Who Knew?

Before I cantored this past Trinity Sunday, I noticed something about the altar at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral and took the above photo. It was the first time I can remember ever seeing the writing behind the crucifix, which appears to be from the Extraordinary Form Eucharistic Prayer:

ACCÍPITE ET MANDUCÁTE EX HOC OMNES: 

HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM, 

QUOD PRO VOBIS TRADÉTUR.

ACCÍPITE ET BÍBITE EX EO OMNES: 

HIC EST ENIM CALIX SÁNGUINIS MEI 

NOVI ET AETÉRNI TESTAMÉNTI, 

QUI PRO VOBIS ET PRO MULTIS EFFUNDÉTUR 

IN REMISSIÓN E M PECCATÓRUM. 

HOC FÁCITE IN MEAM COMMEMORATIÓNEM.

Compare this photo with one I took a few years back:

Curtains of various colors usually covered the words. I'm not sure whether the removal of the coverings has anything to do with the imminent departure of the Friars from the Cathedral, but it's at least nice to know those words are there. Any further explanation and/or background is welcome.

Turn-In Time

MAJOR ADDITION: PLEASE TURN IN YOUR ST. MICHAEL'S HYMNAL AT THE JUNE 5 REHEARSAL. The Cathedral will no longer be using it, and with Fr. Francisco's help, we will donate the hymnals to a parish in Castro Valley, CA. At least our muscles will get a rest. Again, that's at the June 5 rehearsal.

Everything else will be turned in at the June 12 rehearsal, except of course for what will be needed for the Saturday, June 16 wedding which ends our season. Sorry for the over-explanation, but if we just follow directions, it will make Kathy's life much easier.


It's music turn-in time! Recall that Kathy gave you a manila envelope earlier this year; she distinctly asked you to keep it to facilitate turning your music in. If you don't have it, please get another one, and in either event, put your name on it. Do not submit ANY loose sheets.

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.

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

• ON JUNE 5: 
• St. Michael's Hymnal
• ON JUNE 12:
• Other Gospel Acclamation sheets besides Sundays of the Year I
• Psalm responses in numerical order
• Propers (with the corresponding Communio inside)
• Booklets from Holy Thursday, Easter Sunday, or others
• Hymns or motets in alphabetical order

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

• Adoremus
• Parish Book of Chant
• 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/recycle; Kathy gets these every. single. year.)
• Any schedule printouts (likewise)

*If you have it; not everyone does.

We Like What You've Done With The Place

Yes, I was snapping a gratuitous shot of Kathy as we were warming up this morning for our only visit to St. Peter Canisius this season, but I also wanted to take note of the nice new tile floor there. We could actually hear ourselves, and in the congregation, Sandy remarked we sounded much more alive than when sound-deadening, wall-to-wall carpet was the rule. Great job, Fr. Edgar Villanueva and Deacon Russ Bergin, among others!

However, Sandy adds the job may ultimately go for naught. The sanctuary is far too small for St. Peter's growing congregation; for example, the parish has 600 children enrolled in CCD (this is ultimately what is called a Happy Problem). Word is the Diocese of Reno may authorize a new church to be built on the property because it would be less expensive than bringing the current structure up to code. This sounds like a long-range project, but it's still exciting to hear, and maybe RPC will be a small part of that effort at this traditionally Hispanic parish.

Quick Hits

• Organize. Your. Music. Few things bug Kathy as much as not knowing where you put your music, with the possible exception of telling her, "You never gave it to me." Warmup before Mass is not the time to put your music together; I actually organize mine during rehearsal. We simply will not have time for a lot of fumbling for music at St. Peter Canisius this Sunday.
• Mark your music. Note horizontal episemas, dotted puncti, liquescents [1], when to watch Kathy (besides always), and troublesome notes. If you really want to impress Kathy, strike out a couple notes in each phrase of our chants where you will take a breath. In pencil, please!
• Reminder from Kathy: No perfume or cologne. Many in our choir are overly sensitive to fragrances, and by "many," I mean Kathy.
• I do not have the time to post the videos or mp3s of our upcoming Mass pieces, so I will not be doing so any longer. If you would like to take this on, I welcome the help; there can be more than one webmaster for this site.
• Hosanna for the return of tenor Barbara Fanaris from the disabled list! We'll take any time she can give us, and continue to pray for her.

[1] If you have no idea what those are, please review this and this.

One More Gig

Bass Zac Lunt's sister Shelbe will be graduating on Saturday, June 9 at 1 PM at the Cathedral. Anyone who can sing for the graduation, please let Kathy know. She needs all the singing bodies she can get.

I like to refer to myself as a "switch hitter" who can sing tenor or bass, but Zac is even more of one. He can sing with us or, at a moment's notice, get pulled from the Cathedral choir loft to be an altar server! It's already happened at least once this season.

Requiescant in Pace

On April 26, bass Tim Rhodes lost his mother, Dolly Rhodes (above), suddenly. We pray she joins his father among the heavenly choir. I apologize for not posting about it until now; I was on the other side of the country. There is a GoFundMe account for her started by Tim's niece, Jackie Mullen:

Our grandma, Dolly Rhodes, had a wonderful life full of love and laughter. She was on vacation to visit family and for her grandaughters wedding in Vermont when she passed away last night April 26,  2018. We want to send her home so she can be buried next to our grandpa- her last wish... Please help us make this come true. She was one of the sweetest, most loving people and we want so badly to make this happen for her.

Also, we sang an unplanned a cappella Mass today because our organist, Jennifer Cotter, lost her grandmother, Olga Wascher, on Tuesday, May 1. She is in Wisconsin for the funeral.

Please keep Tim, Jennifer, her husband Bill, and their families in your prayers. Here is a different prayer for the souls of Dolly and Olga:

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that the souls of Thy servants and handmaidens, the memory of whom we keep with special reverence, and for whom we are bidden and are bound to pray, and the souls of all our benefactors, relatives and connections, and all the faithful, may rest in the bosom of Thy saints; and hereafter, in the resurrection from the dead, may please Thee in the land of the living. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.