Saturday, June 18: Davis-Summers Wedding

At the Cathedral, 12 noon. You'll need both the Adoremus and the SMH.

Entrance: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

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

Offertory: We Rejoice God's Holy People

Communion: Adoro Te Devote, Be Thou My Vision

Marian Devotional: Alma Redemptoris Mater  (S, A, T, B, Palestrina: this version has the tenors intoning the first measure, but both the tenors and basses are doing so for us)

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

There Is Hope!

From Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, Prefect of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (emphasis added):

I have witnessed that very often our liturgies have become like theater productions. Often, the priest no longer celebrates the love of Christ through his sacrifice, but just a meeting among friends, a friendly meal, a brotherly moment. In looking to invent creative or festive liturgies, we run the risk of worship that is too human, at the level of our desires and the fashions of the moment. Little by little, the faithful are separated from that which gives Life. For Christians, the Eucharist is a question of life and death! [...]

One must begin by replacing God at the center of the liturgy. If man is at the center, the Church becomes a purely human society, a simple non-profit, like Pope Francis has said. If, on the contrary, God is at the heart of the liturgy, then the Church recovers its vigor and sap!  Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger prophetically wrote, “In our relationship with the liturgy, the destiny of the faith and of the Church plays out.” [...]

To put God at the center of the liturgy, one must have silence: this capacity to silence ourselves [literally: “shut up”] to listen to God and his Word.

All I can say is:

Cdl. Sarah goes on to say returning to ad orientem worship would go a long way to change things. He adds versus populum worship was allowed by Vatican II, but never mandated.

Read the whole thing as translated by the National Catholic Register. Then pass it on because otherwise, it is likely to be ignored, even though it comes from this high-level Vatican official.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia via the NCReg. HT: Sandy)

Is This Our Penance?

If so, it is coming in two parts.

Part I: The choir loft was quite hot yesterday; Kathy says it's because the Cathedral's air conditioning unit is being replaced. She adds the new one should be in place before the June 18 wedding. I certainly hope so, because not only will we be sweating [1], so will the bridal party and celebrant!

Part II: Thought you were done with your cinder block St. Michael Hymnal for the year? Not quite; you'll need it for these rehearsals and the wedding. Bring a block and tackle if necessary to get it up to the loft.

[1] This is a good place for a reminder of the RPC dress code. Unless Kathy expressly says otherwise, bring and wear your robe each Mass.

• Robes are to be clean and not wrinkled.
• Only light, pastel colors are to be worn under the robe. Absolutely NO dark colors (other than the next item on the list) or prints, plaids, or stripes.
• Black slacks are preferred for men. If you don't have black, navy blue is the next best thing, followed by charcoal, brown, and (as a last resort) grey.
• Ladies, if you are wearing slacks or a long skirt, "black is the color" for this also.
• Black shoes, please.
• No flashy jewelry please.
• Please do not wear any scent to choir.
• Music is to be IN PROGRAM ORDER in a black binder.

Mission Accomplished...Congratulazioni!

Commenting after the concluding prayer at today's 5 PM Mass at the Cathedral, Fr. Jacob Carazo admitted he was surprised by our signing of "Lo Spiritu del Signore" for post-Communion. As Kathy had already known, the song was sung when Fr. Jacob was ordained a priest at the Cathedral 12 years ago today. Fr. Jacob went on to say he particularly remembered it when he was being congratulated by his fellow priests for joining their fraternity.

Let us add our congratulations, Fr. Jacob! We're glad to have you as the Cathedral's rector.

Coda, or We're Not Done Yet

While Sunday's 5 PM Corpus Christi Mass marks the end of our normal liturgical season, those of us who are able to will still have a few rehearsals remaining before our final Mass, namely the Saturday, June 18 wedding at the Cathedral (12 noon call time: usual time, usual place for rehearsals). Kathy tells me the couple chose all the music.

More Prayers Please

• For tenor Barbara, whose chronic back pain has affected her ability even to walk.
• For alto Phyllis Young's husband Ray.
• For tenor Ricky Delacruz, his wife Leslie, and their soon-to-be-born son Jack. Ricky will be taking a most understandable leave of absence from the choir.
• For the continued mission of Regina Pacis Cantorum.
• And for a special intention.

Speaking of which, I thank you for all of the prayers for my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Snyder, and for my wife Sandy who has been taking care of her around the clock over the past couple months.

Any other prayer requests, including those I heard but somehow forgot? Please include them in the comments. (HT for the above image: my father, who had it on a sweatshirt.)

Choir Singing Is Cool Again

Afraid to tell your friends, family, coworkers, churchgoers, etc. you're part of a Gregorian chant/polyphony choir? Don't be!

From theconversation.com: Choir singing improves health, happiness – and is the perfect icebreaker (HT: Marli Reinheimer, Kathy's daughter). Of course, you already know choir singing is good for you.

We in RPC don't sing chant and polyphony because it's cool, but because it's what the Church teaches.

May 29: Corpus Christi

Aside from the June 18 wedding, this is our last Mass of the season. Whereas recent Corpus Christi Masses were in the EF, this one will be Novus Ordo, but we'll still be busy.

Introit: Cibavit eos (T/B: mp3)

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

Sequence: Lauda Sion

Credo III (mp3)

Offertory: Portas coeli (S/A mp3), Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Communio: Hoc corpus, Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart/Main), and this piece

Closing: Father We Thank Thee Who Has Planted

Kyra's Spaghetti Feed

Short fuse on this one: Soprano Eleanor Walls informed us that there will be a fundraiser spaghetti feed this Friday night in the Cold Springs section of north Reno.

Kyra is a six year old with cancer.  Her family cannot afford her treatments. The community is doing a fundraiser to help.  A spaghetti dinner is being held this Friday from 5:30--8:00 at Cold Springs Middle School [map]. There is a need for servers for the food.  The servers do not set up or clean up and should check in at 5:00.

Please call me to confirm your volunteering at 775-722-6921. 

(ETA: More than $6,000 was raised for Kyra's family!)

Bravissimo!

To our Nancy, who refused to be intimidated by the Cathedral's organ and accompanied us without ever having played that particular organ before! Rumors that she will be touring with Rick Wakeman this summer have yet to be confirmed. 

From Nihil to Nikhil

You never know where you're going to find associations with chant. Last night, Kathy pointed out for the umpteenth time that the Latin word nihil (nothing) is actually pronounced "nee-keel" for our purposes, and mihi is "me-kee." Today, I was checking something on the New Jersey DMV (they call it the Motor Vehicle Commission, MVC) website. Imagine my surprise when the first thing I saw was this:

It turns out "Nikhil" is a male first name in India. I found this a fascinating coincidence, but as I read further, I discovered the sad reason why it was on the MVC site.

"Stop for Nikhil" refers to 11-year-old Nikhil Badlani (top) who was killed by a vehicle that rolled through a stop sign in 2011. Nikhil's Law took effect in New Jersey earlier this year:

Nikhil’s Law requires the Motor Vehicle Commission inform teenage drivers or the dangers of distracted driving in the driver’s manual and in the driver’s license examination. It also gives them the option to take the "STOP for Nikhil Safety Pledge" when getting their licenses. (Daily Record)

The Nikhil Badlani Foundation not only focuses on traffic safety education but also low-cost music education and scholarships for needy children. Nikhil was a budding musician (!) and actor and was already well aware of traffic violations before his death.

So give some second thought before making that so-called "California stop," even in your own neighborhood; I see it done in my development all the time. Had it not been for chant and "nee-keel," I might have ignored this important story.

Kathy's Paper Trail

It's nice to know that Kathy has nothing to worry about when it comes to organizing and filing RPC's music. After all, she has that full-time clerical assistant who puts every piece where it belongs, returns separated Communios to their propers, makes all the copies, etc.

...wait, what? Kathy DOESN'T have such an assistant? Never mind. (How did she manage all of this before she retired?)

If you really want to frazzle Kathy, make her "job" of music organization harder. Don't follow her directions on how to stack your music at the beginning of rehearsal or the end of Mass. Put other music she isn't asking for among the piles, even in a separate pile (yes, I've done that one). Forget to include the Communios with the verses inside the corresponding propers. Turn in music that doesn't need to be turned in, or at least not yet. And so on. Check out these other ways to get on Kathy's bad side.

Let's run down what you need to do with what at the end of the season.

Things NOT To Turn In (That Is, You Keep Them)

• Books/booklets (but these should be returned if you leave RPC. More on that later):
• Adoremus
• St. Michael's Hymnal
• Liber Cantualis
• St. Gregory Hymnal*
• Chormisik der Caecilianer* (the "green book")
• Chants of the Roman Missal* (English)
• Sheet music of:
• Asperges Me/Vidi Aquam
• The eight Gloria Patri tones*
• Gospel Acclamations, Sundays of the Year I
• Memorial Acclamation*
• Repleatur
• Tutorial sheets on:
• Latin pronunciation (vowels, consonants)
• Solfege
• Mechanics of the Chant/Gregorian Chant Notation
• Any personal copies of any music (throw away or recycle; please don't confuse Kathy)
• Any schedule printouts (likewise)

*If you have it.

Things To Turn In (Most Of Which Probably Should Have Been Turned In Sometime Over The Past Eight Months)

• Other Gospel Acclamation sheets besides SotY I
• Psalms in numerical order
• Propers (with the corresponding Communio inside)
• Holy Thursday or Easter Sunday booklets
• Hymns or motets in alphabetical order, but NOT if they're going to be used for Pentecost or Corpus Christi; check first

Please erase any pencil marks you make on each of these pieces of music unless you want Kathy to give you back the same copy next year or in a future year; in that case, put your name on the front of each piece in pencil.

By the way, some of you reading this blog still have choir robes and music books even though you have long since left RPC, or you know someone else who does. What on earth are you/they planning to do with them? Please arrange, or have that person arrange, to return them to Kathy. That'll be one less thing to go to confession for.

Have A Great Trip

Deacon Russ Bergin and his wife encouraged us today before Mass at St. Peter Canisius, a venue where we enjoy singing and the congregation seems to enjoy hearing us (and where it didn't snow anytime we were there this year!). He and other local deacons are heading to Rome for the next three weeks to see their "boss" Pope Francis, as Deacon Russ put it. That's not much of an exaggeration, considering deacons serve the bishop and the bishop answers to the Pope.

Deacon Russ told us they drew lots, and two lucky/blessed deacons will get to serve at Mass with the Holy Father. He admitted he was glad he was not one of those selected, saying he would be too nervous! We shall keep the deacons in our prayers, especially that the Lord's will be done through them during this visit.

May 15: Pentecost Sunday

At the Cathedral, 4 PM.

Introit: Spiritus Domini

Kyrie, Gloria, Agnus Dei: Missa Prima (Haller; mp3s)

Sequence: Veni Sancte Spiritus

Credo III

Offertory: Confirma hoc

Come Down, O Love Divine

Sanctus: Mass VIII

Communio: Factus est repente

Factus est repente de carlo sonus (Handl)

Recessional: Come Holy Ghost (handout)