Or, As Kathy Tells Us, "Egg Shell Sheets"

Sanctus meets Microsoft.

HT: My sister Mary; Phyllis also found it.

The Golden Rules For Ensemble Singing

If you're unable to read the words on the image:

1. Everyone should sing the same piece.
2. Take your time turning pages.
3. Do not worry if you do not have perfect pitch – you may find singing less stressful without it!
4. The right note at the wrong time is the wrong note.
5. The wrong note at the right time is still a wrong note.
6. A wrong note sung timidly is still a wrong note.
7. A wrong note sung with authority is an interpretation.
8. A true interpretation is realized when not one note of the original remains.
9. If you happen to sing a wrong note, give a nasty look to one of your neighbors.
10. If everyone gets lost except you, follow those who get lost.
11. If you are completely lost, stop everyone and start an argument about repeat marks.
12. Strive to achieve the maximum notes per second – that way you at least gain the admiration of the totally incompetent.
13. If a passage is difficult, slow it down. If it is easy, speed it up. Everything will work itself out in the end.
14. Markings for slurs, dynamics, ornaments and breathing should be ignored. They are only there to embellish the score.
15. When everyone else has finished singing, you should not sing any notes you may still have left.

HT: Tim Rhodes, who brought this to a recent rehearsal.

Prayers Please

Phyllis Young's husband Ray, who is in the hospital for undisclosed reasons. I'll post any updates here. You can also pray for the health of the rest of the choir.

UPDATE 12/30: Ray came home today. Thank you, Jesus!

And A Continued Merry Christmas

The Nativity scene from the Cathedral. Our next Mass is at St. Peter Canisius on Sunday, January 10 for the Baptism of the Lord, generally considered the end of the Christmas season. I suppose it will be a little less surprising if it snows this time when we're there, considering how our prayers for snow are being answered. May it continue!

We'll also be singing the following three Sundays, so January will be a busy month, unlike last year.

Enjoy the week off from rehearsal this Tuesday. For rehearsal on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, each of you must bring at least one new bass singer, whether he wants to be there or not.

Merry Christmas, Hon!

Like me, my sisters Anne and Mary were born and raised in Baltimore (or, as the natives call it, "Bawlamer"). For fun, they sing a "Bawlamerese" version of "O Holy Night" which I post here as an example of just about everything Kathy tells us not to do pronunciation-wise when singing either chant or polyphony.

For comparison's sake, here's my very talented niece Abby (Mary's daughter) singing the same carol. 

I sang this in my church choir when I was a soprano. No, that wasn't last year.

Rehearsal Wasn't That Bad, Was It?

Less than two hours after we finished our final rehearsal before our 11:30 AM Christmas Mass at the Cathedral, a swarm of earthquakes struck just a mile or so from where we rehearse. Hope that's not God judging our effort!

Sandy and I felt the biggest tremor, a 4.4, all the way in northern Sparks. Did you feel it?

(Photo credit: Alice 96.5)

Kathy Is A Mother, Just Not Yours

Please be sure to take a moment to look around and take ALL your stuff with you following rehearsal or Mass. Kathy says she couldn't carry all the detritus that was left behind following Sunday's Mass, ranging from water bottles to used tissues. Oh, and by the way, she was still sick herself.

You know the old saying, of which the image above is a derivative: "Your mother does not work here. Please clean up your own mess." I don't know about you, but that wouldn't work with my mother; she'd gladly make me clean it up!

I Think We Just Found A New Bass

Baltimore Ravens placekicker Justin Tucker is a devout Catholic. He and the Ravens have been having a difficult season on the field, but at Baltimore's Basilica of the Assumption, he nails "Ave Maria" in a benefit performance for Catholic Charities. He says singing this was more nerve-wracking than kicking any game-winning field goal.

Now we just need to get him out here. Maybe Reno native and former Raven Chris Carr could talk him into it? Then there's that little problem with his availability on Sundays from August to January.

Just A Reminder

Remember that Tuesday's rehearsal is at a different place and at a different time. The time is 7:15. I shouldn't name the place here, but it rhymes with "Flour Shady of the Nose."

See you NOT at the Usual Place.

Dec. 25: Christmas

10:45 AM at the Cathedral. Prelude carols not included.

Introit: Puer natus est

Kyrie, Gloria, Agnus Dei: Missa Lauda Sion (Palestrina)

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Tui sunt coeli, Angelus Ad Pastores Ait (Gabrieli)

Sanctus: Mass VIII

Communio: Viderunt onmes, Silent Night

Recessional: Adeste Fideles/O Come All Ye Faithful

Dec. 13: Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)

4 PM at the Cathedral.

Introit: Gaudete in Domino

Kyrie (no Gloria), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass XVII

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Benedixisti, On Jordan's Bank

Communio: Dicite, Veni O Sapientia

Recessional: Veni, Veni Emmanuel/O Come, O Come Emmanuel

The Regina Pacis Sanitarium

We continue to succumb to the "bug" that has been ravaging the choir this season. Our latest victim has been Kathy, who gave her best the other night in rehearsal despite having the crud herself; she doesn't get sick days. She wore gloves when passing out the music and St. Michael's Hymnals as if she were exploring a storage locker on Storage Wars. All I can say is keep taking your zinc and vitamin C, get your rest, and stay home if you're sick (once you've told Kathy).

Let the Children Come to Me

Corpus Christi Watershed reports on the recently completed National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis which included at least one Extraordinary Form Mass. As Fr. David Friel says:

Young people, it is true, are not widely familiar with the traditional form of the Mass. Nor are they familiar with all the preconceptions & biases that led their grandparents’ generation to dismiss traditional forms. My experience has shown me that young people, when given the opportunity to experience the Church’s tradition, are able to appreciate the richness and beauty of our faith. Let us, therefore, continue to expose them to the Church’s tradition! (Emphasis mine.)

We here at RPC are trying to do just that, and we thank the parishes that allow us to present Gregorian Chant and polyphony to those who have never heard them.

(Photo: Corpus Christi Watershed.)

Rehearsal Cancelled For Tonight

Which means next week we will start rehearsal at 6:30 PM, not 7. Inhale your dinner.

Dec. 6: Second Sunday of Advent

4 PM at the Cathedral. Bring your St. Michael's Hymnal.

Introit: Populus Sion

Kyrie (no Gloria), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass XVII

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Deus tu convertens, Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming (S, A, T, B)

Communio: Jerusalem surge, Conditor Alme Siderum

Recessional: Savior of the Nations, Come (S, A, T, B)

Here We Go Again

And it's STILL a month before winter begins.

A snowstorm is moving in on Tuesday, and the National Weather Service (hi again Mark) says it means business, especially in the wind department:

To recap what Kathy has said before, she does not like to cancel rehearsals if she doesn't have to, but she understands that you need to decide whether it is safe for you to travel. If it is not, CONTACT HER as early as possible, preferably via email. Also, email is how she will notify us if rehearsal is indeed cancelled. I will try to mention it here if possible.

Nov. 22: Solemnity of Christ The King

4 PM at the Cathedral. We only have one full rehearsal to prepare for this. Kathy typo'd the date on the song listing (that's it, she's fired); it is in fact the 22nd.

Introit: Dignus est agnus

Kyrie, Gloria (mp3), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Postula a me, The King Of Love My Shepherd Is (S, A, T, B)

Communio: Sedebit, Cantate Domino (Pitoni)

Recessional: Crown Him With Many Crowns

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!...After Mass, That Is

Within a week we will have had two major snowstorms come through northern Nevada. The first, which came last Sunday, brought sorely-needed water to the Sierras and blanketed portions of the valleys with as much as 15 inches of snow. By the way, winter doesn't begin for five more weeks.

The second storm is supposed to come sometime this Sunday, which is when we are singing at Holy Spirit Mission. Fortunately, we will be there in the morning as opposed to our usual late afternoons at the Cathedral. If what NWS Reno (hi Mark) says is accurate, we'll have to deal with wind when commuting to and from HSM, with the snow arriving later.

Regarding this Sunday, Kathy sends the following:

First of all, your safety is most important.  Conditions vary widely within the area.  Members reside from Cold Spring to Washoe Valley, from Verdi to Spanish Springs and Hidden Valley.  There can be a lot of snow in one place and little to nothing in another.  Driving abilities also vary.

It is unlikely that I would cancel Holy Spirit this Sunday, unless there is a really major snow event.  Holy Spirit provides virtually all of the financial support for Regina Pacis and we do very little in return...

You are responsible for your own safety.  If you are experienced at driving in winter conditions, that is one thing.  If you are from an area which does not have winter driving, that is something else.  Only you can determine the conditions in which you can safely drive.

If you feel you are not going to be able to be at Holy Spirit on Sunday, please send an e-mail [; do not call.]...

Above all, please be safe.  May Our Lord and Our Lady bless and keep you.

Or, like Sergeant Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues used to say, "Hey--let's be careful out there."

ETA: While it was sunny and slightly breezy when we arrived, we got out of there just in time as the winds whipped up (making for a tough drive on the new section of I-580) and the snow was coming over the ridge.

The Unkindest Cut Of All

As Kathy mentioned last night, NEVER cut or tear the 11x17" folded papers she gives us with the Propers on them. It costs the choir money to create new ones because the cut ones are unusable; tape fails over time. If you must, copy the pages yourself.

Or, better yet, invest in some 3-ring magazine holders. If you can find them in a local store, more power to you, but it seems no one carries them outside the interwebs.

Another Worthy Food Distribution Charity

In listing charities that help feed the needy, how could I overlook Reno's angel of mercy, Evelyn Mount?

She says her pantry shelves are much more bare than they should be at this time of year, and she's accepting clothing as well as food at her Cannan Street home or at the nearby Oddie Blvd. Sak 'N' Save. More here from KOLO 8, who provided the above image.

Nov. 15: 25th Sunday After Pentecost / 6th Sunday After Epiphany Resumed

7:45 AM AT HOLY SPIRIT MISSION. Please be prompt, or if you can't be prompt, be early.
You can go to the Cathedral at 4 PM if you like, but you'll have the choir loft to yourself.

Asperges Me
Introit: Adorate Deum
Kyrie: Missa Lauda Sion
Gloria: Mass XI
Gradual: Timebunt gentes
Alleluia: Dominus regnavit
Credo I (mp3)
Offertory: Dextera Domini
Sanctus: Mass XI
Agnus Dei: Haller
Communion: Mirabantur (audio only), Ave Verum Corpus (Josquin) (midi; we're only singing the first 1:28; parts broken out also)
Last Gospel: Salve Regina, Crown Him With Many Crowns

See You At 3 PM Sunday?

That's when you'll arrive at the Cathedral if you don't set your clock back an hour before going to bed Saturday. At least this is in our favor, unlike when Daylight Savings Time began earlier this year.

Have you ever found yourself with an extra hour by forgetting to turn your clocks back? My brother and I did one Sunday morning when we were kids, so we spent it by playing Talking Football.

This Is Big

Kathy issued us our new St. Michael Hymnals last night. It is 11 inches high and 7 inches wide and has easily more than 900 pages, so it will be taking up a lot more room in our bags. It is a combination missal and hymnal which will replace the Cathedral's Vatican II Hymnals, which in turn supplanted Adoremus.

Here are some of Kathy's thoughts on the SMH:

It has been clear to me that we would at some point need to purchase new hymnals.  The "Adoremus" ones we are using are no longer available and the translation of the Mass in the front was changed several years ago, so it is badly out of date.  There is a revised edition that has more in it with the new translation but the issue there is that no parish in the area has it.  The "Adoremus" has served us well and it was helpful that many of the hymns in it were in Public Domain, so I could easily use them in worship aids, which are necessary when we sing st St. Peter Canisius [1] as well as a few other things (such as the Red Mass last year).  All of the choir editions we have are currently committed.  We have no more to issue to new choir members, if we get any. . . .

After an extended process, the cathedral made the decision to go with the  "St. Michael Hymnal."   This is a more balanced item, has the new translation, retained the original texts of the tradiitonal hymns and also has a lot of material which will be workable for the element  at the cathedral  that wants contemporary music.   There are quite a few Spanish hymns, also important for the cathedral.   I think it was the best possible compromise that could have been made.  A successful fundraising drive was done at the cathedral to raise the money so that no money had to come out of the cathedral budget for them.  The  St. Michael choir editions are expensive; about the same as the other hymnal under consideration,  but at least it is usable for us.  I am not opposed to spending the money. 

SMH graciously provided us with some discounted  "seconds" that may have had typos or misaligned pages. We will be using the Adoremus hymnals until the SMH gets fully distributed at the Cathedral, and then only occasionally after that.

[1] Get Kathy to tell you the story about how she singlehandedly transferred the Cathedral's supply of Adoremus hymnals to St. Peter Canisius. I cannot do it justice, and I wish I could have videotaped her while she told it to me.

The Not-So-Unsung Hero Award

Goes to tenor Rob Bateman, who shrugged off his illness to sing a fine offertory verse yesterday. After all, if he sang, he can't be an "unsung" hero...right?

Let us pray that illness does not tear through the choir as it so often has in previous seasons. And if you aren't feeling well, 1) stay home, and 2) let Kathy know.

Mode 007

Kathy would agree:

"Gregorian chant is not boring when sung properly. It must be light and relatively quick."

--Daniel Craig (no, not THAT one), Corpus Christi Watershed 

Rerouting Your Food Donations

As you know, the Friar's Pantry, our former designated charity, has sadly closed up shop. Kathy has asked that we not bring any further foodstuffs to rehearsal as we find other ways to help the needy. Here are some other organizations that will gladly accept your food or monetary donations:

• Many parishes and churches of other denominations have some sort of food pantry setup, or collect it for distribution by other means. See if yours does.
• Catholic Charities/St. Vincent's.
• Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission.
• The Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
• FISH (Friends In Service Helping), primarily in Carson City, Minden, and Mound House.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list. Additions welcome in the comments.

Nov. 1: Feast of All Saints

4 PM at the Cathedral.

Introit: Gaudeamus omnes

Kyrie, Gloria (mp3), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Justorum animae
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (midi)

Communio: Beati mundo corde
O Quam Gloriosum (Victoria)

Recessional: The Church's One Foundation (midi)

Extra Innings

(Hey, it's baseball postseason time....)

Sometimes, Kathy asks for help from specific choir members for Masses and services that are not part of the RPC schedule, and hence not official RPC "events." At other times, she asks for volunteers for these occasions. Coming up on Monday, November 2, is an opportunity for the latter.

Fr. Paul Fazio will be saying an Extraordinary Form High Mass for the Feast of All Souls at 6:30 PM at the Cathedral, so Kathy says she can use anyone who is available. Please email her if you can sing. We will also be singing there as RPC at the All Saints' Day 5 PM Mass the day before.

ETA: After RPC rehearsal preseason chant class on Tuesday, September 19, 2012, Kristin Rosenqvist, Mark Deutschendorf, Sandy, and I went to dinner at Tamarack Junction's sports bar. The Baltimore Orioles-Seattle Mariners game, being played at Seattle's Safeco Field, was on TV. And on...and on... and on, for 18 innings. It didn't end until around 1 AM PDT; I followed it after we came home. Above is a photo of the final scoreboard. 

A former radio boss of mine drove into work for his normal morning shift at that time and was astounded to hear the postgame show on his Pennsylvania station. I joked via Twitter that when the game started, the Orioles were playing the Seattle Pilots and Bill Gates was using 5 1/4" floppy disks,

Oct. 18: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

4 PM at the Cathedral.

Introit: Ego clamavi

Kyrie, Gloria (mp3), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Meditabor
All People That On Earth Do Dwell

Comunnio: Domine, Dominus noster
Ave Verum Corpus (Josquin) (midi; we're only singing the first 1:28; parts broken out also)

Recessional: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven (midi)

Binders Full Of Music

What, you can't put music in your binder this quickly?
(Link and video courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed, which can always use your support.)

Fortunately, Kathy doesn't collate the binders, most of the time. She does for certain occasions.
She only has to choose the music.
And order it, if necessary.
And sort it.
And drive to Office Depot to copy it.
And arrange it for and/or email it to each member.
And bring it to rehearsal.
And have extra copies for the forgetful and neglectful [1].
And collect it (as appropriate) after each Mass or service.
And file it.
And store it someplace, which used to be her daughter's garage on the other side of town.

Of course, she works as quickly as the above link shows, so it's no problem at all. :-)

As a reminder, if you need holders for the propers in your binder, check this post.

[1] Not that I've ever been that.
...often.

Oct. 4: 27th Sunday In Ordinary Time

4 PM at the Cathedral.

Introit: In voluntate tua

Gloria (mp3), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Vir erat
O Sanctissima

Communio: In salutari tuo
Jesu Dulcis Memoria

Recessional: All Creatures Of Our God & King

St. Junipero Serra and Chant

While on vacation in Monterey and Pacific Grove, CA, Sandy and I had the privilege of visiting the Carmel Mission where Fr. Junipero Serra resided, worked, and is buried. We were there the day before Pope Francis declared him a saint.

Included were a few chant-related items (click on the photos to enlarge them):

A well-illustrated Missale Romanum.

Psalms with responses.

The caption reads, "An original Mass composed by Father Estevan Tapis of this mission." He lived at the Carmel mission from 1806 to 1811.

Interesting: the staffs here have five lines, not four.

Fr. Francisco and Dr. Seuss

(Photo by Gwen Linde)

Many of us from RPC had the privilege of singing this past Monday night for a High Mass commemorating the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated by Fr. Francisco Nahoe. In his homily, he invoked the late great Theodor Seuss Geisel:

"...One might be tempted to conclude that the folks who don't like the traditional Latin Mass REALLY don't like it. They don't like it for themselves, they don't like it for me, they don't like it for you. 'They do not like it in a house, they do not like it with a mouse, They do not like it in a boat, they do not like it with a goat. They do not like it here or there; they do not like it anywhere.'" 

From there, Fr. Francisco went on to talk about misperceptions of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Listen to his whole homily, including the introductory context of the above quote, here. The Reno Catholic Network website contains many other homilies, talks, and presentations, including those from our Gregorian Chant Class of two years ago.

And We're Back

Kathy has informed us that our rehearsals will resume on Tuesday, September 22, so get your vocal chords tuned up. We will be happy to welcome some new faces, but we still need basses. (Hey, that rhymes! Maybe I can be like Tim.)

Meanwhile, a select group will be singing while Fr. Francisco celebrates an Extraordinary Form Mass at the Cathedral for Triumph of the Cross on Monday, September 14 at 6:30 PM.

Finally (apologies for the short notice), Fr. Paul Fazio will sing his first Missa Cantata tomorrow (Friday) night for the Cathedral's monthly First Friday Mass, also at 6:30. A potluck dinner will follow.

Just for Fun

Lost to the anonymity of the Interwebs:

Mode IV. Word.

Aunt Kathy Wants You

We don't get opportunities like this very often. From Kathy:

The cathedral is having a Ministry Fair on Saturday, August 29, after the 5 PM Mass.  Members of various parish ministries will be present to give information about what they do, requirements, etc.  They have kindly included Regina Pacis in this effort. 

There is usually some attrition of membership over the summer months and this year is no exception.  We need to take every opportunity to add to our membership. . . .

I need two or three people who would be willing to help out with this.  I'll prepare a handout which will have information about us and what we do.
Setup time is from 3 PM - 4:30 PM.  There will be a barbecue following the 5 PM Mass, during which time people can go to the various ministry tables to get information.

I only need to hear from you if you can help out with this. 

I'll be sending out information about when rehearsals will resume in a couple of weeks. 

Hope you have had a summer filled with blessings.

Pax Christi,
Kathy

Bad News

I went to the Cathedral tonight for 5 PM Mass, at which Ave Verum Corpus was played and Panis Angelicus was sung for the Eucharist. That's the good news, but the bad news was to be found in the bulletin: The Friar's Pantry, our designated charity, is no more. Here's the announcement:

THE FRIAR’S PANTRY LAST DAY OF OPERATIONS WILL BE JULY 25TH DUE TO LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

The volunteers, John Maddy and I, Gail Scalzi, wish to express our heartfelt thanks for the generosity and support you have given to the Friar’s Pantry all these years. Without your support we could not have accomplished the mission of the Pantry; to feed the needy and less fortunate in our community (Reno downtown area) with special emphasis to our veterans. Thank you. May God bless you always. 

We pray that those who relied on the pantry will find other means of assistance, that we may find other ways to assist them, and that Regina Pacis Cantorum will find another charity to support. I'm sure Kathy will be open to suggestions.

More About The Norcia Monks' Chant Album

Followup to this post. Some tidbits from this Religion News Service article:

• The album Benedicta debuted at number one on the Billboard classical charts.
• The record label co-founder says one reason the Norcia monks sound so good is that their average age is 33.
• The reporter writes, "Interest in Christianity continues to decline, according to the latest surveys. So it seems especially paradoxical that an album showcasing the Catholic Church’s most traditional form of liturgical prayer would generate such interest." I think it's more unsurprising than "paradoxical"; chant is resonating with the young and with those who think they want Haugen-Haas and P&W music at their Masses, but know deep down it doesn't provide the transcendent aspect of worship that chant does. A liturgy without mystery is not a liturgy.

Watch and listen for yourself to this record-label produced video about the Norcia monks. 

Colloquium Returns, As Does The Monthly Cathedral TLM

Follow the goings-on of the silver anniversary Sacred Music Colloquium in Pittsburgh via the Church Music Association of America. As always, Kathy is there and learning some new ways to torture us help us sing better.

Meanwhile, Fr. Paul Fazio will be saying the monthly TLM this Friday evening, July 3, at the Cathedral. It starts at 6:30, with a potluck dessert to follow.

More Simon and Garfunkel

Five minutes before making this post, I had no idea Simon and Garfunkel had done a "Benedictus." It's off their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, which I just acquired. We won't be singing it anytime soon, but I was pleasantly surprised to come across it.

Yes, this is an authorized video.

The Benedictine Monks Are Back

But it's not the same Benedictines who made chant fashionable again two decades ago. This time, it's the Benedictine monks of Norcia, Italy (birthplace of St. Benedict) who have released a Marian chant album called Benedicta. It includes an original composition called "Nos Qui Christi Lugum." It's hard to imagine that chant was not sung at the Norcia monastery for nearly 200 years. Oh well, better late than never.

Read more about it here.

Go Forth And Procure Basses

A year it was and what a year it was for RPC, to paraphrase Simon and Garfunkel. Or perhaps a line from Genesis (the band, not the Biblical book) might be more appropriate:

"Alive at both ends but a little dead in the middle." We were quite busy through the fall and Christmas to make the most of Fr. Francisco's time with us, then we had a couple-month respite while we saw how things played out at the Cathedral. They played out rather well, with us singing at several Sunday Masses and the annual Red Mass. We also kept our regular dates at (a snowless) St. Peter Canisius, St. Rose of Lima, and Holy Spirit Mission.

Time for our annual gratias list:

• To the tireless Kathy Reinheimer whose vision, guidance, and direction for RPC has made it what it is today.
• To all the sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses who made it happen each and every week, many of whom were doing double and even triple time with other scholas. This includes those who were only able to join us at certain times of the year.
• To all the pastors and priests who allowed us to sing at their Masses.
• To the cantors and organists who assisted us.
• To Fr. Larry Morrison for allowing us to rehearse at his church.
• To the RPC members who contributed in any way to the Friar's Pantry. Donations are taken through the summer at the Cathedral sacristy or gift shop.
• To our benefactors. May you be blessed many times over for your generosity.
• And most importantly, to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit for making us sound better than we are.

Have a great and blessed summer, enjoy having your Tuesday nights free. and recruit some basses! Maybe this chap is available:

God Bless You, Fr. Timothy

Yet another honor for us in Regina Pacis Cantorum as we get to sing for newly ordained Fr. Timothy O'Brien, FSSP. Tonight's Solemn High Mass for Corpus Christi at Holy Spirit Mission turned out to be his Second Mass, as evidenced by the card above that he handed out as he was giving blessings afterward. Still, to be part of a new priest's early ministry is something we don't get to do every day. (ETA: I have since learned a newly ordained priest can have more than one First Mass in each different church.)

Fr. Timothy will also say the Solemn High Mass tomorrow night at the Cathedral at which an unaffiliated group of us will be singing and our old friend Fr. Francisco Nahoe will serve as deacon. According to this link, Fr. Timothy will then be saying Masses at missions all over California, including San Juan Capistrano.

From the other card Fr. Timothy distributed:

For the sake of Jesus, Your Son, bestow grace on the priests and uphold them. Do not let them fall into temptation and tarnish their noble vocation. 

--Ignatius Cardinal Kung Pin-Mei

When RPCers Get Married

RPC tenor Ricky Delacruz and former [1] RPC soprano Leslie Kuc are tying the knot this coming weekend! They're having a small, private service, but as I suggested to Ricky, the TMZ drones will provide coverage for the rest of us. They've selected Thailand as their honeymoon destination.

Congratulations and all God's blessings to you both! Ubi caritas and all that.

[1] By "former" I mean "welcome back anytime."

Thu. June 4: Corpus Christi

5:30 PM Solemn High Mass at Holy Spirit Mission, Washoe Valley.

This is the traditional date of Corpus Christi; Catholics in many countries regard it as the third most solemn day behind Easter and Christmas. It is the First Mass for Fr. Timothy O'Brien, FSSP, who is being ordained on May 30.

Introit: Cibavit eos

Kyrie: Missa IV Toni

Gloria: Mass IV (mp3)

Gradual: Oculi omnium

Alleluia: Caro mea vere

Sequence: Lauda Sion

Credo IV (mp3; as Kathy said, there are more Credos than III)

Sanctus, Benedictus: Missa Brevis (Marxer/Rossini)

Agnus Dei: Missa IV Toni

Communio: Quotiescumque (mp3)

Processional: Pange Lingua (note: final 2 verses of Pange Lingua will be sung at the first and second altars and when returning to the chapel before Benediction)

Processional from first to second altar: Adoro Te Devote

Processional from second altar to chapel: Ave Verum Corpus

Closing: Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (S, A, T, B)

Tempo! Or, Get Your Head Out Of The Music

Kathy is always reminding us to remember to keep the tempo going with our chants and not slow down after each full bar. For our polyphonic pieces, Sandy found this helpful tempo guide:

Victor Borge defined accelerando as, "Hurry up, the conductor skipped a page."

Another RPC'er In The News: Answered Prayers For Rain

(Image from KTVN)

We've still got a long way to go to offset the effects of our nearly four-year drought, but the rains of the past week certainly won't hurt; thank you, Jesus! Who better to discuss the short- and long-term impacts of our Seattle-esque week than National Weather Service meteorologist and RPC bass Mark Deutschendorf?

KTVN story: Where We Stand Now In Our Drought After Recent Rains

(Trivia: The late John Denver's real name was Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. He was no relation to Mark, as far as we know.)