For Karl's Wedding, Jan. 5

Ubi Caritas -- Durufle

Sicut Cervus -- Palestrina

(Can't find the other two.)

YouTube Views

Okay, so they won't get as many views as "Gangnam Style," but the choir's YouTube videos you see to the right are being watched!  The Byrd Kyrie has 123 views as I write this, the Byrd Ave Verum Corpus 53, and Saint-Saens' Tollite Hostias -- which we're singing next week for Christmas -- has 26.  If you haven't watched/listened, please do so and give them a like!  Feel free to link to them on your Facebook and/or Twitter pages also.

I still need to upload the only proper we recorded back in 2010, Intret orationem.

December 25: Feast of the Nativity (Christmas)

(Items unavailable online will be listed but unlinked)

Before Mass:
Once In Royal David's City
Angels We Have Heard on High
The First Noel
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming

Introit: Puer natus est (the first piece on the Benedictine Monks' Chant CD, played frequently by those who don't know it's about Christmas)

Kyrie: Mass VIII

Gloria: Monteverdi

Psalm:  Ps. 96, Today Is Born Our Savior, Christ The Lord

Gospel Acclamation: Sundays of the Year II

Credo: Credo III

Offertory Proper: Tui sunt caeli
Offertory Hymn: Silent Night
Offertory Hymn 2 if needed: Puer natus in Bethlehem

Sanctus: Monteverdi Haller (green book), pp. 54-55

Our Father & For the kingdom - English

Agnus Dei: Monteverdi (One verse after sign of peace; other two before communion)

Communion Proper: Viderunt omnes (not including psalm verses)
Communion Motet: Hodie Christus natus est (Nanino) Tollite Hostias

Recessional: Adeste Fideles/O Come All Ye Faithful

December 16: Gaudete Sunday

Introit: Gaudete in Domino semper

Offertory: Benedixisti 

Communio: Dicite (minus verses)
Rorate Coeli (note: not/not the Shenk version with SATB on the refrain, but it has all the verses)

For the Credo III, Sanctus, Pater Noster, and Agnus Dei, look here.

Unavailable: Haller Kyrie, Alleluia, On Jordan's Bank

Look Who's In The Reno Gazette-Journal

Our own soprano, Sung Hei Stiebel!  (Well, sopranos usually do "sing hi,", but her name's pronounced "soong hee.")

Are There Problems With Reno-Area Smart Meters?  (A topic on which RPC has no opinion.  RPC members?  Probably, but not the choir itself.)

And here's the pic, credited as an RGJ file photo.

December 2: First Sunday of Advent

At St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral for 5 PM Mass

Introit: Ad te levavi

(Gloria omitted in Advent)

Credo III

Offertory: Ad te Domine

Sanctus and Agnus Dei: Mass XVII

Memorial Acclamation: Mortem tuam

Pater Noster

Communio: Dominus dabit (antiphon only)

Post-Communion: Conditor Alme Siderum

Recessional:  Savior Of The Nations Come (S, A, T, B)

Unavailable: the Haller Kyrie, the Costa Psalm, and the Gospel Acclamation

November 11: 32nd Sunday In Ordinary Time

At St. Peter Canisius (pictured).

Introit: Intret oratio mea

Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei: all Mass XI ("Orbis Factor")
(Note: On the Kyrie, we'll only be singing each part twice.)

Pater Noster

Communion: Ave Verum Corpus

Hear RPC Live! Flor Peeters' Ave Verum Corpus

Click HERE to listen to RPC's rendition of Flor Peeters' Ave Verum Corpus.  It was recorded live at Immaculate Conception Church in Sparks for the closing Mass of the Eucharistic and Marian Conference on October 27, 2012.  There's a little background noise, but that's to be expected.

An Opportunity

If you're not busy enough with our song load, the ad hoc choir being formed for the Diocese of Reno Conference on January 11 and 12 is looking for new members.  Some upcoming rehearsals include Monday, October 29 at St. Rose of Lima at 6:30 PM; and Saturday, November 10 at 9:30 AM and Monday, November 19 at 6:30 PM at St. Albert's.  If you write "Conference Choir" on the top of your registration form, you get a $25 discount (assuming, of course, you're actually singing with the choir!).

For more information, contact music director Nina Weaver at 379-9873, or nineveh (at) rocketmail (dot) com.

Calling Miss Piggy

Oh, no.  She went there.  (HT: Chant Cafe, which points out this has been around for a while.  In fact, Kathy owns it.)

Grunt: Pigorian Chant from Snouto Dominiko de Silo

November 2: All Souls Day (Dia de los Muertos)

This EF Mass is on a Friday evening at the Cathedral.

Procession: Media Vita (This is arguably the best-known version, from the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.  However, we're only doing the first two verses.)

Introit: Requiem Aeternam, followed immediately by
Kyrie

Gradual: Requiem Aeternam

Tract: Absolve, Domine

Sequence: Dies Irae

Offertory: Domine Jesu Christe
and Miserere Illi Deus (note: video has no SATB on the antiphon)

Sanctus

Agnus Dei (note "dona eis requiem")

Communio: Lux Aeterna (antiphon only)

Absolution: Libera me

In Paradisum

Reminder from Kathy: After In Paradisum, please exit in silence AFTER the congregation has left.

There of course exist many great compositions of the Requiem Mass: Mozart, Brahms, Verdi (which our own Patty helped sing earlier this year), Dvorak, and Rutter, to name a few.  If you get a chance, check out Maurice Durufle's rendition, which is based on the original chant; I've had the honor of singing it.

October 27: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This is the Saturday evening Mass that will conclude the Eucharistic and Marian Conference at Immaculate Conception Church in Sparks.

Introit: Laetetur cor

Kyrie: Mass XI  (Orbis Factor)

Gloria: Mass XI

Sanctus: Mass XVIII

Agnus Dei: Mass XVIII

Communio: Laetabimur (antiphon only)

I don't have a video for Peeters' Ave Verum Corpus.

Note: These Sundays are referred to as "ordinary" because they are named as ordinals (e.g. 30th), not because there isn't anything special about them.

One Solfege Tutorial

For those who attended Kathy's two-week class on the fundamentals of chant (and we thank her for giving it), she suggested we brush up on solfege.  She gave us a handout showing various intervals.  Here also is a tutorial that was suggested in the MusicaSacra forum: School of Intervals (UPDATE: that link is now inoperative).

There are many other online resources; just do a search on "solfege" or "solfege Gregorian chant".

(P.S. A little bird tells me today is Kathy's birthday!)

Turn Off Your Cell Phone

Why am I posting this?  Well, it has nothing to do with the offertory motet we were singing earlier this year, during which I heard a cell phone go off, got self-righteously indignant, wondered whose it was, and then realized . . . it was mine . . . .

On second thought, yes, it does.

Starting Back Up

We're going to start our new season with a twist.  According to Kathy:

Instead of jumping right into rehearsals, I am going to use two Tuesdays (Sept. 18 & 25 respectively) to give two classes on Gregorian chant fundamentals.  Although primarily intended for new members, many of our current membership could benefit from this opportunity to become more comfortable with neumes.  If this is you, please consider attending these sessions which will run at our normal 7 PM – 9 PM time.  I MUST KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO ATTEND so that I can have materials prepared for you.

Actual rehearsals will begin on October 2.

If you would like to join us for these classes, please contact Kathy at the number or e-mail address on this site.  Presumably, it'll be because you'll want to sing with us!

Boring Propers?

Kathleen Pluth at Chant Cafe explains why we sing propers at Mass.  I'd rather sing them than say them, as is routinely done at weekday Masses.

Who could possibly be thrilled to hear or sing "Today the Light will shine upon us because to us the Lord is born" at the early Mass, before the road trip? 

Here is the person who will be thrilled. The contemplative who excuses himself briefly from the family celebration to attend the early Mass. The elderly woman, the daily communicant, who has spent the last week reading ahead in her Magnificat to prepare for the great day. The little child who learned the introit in school. The retired priest who says Mass in a convent, or in the chapel in the rest home where he lives.

Assumption Vigil Feedback

Considering what little preparation we were able to do, I'd say we did pretty well tonight.  Our guest singers were no small part of that success!  Here's a tweet I got from a churchgoer tonight: "Outstanding job . . . As usual, Regina Pacis lifted us all a lil closer to Heavn" [sic].  Maybe I should reconsider that RPC Twitter account after all.

But the biggest kudos of the night go to Kathy, who dragged her broken foot and the boot containing it upstairs to the choir loft and directed us as well as she could!  We'll keep praying for her swift healing.

And one more prayer intention for the choir: those of us who are unemployed.  St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us!

Update on Kathy

Again from her daughter:

[Kathy]'s definitely got a broken bone in that foot she twisted this weekend. Poor mom! She's getting another "boot" for the foot (I think she burned the last one after the accident in '08!). Thanks for the prayers, etc. - keep 'em coming. :)

Prayers Please

From Kathy's daughter:

[She] twisted her foot/ankle at the vacation rental house where she and dad were staying in CA. It's a bit swollen, black & blue. She will hopefully get into the doctor today to have it seen. She's ok, but can't really walk on it much; can't drive at all. :( Please send her your prayers & best wishes! Thanks.

Kristin Rosenqvist can use your prayers also; she's been having a rough summer.

Vigil: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

For the special Mass at which we'll be singing Tuesday, August 14 at the Cathedral.

Introit: Vultum Tuum (However, it does not include the Gloria Patri!  Per Kathy, we're only going to do the antiphon and the Mode II Gloria Patri.  Also ignore the Alleluia on the video.)

Missa De Angelis (Mass VIII):
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo III
Sanctus
Agnus Dei

Communio: Beata Viscera (does not include verses)

Change "Teacher" to "Kathy"

And "Student" to "RPC member":

Gacked from Facebook.

New Mics at ICC

The next time we sing at Immaculate Conception Church in Sparks (which should be for this year's Eucharistic and Marian Conference), it should be easier for the congregation to hear us, and us to hear ourselves.  From Fr. Norm King's remarks in the July 15 ICC bulletin (emphasis mine):

We will soon have new microphones for our choirs installed, along with monitors for them.  Parishioners have told me that for persons having difficulty hearing at Mass, sitting in certain areas of the worship space can make quite a difference.  You might try pews to the right and left of the altar, away from the baptismal font near the entrance to the worship space.

The Latin Mass Explained

Not by Kathy, not by Fr. Francisco, but by Sarah Beasley another teenager!  (Well, Sarah would have.)



HT: Fr. Z

The Gloria Patri Modes

If you've misplaced your handout from Kathy, you can find jpeg's of each mode's Gloria Patri here.

Mechanics of the Chant

Gregorian Chant Notation

I can't really OCR these pages, so you get JPEGs of them.

Colloquium XXII Underway

in Salt Lake City.  And this year, not only is Kathy there, but so too is Fr. Francisco!

(ETA: And Chris Beasley.  Anyone else?)

Latin Pronunciation: Consonants

(except, of course, we sing Church Latin!)

The following consonants are pronounced as they are in English: B, D, F, L, M, N, P, Q, V.

C is hard, like “k” in “kick,” except before E, AE, OE, I, Y. Then it is like “ch” in “church.”

CC before the above vowels is pronounced “tch” (stopped “t”).  But:

In Ecclesiis: “Een Ehk-kleh-see-ees”

Peccata mundi: “pehk-kah-tah moon-dee”

SC before the same vowels is like “sh” in “shell”

CH is always like K:

Christe eleison: “Kree-steh eh-leh-ee-sawn”

Jesum Christum: “Yeh-soom Kree-stoom”

G is hard, like the “g” in “God” except before E, AE, OE, and I, when it is soft like the “g” in “gem.” 

GN has the sound “ny” as in “cognac.”

H is silent as in “honest,” except in the two words “mihi” and “nihil” which are pronounced “mee-kee” and “nee-keel." 

J is pronounced like the “y” in “you.” It is sometimes written as an “I.”

PH is pronounced like “f.”

R should be flipped with the tongue when it appears between two vowels or at the end of a word and should be rolled when it appears at the beginning of a word.

S is hard as in “see” (never “raise”) except when it comes between two vowels and is slightly softened: 

Miserere mei, Deus: “Mee-seh-reh-reh meh-ee Deh-oos"

Invisibilium: “een-vee-see-bee-lee-oom”

SCH is like the “sk” of “school.”

T is hard as in “tea,” but not as plosive as it is in English.

TI before a vowel and following any letter except S, X or T is pronounced “tsee.”

TH is always hard, like “tea.”

X is prounounced like “ks” as in “tacks” or “tax.” When it comes between two vowels it is slightly softened: 

Dixit Maria: "Dee-kseet Mah-ree-ah"

Laudat exercitus: “lah-oodaht eh-ksehr-chee-toos”

XC is pronounced as “ksk” before the vowels O, A or U:

Excogitare: “eks-kaw-jee-tah-reh”

But when XC appears before E, AE, OE, I and Y it becomes “ksh.” 

In excelsis: “een eh-kshehl-sees”

Y is treated like the vowel I (ee).

Z is “dz” of “suds”:

Azymus: “ah-dzy-moos”

Latin Pronunciation: Vowels

On our music turn-in sheets, Kathy exhorted us to read our Latin pronunciation sheets over the summer.  So I'm doing my part to oblige.

The six vowels in the Latin language are:

A, pronounced father (never fawn or fan), transliterated "ah"

E, pronounced fed (never fate), transliterated "eh"

I, pronounced feet (never fit), transliterated "ee"

O, pronounced fought (never foe), transliterated "aw"

U, pronounced food (never foot), transliterated "oo"

Y, pronounced feet (never fit), transliterated "ee" 

AE or OE should be pronounced as E (“eh”) [but not "ay," no matter how the congregation sings it--P].

U when preceded by Q or NG and followed by another vowel is sung quickly and is part of the same syllable as the vowel which follows: 

“qui, quae, quod, quam” (kwee, kweh [not "kway"--P], kwawd, kwahm) 

“unda fluxit sanguine” (oon-dah floo-kseet sahn-gwee-neh) 

Au/Eu/Ay are sung as dipthongs, with the greatest duration given to the first vowel and the second vowel introduced just prior to the following syllable or word: 

“Laudate Dominum” (Lah-oodah-teh Daw-mee-noom) 

“Victimae paschali laudes” (Veek-tee-meh pah-skah-lee lah-oodes) 

Benedicamus Domino

And thus ends our season with a busy day of singing for a magnificent celebration of Corpus Christi.  It's also been a busy year, and it could well have been busier!  I think we can all be glad it wasn't TOO warm in the loft today.

I echo Kathy's thanks to all of you for your faithfulness and tremendous efforts.  Special thanks to our newest members who allowed Kathy to make some necessary changes.  Now let's pray we get some more new blood over the summer!

We'll be singing for a wedding in August.  Otherwise, have a wonderful summer, find something else to do on Tuesdays, and I look forward to seeing you this fall!  --Paul

Translating Latin? That's EASY!

Consider the lyrics to Carmina Burana's ubiquitous opening piece, "O Fortuna," not that we'll be singing it anytime soon.  Hardly apropos for Mass, it's essentially Carl Orff's setting of a medieval drinking song, but it's still a powerful tune, which is why you hear it so much in pop culture.

Anyway, here's one translation . . . or not.



Google "O Four Tuna" for others.

And if you want to know what the lyrics really say, Fr. Z's got them.

Sancrosanctum Concilium 116

How strongly did Vatican II (!) say Gregorian chant needed to be preserved at the Mass?  (More importantly, why did no one listen?)  Fr. John Zuhlsdorf weighs in here, and says:

The Council Fathers in Sacrosanctum Concilium go on to talk about the use of other kinds of music and they provide a welcome flexibility.  But none of those other provisions eliminates or supersede or mitigate what SC 116 says.  In other words, we shouldn’t justify the use of Gregorian chant.  The Church has done that for us.  We have to justify the use of something other than Gregorian chant.  (Emphasis mine)

Corpus Christi, June 10

Remember: Bring water and prepare for a long Mass!

Prelude: Healey Willan's "O Sacred Feast"

Introit: Cibavit eos

Lauda Sion

Agnus Dei: Kevin Allen's Missa Cunctipotens Genitor Deus

Communio: Hoc corpus

I can't find the Offertory, Portas caeli; or Peeters' Ave Verum Corpus.  Kathy may have sent those.

Music We Won't Be Singing Anytime Soon

While the rest of RPC was singing their hearts out at the Cathedral on "Ascension Thursday Sunday,"  I was enduring this at a well-meaning Big Bear Lake, CA parish:

Spirit and Song from (who else?) OCP.  It was like a Mass written and performed by R.E.M.  Nothing wrong with R.E.M., except at Mass.  I actually thought Haugen/Haas, Conry, and Joncas would be an improvement.

Our work is never done.

Feast of the Ascension (May 20)

Introit: Viri Galilaei

Offertory: Ascendit Deus

Post Communion Motet: O Esca Viatorum

(Can't find one for the Communio, Signa ("seen-ya") eos, not even just the antiphon.)

And then for Corpus Christi:  Willan's O Sacred Feast (Can't find Peeters' "Ave Verum.")

Sometimes, You Just Gotta Laugh

THIS CHOIR HAS SUNG

0 DAYS WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT.