Sleep In Heavenly Peace

We at Regina Pacis Cantorum extend our prayers and sympathies to the family of Gerry Parodi, the director of the Aquinas Choir at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, who went to the heavenly choir this morning.  Pray also for his choir members.

I posted this clip when my father-in-law passed away in April.  May these words be true for Gerry.

In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem. 

Updated Dec. 30: His funeral will be Saturday, January 14th at 10 AM at Little Flower Church.

Schedule Redux

And it probably won't be the last.  Changes in red.  Remember, these are Mass times, not choir call times.

Dec. 18 - St. Peter Canisius, 8:30 AM Cancelled
Dec. 25 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM (Christmas)
Jan. 6, 2012 - (FRI) St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 7 PM (Epiphany)
Jan. 22 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Jan. 26 - (THU) St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 6:30 PM (closing Mass of Novena to St. Thomas Aquinas and singing of Lauda Sion)
Jan. 29 - St. Peter Canisius, 8:30 AM
Feb. 5 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Feb. 12 - Holy Spirit Mission, 8:30 AM
Feb. 19 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Mar. 4 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Mar. 18 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Apr. 1 - Holy Spirit Mission, 8:30 AM (Palm Sunday)
Apr. 5 - (THU) Holy Spirit Mission, TBA (Holy Thursday)
Apr. 8 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM (Easter)
Apr. 22 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
May 6 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
May 20 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
May 27 - Holy Spirit Mission, 8:30 AM
Jun. 3 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM

No rehearsals on TUE Dec. 27 or Apr. 8.

During Lent, we'll be singing the Stations of the Cross at the Cathedral and at St. Rose of Lima on Fridays to be determined.

Update from the UU Choir

Recently, I posted about John Probst of Quincy's Le Panache Chorale, one of the regular groups at the Ecumenical Choir Festival in May.

Last night I got to speak with a member of the choir from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada, which was conspicuous by its absence from this year's ECF.  She tells me the choir was undergoing a change in directors, which is why they weren't there this year.  She hopes they'll return in May 2012, and so do we!

Maybe our choirs don't share doctrine or beliefs, but at least we can all sing together, and what's wrong with that?  Then again, that's the whole purpose of the ECF.

Kathy and CCWS' 2011 Colloquium Video

From Corpus Christi Watershed. 

Let's play "Spot the Kathy"!  I believe I saw her at 2:18 and 3:32.

Adoremus Second Edition En Route

We use the Adoremus hymnal mostly for polyphonic hymns, but it also contains a lot of the Masses we sing from Liber Cantualis.  Well, according to the National Catholic Register via Chant Cafe, a second edition of Adoremus for the revised Missal will begin shipping on November 20th. More about it here.

Now all we need is the funds to buy some!

Our Friends To The North

RPC gives a hat tip to Le Panache Chorale director John Probst, who attended the Mass at Immaculate Conception last week following the Eucharistic and Marian Conference and gave his regards. 

Based in Quincy, Le Panache is a regular participant in the Ecumenical Choir Festival.  They'll be performing December 9th at 7 PM in the Plumas County Courthouse.

Le Panache doesn't have a website that I can find, but John Probst does.

Change of Venue (for one night only)

Remember:

No rehearsal Tuesday night, November 1 (Feast of All Saints, a Holyday of Obligation).

Rehearsal Wednesday night, November 2 at 7 PM at a different, private location (call or e-mail Kathy for directions).

The regular rehearsal schedule and locale resume next week.

Is That Your Mihi?

I am now about to ruin every time you encounter the Latin word "mihi" ("to me" or "for me"), which is pronounced "mi-ki."  That's because every time I hear it, I think of Peter Sellers as Inspecteur Jacques Clouseau of the Surete in Return of the Pink Panther saying "minkey" instead of "monkey":

Tentative 2011-2012 Schedule

UPDATED Oct. 31

Rehearsals every Tuesday, except on Nov. 1, Dec. 27, and Apr. 10.  If you want to join us, please contact Kathy at right: we can use ANY voice part!

Times are NOT choir call times.  Other dates will likely be added, including the Ecumenical Choir Festival.  All dates Sunday unless otherwise mentioned.

Nov. 2 - (WED) Rehearsal
Nov. 6 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Nov. 27 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM cancelled
Dec. 4 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 5 PM
Dec. 8 - (THU) St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 7 PM (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)
Dec. 18 - St. Peter Canisius, 8:30 AM
Dec. 25 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM (Christmas)
Jan. 8 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM (Epiphany)
Jan. 22 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Jan. 26 - (THU) St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, TBA (closing Mass of Novena to St. Thomas Aquinas and singing of Lauda Sion)
Jan. 29 - St. Peter Canisius, 8:30 AM
Feb. 5 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Feb. 12 - Holy Spirit Mission, 8:30 AM
Feb. 19 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Mar. 4 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Mar. 18 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
Apr. 1 - Holy Spirit Mission, 8:30 AM (Palm Sunday)
Apr. 5 - (THU) Holy Spirit Mission, TBA (Holy Thursday)
Apr. 8 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM (Easter)
Apr. 22 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
May 6 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
May 20 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM
May 27 - Holy Spirit Mission, 8:30 AM
Jun 3 - St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM

The Wait Is Over

Regina Pacis Cantorum will resume rehearsals next Tuesday, October 11, at St. Rose of Lima in south Reno.  From Kathy, who will be fresh from her Southern California chant workshop:

That brings me to a constant need: new members.  We need voices in every section.  If you are bringing someone new with you, please make sure to let me know ahead of time so that I can have music ready.  If you have been away from choir, please give prayerful consideration to returning this season.

It is shaping up to be another busy season.  How blessed we are to be singing this incredible music!  And there is much to learn to prepare for the upcoming new English translation of the Roman Missal.

Let's do it!

The Museum at St. Mary in the Mountains

If you get a chance to see the museum beneath St. Mary in the Mountains in Virginia City, you won't regret it.  Sandy and I stopped in yesterday.  These vestments date from just before the fire that destroyed the church in 1875:

And this is from a room full of murals, including this life-sized one of Fr. (later Bishop) Patrick Manogue.

More info here.

Corpus Christi Watershed Gets A Boost

The National Catholic Register has taken note of Corpus Christi Watershed's efforts:

Music for the Masses

A quote:

Non-liturgical song does not help people remember the transcendent aspects of the Mass, the organization purports.

AMEN.

Liturgical music as a vocation

From DICI:

Benedict XVI recalls the vocation of liturgical music

Excerpt:

Then the Supreme Pontiff recalls the purpose of sacred music, which is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful:  “The fundamental criteria are respect for tradition, a sense of prayer, dignity, and beauty; full adherence to liturgical texts and expressions; the correct participation of the assembly and, therefore, a legitimate adaptation to particular cultures, at the same time maintaining the universality of language; the primacy of Gregorian chant … and the careful assessment of other expressive forms that make up the cultural patrimony of the Church, especially but not just polyphony; and the importance of the schola cantorum, particularly in cathedral churches.”

These are important criteria, the pope continues, “which should be considered attentively even today”.  Gregorian chant, the supreme model of sacred music, polyphony and the schola cantorum have wrongly been considered “as the expression of a concept befitting a past that should be forgotten and ignored, because they limited the freedom and creativity of individuals and communities.”  But the authentic subject of the liturgy is neither the individual nor the group, Benedict XVI recalled.  “It is primarily God’s action through the Church with its history, its rich tradition, and its creativity.”

“On the basis of these sure and lasting elements,” he concludes, “which are accompanied by centuries of experience, I encourage you to perform your service of professionally training students, so that they may acquire a serious, profound competence in the different disciplines of sacred music.”

HT: Kathy

Kathy Makes The Big Time

Here's a picture of Kathy from the colloquium in Pittsburgh, courtesy of Chant Cafe.  This is from "Semiology Class."  I must be a Nevadan, because I thought it said "Seismology Class."

(They misspelled Kathy's name, but oh well.)

Pope Benedict Again Backs Sacred Music

Ever notice how many supporters of what passes for church music today have a problem with the term "continuity"?

Benedict XVI Underlines Continuity Of Sacred Music

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is underlining the continuity of sacred music that stretches back to the "authentic and glorious tradition" begun by St. Gregory the Great.

In a letter address to Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, grand chancellor of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, the Pope called the centenary of its foundation an "important event," and a "reason for joy for all the cultivators of sacred music."

Placing the foundation of the institute in context, the Pontiff recalled that Pius X founded the institute in 1911, eight years after publishing an instruction on sacred music issued "motu proprio," titled "Tra le Sollcitudini" (Among the Cares).

Source: Zenit, HT: Kathy

Ave Atque Vale

So endeth one of Regina Pacis Cantorum's busiest years in recent memory.  We owe a lot of thanks to Fr. Francisco at the Cathedral for letting us sing there so often, and being so open to the timeless beauty of chant.  Of course, it was also an honor to sing at the Eucharistic and Marian Conference, and at St. Peter Canisius, Holy Spirit Mission, and St. Rose of Lima.  And lest we forget to offer a big thank you to Fr. Larry Morrison for letting us rehearse at St. Rose!

We also have to thank our director Kathy, who puts so much of her heart and soul into this choir.  She will be heading to the annual colloquium in Pittsburgh starting June 13: pray for her and all the participants.

And of course, thanks to all the singers who made this happen, and to our supporters!  See you in the fall.

Bad News re: Scolari's Friendship Fund

A few months ago, I told you how you could support RPC through Scolari's Friendship Fund.

I stopped at Scolari's tonight and found out they no longer require the Scolari's Club Card for discounts.  Then I looked on their website where they have announced:

Dear Scolari’s Friendship Fund Participant,

Scolari’s Food & Drug Company will be reviewing our Friendship Fund program starting May 15, 2011. As of that date the Friendship Fund activity will be suspended and shopping dollars will not be allocated to your organization. All dollars accrued prior to May 15, 2011 will be paid to your organization.

This change will include Sak n Save, and we will not accept receipts received after May 15, 2011

At this time we feel it is necessary to reevaluate the structure of the Friendship Fund as it currently operates.

Since Scolari’s introduced the Friendship Fund in May, 1988 over $4.3 million has been paid to participating nonprofit organizations. Over the years the Friendship Fund has provided Scolari’s with a means to give back to the communities in which we do business, and we are proud of the success the program has enjoyed.

We would like to thank you for your continued support of Scolari’s Food & Drug Company.

So unless something dramatic happens, RPC can no longer count on Friendship Fund donations.  All the more reason to get good stuff to the Mogul yard sale this coming Saturday, plus people to buy it!

What We Think We Know That Is Wrong (Or, How Not To Fix A Broken Approach to Liturgical Music)

Do the Directors of Religious Music at your parish feel the same way as this?  "Our Spirit-of-Vatican-II, Glory and Praise/Gather/Respond and Acclaim approach to music at the Mass isn't working, so we need MORE of it!"

What We Think We Know That Is Wrong  (HT: Chris Beasley)

I could simply post everything Jeffrey Tucker writes.  Instead, you can get his and other writings from Chant Cafe sent to your browser or inbox by following this RSS feed:

http://www.chantcafe.com/feeds/posts/default

Schedule Changes

Due to a lack of available voices, we will not be singing on Sunday, May 15 at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral.  Also, the Mogul yard sale fundraiser for RPC has been moved up a week to June 4.

Another Schedule Update

(Changes in bold)

• Friday, April 15 -- St. Rose of Lima, 6 PM Stations of the Cross
• Thursday, April 21 -- Holy Spirit Mission, Washoe Valley, 6 PM Holy Thursday Mass
• Sunday, April 24 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Easter Sunday Mass
• Sunday, May 1 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Extraordinary Form Mass
• Sunday, May 15 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, May 22 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, May 22 -- Trinity Episcopal Church, 3 PM Ecumenical Choir Festival
• Friday, June 3 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 7 PM Extraordinary Form Mass

Tu Pauperum Refugium

From YouTube via Kathy.

Updated Schedule

• Sunday, February 20 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, February 27 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, March 6 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Friday, March 18 --  St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 6:30 PM Stations of the Cross
• Sunday, March 20 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass 
• Sunday, March 27 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass
• Friday, April 1 --  St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 6:30 PM Stations of the Cross
• Friday, April 15 --  St. Rose of Lima, Stations of the Cross (Time TBA)
• Thursday, April 21 -- Holy Spirit Mission, Washoe Valley, 6 PM Holy Thursday Mass
• Sunday, April 24 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Easter Sunday Mass
• Sunday, May 1 -- Holy Spirit Mission, 10:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, May 15 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, May 22 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, May 22 --  Trinity Episcopal Church, Ecumenical Choir Festival, 3 PM
• Friday, June 3 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 7 PM Extraordinary Form Mass

And then on Saturday, June 11 4, the choir will be holding its biggest fundraiser of the year at the Mogul Community Garage Sale.  Non-clothing donations welcome!

Schedule into March

• Sunday, January 30 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, February 6 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, February 20 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, February 27 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, March 6 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, March 20 -- St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, 11:30 AM Mass 
• Sunday, March 27 -- St. Peter Canisius, Sun Valley, 8:30 AM Mass

Reminder for Scolari's Shoppers

[Deleted because Scolari's no longer has a "Friendship Fund."]