementing true sacred music at the Cathedral. And what a beautiful voice he has!
[...]
We still have obligations to other parishes which have been good to us over the past several years [Holy Spirit Mission and St. Peter Canisius] and those must be honored. [...] We will sing for both Friday night and Saturday Nov. 5 & 6 for the conference at Immaculate Conception. And I hope to continue the tradition of Solemn Stations of the Cross at St. Rose of Lima.
[...]
I pray that your summer has been one of blessings and renewal. I am looking forward to being with you again very soon!
Pax Christi,
Kathy Reinheimer
I have changed the website accordingly.