Notes from the Music Guy V

The Feast of Christ the King is not just the last Sunday mass in the church year, it is the culmination of the church year: we celebrate the eternal reign of Christ as King of heaven and earth.

It's really a big deal, though we sometimes lose track of it, with all those other feasts and seasons all over our calendars, and with Thanksgiving coming right behind it.

This year, we thought we'd give the feast its due, so this Saturday the Resurrection and Nova Gospel choirs, from St. Elizabeth's Church on Detroit's near east side, will be singing at our 5:00 mass. They've been working to learn some of our acclamations, and we've been working to learn some of theirs (whether you knew it or not, heh heh). I had the privilege of working with St. Elizabeth's for the past year, and they graciously agreed to bless us with their presence.

By the way, a quick read through the Book of Revelations makes it pretty clear what all of us will be doing when we reach heaven: we'll be singing in the choir. Mass is a great opportunity to get in some practice!

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Notes from the Music Guy IV

Here’s what we share with every singing Christian community out there: the opportunity for “engaged worship” – worship that draws the believer in and resonates throughout his or her being. That means that “alleluia” doesn’t come just from my voice box, it comes from my heart. Such engagement is elusive, and ultimately a very personal thing, different for each worshiper.

There are a variety of tastes and opinions and moods in the assembly these days, and music can divide as easily as it can cause us to come together. Some churches have taken to offering different masses or services in different styles: I hope WE never come to that. Part of our calling as Christians is to encourage each other in faith – perhaps best accomplished by helping the other guy sing his song. So here at St. Clement’s, I will strive for enough diversity in the mass that, by the time each mass is over, we will have sung something that touches everyone.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Notes from the Music Guy III

Last week, I mentioned my Presbyterian upbringing. The most positive aspect of worshiping there was the joyful energetic song from the pews. Those folks knew how to sing hymns, and their love for worship in song was unmistakable.

The Catholic Church, on the other hand, has, in recent history anyhow, only looked to the pews for musical participation for the past 40 years or so. As faith traditions survive by being handed down among families, more than any other way, there’s really no way to graft the Protestant hymn-singing tradition on to the collective Catholic experience. Nor is it necessarily desirable.

What Catholic worship offers us is the opportunity to fully open the Word of Christ, and to tie it to His true Body and Blood, which we experience so profoundly in the Eucharist. By lifting our voices in unison in the Gloria, Eucharistic chants, and hymns, we act as the voice of the Body of Christ. In the dialog of the Psalms, the Alleluia, and the Kyrie, we engage in dialog with The Word itself, and draw not only on our Catholic heritage, but the heritage of our forebears in Faith, the Hebrew people, who first instituted the role of cantor in Temple and Synagogue rites thousands of years ago.

Next week – “What we share with every singing Christian community”

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Notes from the Music Guy II

As promised, here’s part two of my introduction:

I grew up Presbyterian, and hymn singing was a large part of my family life. Every Sunday night, before we went to bed, the whole family would sing hymns together: Dad had a gorgeous baritone voice, and Mom sang and played piano.

In the Presbyterian Church, there was a tradition of singing whatever the organist threw at us – in four-part harmony. Of course, the old favorites got more participation, but the joy of lifting our voices to the Lord got us all on board. On the other hand, we always read the Psalm – singing it was out of the question.

From time to time, I tried to find a way to use my musical talent as a Presbyterian – in general, it didn’t work out. My pop music background didn’t really lend itself to a foursquare hymn singing tradition. I was thrilled when my wife’s Catholic West Virginia parish invited me to play with their choir: they had just bought the same blue Gather hymnals that we have here now at St. Clement’s – THIS was some music that fit my skill set! And singing the Psalm was just so much better. After all, the Psalms were songs in the first place. They were meant to be sung.

Since West Virginia, I’ve had a number of opportunities to participate in different Catholic music programs. What I’ve found, consistently, is that where the voice of the assembly is cherished, it will thrive. The talent of the music ministers is really pretty far down the list of needs for engaged worship. What is most important? First, “love God” – use songs that connect to and honor the Word of God. Second (and like unto it), “love thy neighbor” – use songs that the assembly knows and appreciates, or that they will WANT to learn, and are within their grasp.

Diversity within the assembly makes the second point a challenge, but it’s a noble one, and worth pursuing. Nobody ever said ministry was easy…

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Notes from the Music Guy I
(my first parish bulletin article)

Since this is my first article, I should tell you something about myself:

My name is Jay Ricketts, I live in Emmett with my wife Kim. We're both long-time Michiganders - I went to Eisenhower High School - but we've moved around a bit. We have two kids, both grown, and three grandkids, ranging in age from 1 to 4. I've been a musician all my adult life, but except for a few years in the late 70's, it's been a sideline rather than a career. I played in rock, pop, and country bands in and around Detroit, Washington DC, and Winchester VA, as well as a little bit of regional touring. One of my bands even played at the Blue Banjo a few times. I've also done some solo piano - jazz isn't my strong suit, but I can do it in a pinch.

Music became a ministry for me in about 1992, in West Virginia, when I "accompanied" the singer at the blessing of our wedding by recording some MIDI tracks of piano and organ parts. Fr. Brian watched the little MIDI box and flashing lights, and then approached me afterwards about joining the music ministry. I did, and got more and more involved in the church, eventually taking a directorship at St. Cornelius in Dryden in 1997. I learned a lot over the next five years from the great folks there.

I stayed in Dryden until 2002, when I returned to school to work toward a Church Music degree at Madonna University in Livonia. After about a year of that, I had to return to church work for financial reasons, working as the organist for the gospel choirs at St. Elizabeth's in Detroit, and as an accompanist at St. Blase in Sterling Heights and Ss. John & Paul in Washington Twp. I'm continuing my studies at Madonna, but am not taking courses this semester. The degree should come in about two years, if I stick to it.

Fr. Doc called me a few months ago when the parish found itself without a music director, and I accompanied the Saturday masses until he and Fr. Steve offered me the directorship. This looks to be an excellent parish, how could I say no? Thanks to everyone who's been so kind and welcoming to me in my first weeks here. It means more than you can imagine. I'd also like to thank Mary Love, Sarah Schultz, Anne Roszczewski, and Caroline Muylaert, who are all from St. Cornelius, for pitching in and canting at Saturday masses, and especially Chris Swoish, who has agreed to continue accompanying and canting here on a regular basis.

Watch this space! This will be a more or less weekly column, with information and musings about ministry, music, and worship. Next week: part two of the introduction, where I'll talk a bit about worship and ministry. Meanwhile, anyone who's interested in being part of the cantor ministry, please call the parish office and leave me a message. With any luck, I'll have the phone system figured out by then...

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

No, He's Not
An open letter to Sojourners.com

Some background: Sojourners, an organization trying to serve as a voice for (politically) liberal Christianity, has been running a "God is Not a Republican... or a Democrat" campaign, with some success. I signed on, and have been getting their newsletters. Their latest letter quotes a retort from a Mrs. Brough, who insists that she is sure that God is a Republican, because he's pro-life. End of story. Hence my response below:

I'd agree with Ms. Brough that God must be appalled at Mr. Kerry's stance on abortion. I certainly am, and it's enough to cause me to withhold my vote.

But surely God must be equally appalled at the constant lies and deceit from our Republican leaders as they struggle to justify an unjustifiable war in Iraq. And at Mr. Bush's gleeful run as the "hangin' governor" of Texas. And at the Republican party's awful treatment of the poor, especially with regard to world hunger, and access to medical care.

Bush had the gall to announce a "National Sanctity of Life" day last year, as if the question of "life" begins and ends with abortion. It most certainly does not. To believe in its "sanctity", one must believe that it is God's alone to take away, except in the lawful defense of life (Bush's creative attempts to redefine defense a la Vince Lombardi do nothing to change the true offensive nature of his actions in Iraq). Bush and the Republican party have proven time and time again that they believe that it's good to kill "bad people", or send our kids to their deaths in a war with little or no connection to our national security, or accept death and mistreatment of Iraqi non-combatants as necessary collateral damage, or withhold needed medical services from poor people. And the Democrats, long the voice of the vulnerable and voiceless, has completely dropped the ball with regard to these most vulnerable and voiceless humans, the unborn.

Jesus told us there are two great laws: Love God, and love your neighbor. Both parties have fallen far short of the Glory of God, in both respects.

I don't pretend to know the mind of God well enough to say how or if He would vote, but THIS Christian will be waiting for a candidate who believes in the TRUE sanctity of life in all its forms before he casts another vote for president.
In Christ,

Jay Ricketts
Emmett, Michigan, USA

All Things Must Pass, Part II

This past Sunday was my last at St. Elizabeth's. I've accepted the job as Music Director at St. Clement of Rome, in Romeo MI, a northern suburb of Detroit.

The worship space is beautiful, especially the panorama: you get the sense of being surrounded by nature. This may be different when the greenery is gone, of course.

Nice small 2-manual Casavant - 14 stops? - and a Kawai grand, which sounds a little jangly, but still nice. Worship II and Gather I in the pews.

The workload is light, the pay is good, the politics may be treacherous: time will tell. I have a sub, which always makes things better. And Romeo is only a 20-mile drive, compared to 40 for Sterling Heights and 50 for Detroit. No choir at first, but there is a dormant cantor program which I'm expected to resurrect.

I haven't severed ties with the other churches, but will continue at St. Elizabeth's on a volunteer when-I-can-make-it basis, and at St. Blase as a scheduled accompanist through December only.

And, I'll need to rename the blog again, as I am no longer "Once and Future", as of October 1. I can't remember what I used to call it. Maybe this time we'll go with "Confessions of a One-Eared Music Director". Whaddya think?

Hello? *thump* Is this thing on?

So, Last Summer...

...I swore I wouldn't take any more summer classes - just can't concentrate, need time off, bla bla blah. But then summer rolled around, and I got overconfident. So here's the report card:

Chorale: A
Organ: C+

IOW, it happened again. Some people just refuse to learn from history. :(

New Life for St. Josaphat's

Maida's decision to allow it at St. Josaphat seems in keeping with the spirit of Vatican rules, Reese (of America magazine) said. But, "It would be counterproductive if too many people turn this into a marketing strategy to fill churches. The idea behind allowing this mass was that it could help older people in the later stages of their lives. The hope is that this mass eventually will fade away."

I really don't think that's the point, and I think Reese knows that all too well. I'm guessing a lot of the massgoers will be Gen-X'ers. Read the article.

The museum approach At St. J's is interesting, because it's always been my contention that falling back to the Tridentine mass belies a museum approach to liturgy. I know there are those who disagree passionately. Maybe I'll hear from one or two of ya...

The Long Awaited Review

Okay, I promised a review, here it is...

I'd like to say that this book changed my life. That's not exactly true, but it's changed my paradigm. Which, I believe, will ultimately change my life.

"This book" is Randall Sullivan's The Miracle Detective. Sullivan started his journey as a jaded but curious Rolling Stone reporter investigating a Mary sighting in a trailer in Oregon. When none of the claims were neatly explained away by his preconceived biases against such things, or by the Catholic hierarchy that (sadly) downplays these things as embarrassing signs of superstition, he dug further.

His digging ultimately took him to Medugorje, and Rome. And Scottsdale, Arizona. And elsewhere. What he encountered forced him to cast off his world view... and me, mine. He tried to reconcile his old lifestyle with his new outlook - it didn't work very well. But for 10 years or so, he followed the story of Mary wherever it would take him, and we're left with a sometimes breathtaking encounter of his meetings with the Medugorje visionaries, their American equivalents, Vatican officals, and, finally, Fr. Bernard Groeschel himself.

Sadly, it seems everyone, except maybe the visionaries themselves, has some kind of agenda to go with this. So ubertraditionalists are disparaging of the Medugorje statements urging us to love our Muslim brethren. Liberals are dismayed by the lack of attention that social justice gets in Mary's messages. And, it seems, Vatican apologists are scared to death that they'll officially embrace a Marian vision now, only to be debunked 50 years later as science turns another corner. The lesson of Galileo Galilei burns bright in their collective memory.

Sullivan's writing is occasionally problematic, and consistently inconsistent. I think the inconsistency can be forgiven - the whole point of the book seemed to be about his own metamorphosizing from sophist world traveler to engaged pilgrim. That he speaks sometimes with one voice, sometimes with the other makes a certain sense.

The problematic part of his writing is that there are some asides that either need to be expanded or dropped. In particular, an unchallenged slam on the Masons, their "secret" levels, and the sex rites practiced there. Sheesh, either follow it up or leave it out. But as I was reading a pre-release proof, it's possible the editor will insist on the same.

The language in this is occasionally coarse, as one might expect from a sometimes frank and objective report that includes encounters with the demon-possessed, with disbelievers, and with anti-believers. So don't give this to your 6th grader to read. But YOU oughtta read it. So should your friends.

I recommend it. Highly.

Chorale group goes to France - 06/16/04

Sigh... they're going without me...

My choice though - short on $$ and vacation time.

I'm the tall guy in the back. We had a recordist there at St. Ambrose, so some audio clips may follow.

Bon voyage, my homies.

They're playing my song!

Got to do a wedding today with the cantor from my old church, at another church. Of course, we did a couple of my songs, cos we always do. But she told me that my replacement at St. C's scheduled my Pentecost Sequence for today/ tomorrow.

What was odd, was that I didn't remember writing one. I wrote a song based on the Easter Sequence, but the Pentecost Sequence wasn't ringing a bell.

I went home and checked my files - sure enough, I had deconstructed Divinum Mysterium, borrowed some existing lyrics, and assembled a nice little piece of music. COMPLETELY forgot about it!

Also, this could probably only happen in small towns:
The cantor and I ran the music program together in Dryden from 1997-2002;
She was secretary at the church (where we had the wedding) in Allenton until recently;
The pastor in Allenton is also pastor of the church in Capac, where my wife and mother-in-law now attend; and
My wife is waitressing for the wedding reception at the banquet hall in Imlay City tonight.

One more piece of news - Happy Silver Jubilee to my pastor, Fr. John Markham. He's been at St. Elizabeth's for 38 years!!! A bishop is coming tomorrow, not sure which one. Hope he's not expecting a Pentecost Sequence from us - apparently, if it ain't Gospel, we don't touch it...

I know, it's been forever.

Here's something. Report card finally showed up:

Class Voice: A
Chorale: A
Organ: B+

Definitely a mercy B+, there. I played terribly at juries and master class. Prof said I'd overcome so much that semester - meaning my hearing loss and vertigo - that he thought the grade was appropriate. Still sounds like a pity grade to me.

In other news, the newly reported abuse of Iraqi prisoners should help dispel any thoughts that humans are innately good. Wonder what kind of support the war would have had if we had announced ahead of time that we'd be humiliating naked prisoners on camera. Nope - we always pretend we're above evil, and always act surprised when we get caught, and pass it off as a few bad apples. Remember My Lai? Awful hard to hold the moral high ground when there's photographic evidence to the contrary.

Score one for the USCCB, who could easily say "told you so" right now.

A draft translation of the new Mass in English

Well, here it is. Still preliminary. These are all jpegs, about 60kb per page, so for those of you on dialup looking for song texts:

Page 4: Kyrie (only the priest's part is changed)
Page 5: Gloria (significant changes)
Page 14: Sanctus (the hosts are back!)
Page 17: Anamnesis (only 3 instead of 4)
Page 25: Doxology/Amen (largely unchanged)
Page 37: Pater Noster (unchanged)
Page 39: Agnus Dei (grammar alert!!!)

Creed's somewhere between 8 and 13.

I'm reserving comment, though I spoke to this before. Maybe after I've had time to chew them over for a while...

Blogfasting

Last year I gave up the web for my last week of Lent - I tried a progressive fast, and "progress" eventually took me there.

THIS year I had no intention of doing that again - giving up meat and sweets instead, that's aplenty. But due to my change in work locale, I've got NO web access, except when I'm home. There (uh, here, I mean), it's dialup, and I'm pretty darn busy. So you won't see much of me while I'm gigging in the glass house that Pete built. But it's not my health this time, just my circumstance.

Happy Holy Week, everyone!

All Things Must Pass

Six and one half years on my current project. Today's the last day.

When I interviewed, they warned me it might last more than a year. I grudgingly accepted. Now that I've been here roughly quintuple my intended stay, I wish it were continuing.

Actually, it is continuing, but only at about 1/4 - 1/3 its prior levels, and I'm one of the "casualties". It's not really as negative as that, because assignments are supposed to be of a finite duration. But these are uncertain economic times, and you never know where the next gig is coming from. And I got real comfy here. I'll especially miss the friends I made here. But many of them are leaving too, or have left already.

So starting tomorrow, I'll be reporting here:
>
rather than that nondescript set of office buildings behind the Speedway Station in South Lansing where i've been showing up for the last eighty months, more or less. 52 mile drive instead of 107 (one way!!!). Still about an hour and a half, but maybe less wear-n-tear on the Alero --- a 2001, already up to 108,000 miles.

Man Confesses After Seeing 'The Passion'

Huh. God moves in mysterious ways.

Works for me.

Humble bishop inspired others:

"'I'm Ken, and I'll be your servant.' "

Requiescat In Pacem, Bishop Untener. Your influence went far beyond the borders of your diocese. Without seeing you, we love you.

May the angels welcome you to paradise.

The Trouble With Catholic Social Teaching by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

The salutary process by which the free market leads to an ever-higher standard of living occurs without having to threaten violence against anyone or to confiscate anyone’s wealth by force. It certainly occurs very much in spite of destructive and ill-considered campaigns for a "living wage" – carried out, all too often, in the name of Catholic social teaching – which utterly fail to understand how this process occurs and which only make it more expensive to hire people in the first place.

I mostly disagree - Woods is battling a few straw men of his own making here - but an interesting read nonetheless. Thanks to Mark Owen for the link.

Happy Birthday, J. S. Bach!



319 today. You rock my world, man.

RIP, Sydney Carter:

"Lord of the Dance" composer dies at 88.

"I did not think the churches would like it at all. I thought many people would find it pretty far flown, probably heretical and anyway dubiously Christian. But in fact people did sing it and, unknown to me, it touched a chord. . ."

My late sister's favorite hymn - we sang it through choked-back tears at her funeral - and one of mine as well. St. Cornelius parish also took to it fondly. It was an Easter season staple there. Old Fr. Dunn remarked more than once, "You sang that like a bunch of Protestants!" It was meant as a compliment, he explained. Good thing, I'm not sure the pew choir was exactly pleased, at least until they got the explanation.

BTW, this has virtually nothing to do with Michael Flatley or clogging. He just borrowed the song title for his revue, and set a dance to its tune (Shaker Song). Sad that generations of non-churchgoers won't know the hymn, but only the show.

MATINS OF THE RESURRECTION - The Schola Cantorum of Saint Peter the Apostle, J. Michael Thompson, director.

A CD of Byzantine Chant for Easter from my pal JMT and his choir.

Includes:
Troparion, Tone 2,6;
Invocation and Troparion with Verses;
Tone 5 podoben (Christos Voskrese);
Litany of Peace;
Resurrection Canon, Ode 1, Ode 3;
Hypakoje (Tone 4 samopodoben 'Predvarivsija';
Resurrection Canon, Ode 4, Ode 5, Ode 6;
Kontakion and Oikos, Tone 8;
Sticheron, Tone 6;
Resurrection Canon, Ode 7, Ode 8, Ode 9;
Exapostilarion, (samopodoben, 'Plotiju');
The Praises, Tone 1;
The Paschal Stichera;
Litany of Supplication;
Litany of Fervent Supplication;
Paschal Dismissal

And watch for his new CD, now released, but not on the web page yet - "Annunciation of the Theotokos: Vespers and Matins"

Also recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter the Apostle, this gives the moveable parts of the services of Vespers and Matins for Mar. 25, sung in harmonized prostopinije, including the entire Canon of the feast. This is a dialogue between the Archangel Gabriel and the Theotokos (i.e., Mary). The services contain many melodies which would only be heard on this feast.

The only place you can purchase it is the Byzantine Seminary Press.

Byzantine Seminary Press
3643 Perrysville Avenue
P.O. Box 7626
Pittsburgh, PA 15214

If you haven't heard the St. Peter Schola before, you're missing a real treat. Highly recommended.

"Abraham", by Bruce Feiler - Harper Collins Publishers

I had the privilege of singing at the 30th annual Livonia (MI) Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast with my college chorale this morning. We sang twice, four songs all together:

Kyrie - Hassler
Alleluia - Thomson
Abide With Me - arr. Hogan
Ain't That Good News - trad (Tuskegee arrangement)

Plans for a fifth tune, Moses Hogan's arrangement of "I Can Tell the World", were scrapped - probably for time considerations, but there's been some question about the way we're performing it - we ignore the score's "swing all 16th notes" directive up front, ostensibly because Mr. Hogan has anecdotally instructed that it be sung straight - but a fellow chorale member has sung this song WITH Hogan - and they swung it. In fact, he quoted Hogan as specifically chewing out a member who wasn't swinging the beat properly - "What are you, a robot?" LOL.

Whatever - I have this, perhaps unfair, perception of conservatory types as just not getting it. Our director commented that Hogan was very precise, and "would have written in triple time if he wanted triplets." NO NO NO NO!!!! Swing is not triplets, at least not in its best form. A "shuffle", a specialized form of swing used in blues, particularly blues rock, DOES use triplets. But most forms of swing stop short of a full triplet, where the first (16th, in this case) note gets 66 2/3 % of the beat it subdivides, and the second note gets the remaining 33 1/3 %. Most true swing ranges from ~ 60/40 to ~ 65/35 --- later versions (Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal) being less pronounced than earlier versions (Duke Ellington, and Count Basie in particular).

So you don't write it in triple time because it's NOT in triple time, unless the conductor (or rhythm section in a combo setting) chooses to do a shuffle. But nobody in choral music circles seems to understand this. Can you feel my frustration? Anyhow, kind of glad we skipped it.

I linked our guest speaker above. He's been actively working for a meeting of the minds among the various "Children of Abraham" - Christians, Moslems, and Jews, and offered some great insights into how we got ourselves into the mess we did. His "Abraham Initiative", a ground level program designed to institute interfaith dialog, is an inspiration. I bought a few copies of his book, I'm hoping my Pakistani Moslem friend and I will get a chance to both read it before we part ways at the end of the month, as our work project draws to a close and our respective companies send us both elsewhere.

The Rising Tide of Uncollected Wisdom

Everyone welcome Jerry to the blogosphere! It's always a kick to see my non-blogging compadres fire up their weblogs for the first time. Jerry's an organist from Southern Cali, with a serious technical bent, and strong on RC theology and liturgy issues as well - I've learned a lot from him.

Not sure what's up with the formatting - his code looks okay. Maybe a Radio Userland thing?

Gather Comprehensive Hymnal, Second Edition

The Short of It:

If you liked the green book, you'll like the red book. If you didn't, you won't.

Seems like a bit more hymnody than before, but nothing approaching the (optimal, IMO) blend found in RitualSong. It also appears to be lighter on OCP content this time, and I was surprised to find that psalm paraphrases still abound in the psalm section. Given the anticipated directives of Liturgiam Authenticam, I was expecting to see the paraphrases moved in with the hymns, and only exact NAB text remaining in this section.

My new parish uses nothing in the pews, and only "Lead Me Guide Me" for the choir. That's unlikely to change. I will soon begin subbing at a second parish - this one uses the green hymnals. Not sure yet if they're planning a change.

Yahoo! News - Church Nixes Good Friday Fenway Hot Dogs

Maybe Fenway oughta serve fishsticks??? Just a thought...

Helen Hull Hitchcock - Roman Missal Translation Update - Bishops Receive ICEL Missal

Ignoring the usual Adoremus spin, this is pretty interesting. My first read of the acclamations found little to which I would object. I'll read it through a few more times before commenting. As to Adoremus' comments - they're nothing if not predictable.

The most valid criticism I've seen of Vox Clara / Liturgiam Authenticam is that it seems to confuse translation with transliteration. But I understand the concern that anything less than transliteration allows the translator to add his own view. Holy Spirit, Guide Us!!!

The Virgil Fox Legacy:

Virgil Fox Masterclass Series!!! Wowy wow wow wow!

These sound files are the only available audio presentations of Virgil Fox Masterclasses, to our knowledge. They were recorded on a consumer reel-to-reel tape recorder of 1969 vintage, and so exhibit the quality expected from this era. The most important aspect of these tapes is being able to hear Virgil talking to a group assembled in his parlor, and hearing his anecdotes, performing tips, and other timeless — and educational — comments.

The recordings — about twenty-eight, in 45-minute installments — will be added to this website, one each month.

Man, do I want to hear these!!!

eBay item 3902169115 (Ends Mar-14-04 20:30:00 PST) - IM SO TOUGH I VACATION IN DETROIT T-shirt

Only three days, folks, no bids yet, hurry up!!!

Graytail Adventures

Updated my other site. It needed it. Not so sure about this one, so it keeps its admittedly generic look and feel for now.

I really SHOULD find another Cecilia pic, though - the card pic is pretty widely traveled.

Bernardin's "Seamless Garment of Life" revisited

“Despite its contribution, the consistent ethic manifests several major weaknesses,” said Father Conley. “I think that a certain theoretical haziness has blunted its political effectiveness” in that the consistent ethic of life does not clarify what actions, such as the welfare of a child, are the responsibility of the state and government, and what actions should be left up to the Church and families.

In the contrary, I don't believe that seamlessness rules out prioritization, or different approaches. The political problems faced by seamlessness come from the pro-life movement's uneasy alliance with the fundamentalist right-wing, whose ONLY interest in life is babies - hence their indifference to capital punishment and war and medical access and hunger. If we believe in the SANCTITY of life, then we must believe that it is God's property, not ours. But in our alliance with the right wing, we shy away from seamlessness, because it endangers our meeting-of-the-minds on the key issue of abortion.

The reason nobody's buying seamlessness these days is because no one is selling. Just try to find an anti-abortion anti-war anti-hunger pro-medical access politician out there. They're few and far between, and the dialogue that needs to happen, the one that will turn hearts and minds, is not happening. Sad.

Thanks to Gen X Revert for the link.

Meniere's Disease Information Center -- The Start Page

Dunno if this is what I have, but the symptoms sound close. They don't offer much hope for improvement, but do seem to offer some support. I like this thought:

As a rule of thumb, you should spend at least as much time learning about Meniere's Disease as you do complaining about it.

Heh heh. I've got a 7-day intense steroid treatment program, then my docs are out of ideas. St. Cecilia, St. Jude, pray for me!!!

Massachusetts - Chamber Recital

My good friend, Karl Henning, invites you to a concert event. I've heard a few of these pieces. Three Things that Begin with 'C' is especially charming - light but not "cutesy". Highly recommended, tell him Jay sent you...

---

First Congregational Church
322 Main St, Woburn, Massachusetts
Sunday, 7 March 2004
4:00pm

---

Karl Henning (1960): Meditation (2003) & Small Ricercar (1994)

Mark Engelhardt, organ

Henning: Prelude on "Kremser" (2002)
Henning: Three Things that Begin with 'C' (2002)
i. Cats
ii. Clouds
iii. Canaries
Henning: Fantasy on a Tallis Hymn (1997)

Karl Henning, clarinet
Mark Engelhardt, organ

(Intermission)

David Bohn (1965): Bagatelles & Epigrams for clarinet solo* (2002)
Henning: Blue Shamrock for clarinet solo (2003)
Henning: Night of the Weeping Crocodiles** (1992/2003)
Henning: Fragments of "Morning Has Broken" (2002)

Karl Henning, clarinet
Stephen Symchych, violin
Mark Engelhardt, piano

* World Premiere
** Massachusetts Premiere

=========================================================

Mark T. Engelhardt is Organist and Director of Music for the
Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Paul, Boston, and Music Consultant for
the Diocese of Massachusetts.

As organist, he has won several competitions, and has been heard in
concert throughout the United States, including Trinity Church, Wall
Street, and Columbia University in New York City; Methuen Music Hall
and Old North Church in Boston; and Bristol Cathedral (England); and
in master classes with Arthur Poister, Marie-Claire Alain, Joan
Lippincott, and Gillian Weir.

He appears as solo organist and choral director on the
recording "Author of Light" of the professional choir and unique
double organ of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. He has been heard
on the American Guild of Organists Sunday morning radio broadcast,
and is heard regularly on the "Sunday at St. Paul's" broadcast every
Sunday on Boston's Classical station WCRB, 102.5 FM.

Mark has served as Dean of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild
of Organists.

====

Stephen Symchych's violin teachers include Carol Stein Amado and
Arturo Delmoni. He also holds degrees from Haverford College
(History), and the Yale School of Management (Strategy, Finance).

Stephen is a violinist in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, which
organization he also serves as Treasurer. When he is not playing
music, he works as an investment consultant at Cambridge Associates,
where he is a Managing Director. He lives in Newton with his wife and
two children.

====

Karl Henning fell in love with the sound of the clarinet at age 10
and has been learning, practicing and creating music ever since.

Formally, Karl holds a B.Mus. with double major in composition and
clarinet performance from the College of Wooster (Wooster, Ohio)
where he studied with Jack Gallagher, Paul Schwartz and Nancy
Garlick; a M.A. in composition from the University of Virginia
(Charlottesville, VA) where he studied with Judith Shatin, Walter
Ross and Douglas Hargrave; and a Ph.D. in composition from the
University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) where he studied with Charles
Wuorinen and Louis Andriessen.

After his doctoral work, Karl lived for four years in and near St
Petersburg, Russia. There he studied the canals, bridges, cathedrals,
white nights and starry winter skies of St Petersburg. This was a
period of informal arts study, which in many ways he considers of
equal importance to his years of formal training.

Happy Birthday, Alison

You would have been 44 today. We still miss you.

Honku: The Zen Alternative to Road Rage

These are great. Anyone who drives a lot should get a kick out of them. Here's a sample:

What keeps me from just
pelting your honking auto
with rotting garbage?
*********
Psycho behind me
what do you want me to do-
hit the crossing child?
*********
Together again
at the stoplight-was it worth
all of the speeding?
*********
Natural rhythms
moons and tides supplanted by
yellow, red, green
*********
April signs of spring-
nesting doves, blossoming trees,
blood-spattered roadkill
*********
The evening sun sets
white moon journeys up the sky
I'm still in traffic

A book deal!

No, nobody's publishing me (though I had an article in AIM Magazine a couple of years ago). But, on the basis of writing this blog, I've been sent an advance reading copy of Randall Sullivan's new book about mracles and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Watch this space for a review...

Just In Time For Lent

Not for the weak of heart - a hard rock version of Psalm 130. This one's not so much designed for church as for shouting from the mountaintop - we did use it a few years back in LifeTeen, but a much less aggressive arrangement. Just click the link above, "Song 130" is right on top. The "Dafduc" thing? Long boring story - just turned into a nickname...

Here's the radio link, bunch of my stuff in rotation now (cos RPMedia is new and I'm one of their beta testers).

New News Update

The Sunday after my 1/14 post, I got a killer case of vertigo - at church, in the middle of playing, with the new bishop there. Sheesh.

I threw up 7 times that day, finally went to ER. Been around with about 4 doctors since then, see a fifth day after tomorrow about some stuff they found on the MRI. Still no hearing in left ear, either.

Prayers will be cheerfully accepted!!!

The Journal of Charles Wesley

Ah, serendipity! Found this looking for a text of his.

Sorta like reading a blog, but he came along a bit before hyperlinking...

Old News

Forgot to post my grades from Fall:

Chorale A
Church Music A
Organ B+

Organ was a nice surprise - was expecting another lackluster grade.

New News

My left ear has been swollen shut since last Thursday - missing work, church, school - can't listen to nothin'! Had to skip the Bowie concert on Friday, two church gigs over the weekend. Zithromax therapy has been to no avail so far. Grumble.

Still was able to get some music work done - assembled some sheet music to submit to OCP for their new Spirit and Song 2.0 hymnal, a teen / young adult oriented collection. I used to buy S&S 1.0 for the graduating HS seniors from my teen choir. Nice little book, and the only OCP resource using much of any Praise & Worship stuff.

If they don't get published, at least I'll finally get a rejection slip! Some composer friends have been ribbing me about my lack of those (I'm 1 for 1 so far).

CNN.com - O'Neill: Bush planned Iraq invasion before 9/11 - Jan. 10, 2004

Grrr.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan brushed off O'Neill's criticism.

"We appreciate his service, but we are not in the business of doing book reviews," he told reporters. "It appears that the world according to Mr. O'Neill is more about trying to justify his own opinion than looking at the reality of the results we are achieving on behalf of the American people. The president will continue to be forward-looking, focusing on building upon the results we are achieving to strengthen the economy and making the world a safer and better place."

Notice the lack of a denial in there. I smell an impeachment campaign. Stay tuned, I guess...

Yahoo! Groups : IKEatraz

Someone has started a mail list for Eisenhower HS (Shelby Twp., MI) grads. Still tiny, but a mighty oak grows from a tiny acorn.

Wow, is that corny.

Anyhow, for anyone from Ike who also finds classmates.com's holding your friends hostage until you pay the "premium membership" ransom to be objectionable, it's a free alternative.

I thought the name "IkeAtraz" was pretty darn clever. It's a large windowless building, all it's missing is the barbed wire...

Choral Subscription Service

The new songlist is here! The new songlist is here!

It appears my composition "Joy!" has been included in GIA's 2004 Choral Subscription Series. It was a surprise to me - a friend just dropped me a line today to let me know. I understand there's a recording --- I hope I can find a copy...

Waiting for Yahwhoo!

Time's almost up.

This is taken verbatim from my "My Yahoo" page:

Groups
View My Groups -- The Groups module has been discontinued. Please look for it again in 2003 when it can show the Groups to which you belong.

R-i-g-h-t...

Alyssa sez:

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

Our Little Match Girls

JEFF GERRITT: A little warmth for women working cold streets

This article brought tears to my eyes. Lord, look after your lost daughters this Christmas, and bless those who do your work.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Wax On, Wax Off

So I've been doing the gospel gig for 5-6 weeks now. It keeps getting better, as we all get used to each other. They've used one of my arrangements now, and we've done some pieces that have just been amazing - particularly Hezekiah Walker's "Jesus, My Help", and Leon Roberts' "Mary's Canticle".

The most quizzical thing for me has been the way I just fell into the bass pedal role. It's still a huge challenge on the classical side, and I've got virtually no bacground in kicking gospel bass. But there it is. And, after watching myself for a while, I finally figured it out - it's the pipe organ lessons that are doing it. A lot of my walking bass patterns involve heel-toe technique, which I'd never used before. So here's this thing I'm learning, and it turns out it's helping me do something almost completely unrelated. That may not be obvious to those who don't play pipe organ - but it's a very different approach and technique.

Apparently the skill sets have a bit in common.

McCabe on the Eucharist

Thans to Dr. Paul Ford for posting this 1994 homily. Lots of challenging thoughts about substantiality and symbols.

I was relieved to read this:

Before the consecration the appearances
were there because the bread was there, they
were just the appearances of the bread. After
the consecration it is the other way round, the
body of Christ is sacramentally there because
what were the appearances of bread (and are
now sacramental signs), are there.

...because it confirms at least the concept of my 2001 Eucharistic hymn, "No Longer Bread". The hymn talks about how the bread and wine become Christ, at the same time, paradoxically, becoming bread for the world.

All Classical Guide - Hugo Distler

We're doing a couple of his works at this year's Madonna U Chorale concert: A Little Advent Music, and Lo, How a Rose. Both gorgeous, and quite detailed!

I'll post concert details tomorrow.

Happy St. Cecilia Day, everyone!

This time of year, fully 4/5 of the visitors to this site are people in search of info on St. Cecilia. I thank all of you for the "hits", and apologize for the lack of info on my favorite saint.

When I started tracking visits last year, I was mortified as my initial 14-16 visitors a day dropped to 6-8 per day. What the heck was I doing wrong? Well, duh - the drop came after November. The count started to rise again gradually around July or so - but it took me until last month before I finally got it.

Watch this space over the coming year - there will be some new St. Cecilia articles, and a St. Cecilia sidebar with links and pics. Thanks again to all of you who love her as I do. Think of her as you sing at mass tomorrow.

Learn to play the piano by ear / organ by ear black gospel style - Learngospelmusic.com

This should help on MY new gig...

Quote of the day

You know the world's gone mad when the best rapper is white, the best golfer is black, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's cup, France is accusing the USA of arrogance and the Germans don't want to go to war. - anon.

An Ethical Spotlight on Unauthorized Copying if Liturgical Music within the Catholic Church. M. Hettinger 2000

Found my pal Maggie's paper on the net while looking for something else. It's a retelling and ethical analysis of the famous FEL vs. Archdiocese of Chicago case, where it was ruled that churches may not photocopy liturgical pieces without authorization.

Great paper, interesting read. Highly recommended.

Here We Go, Here We Go

I have a new church music home - St. Elizabeth's, on Detroit's near east side. More burned out houses than intact ones, and it seems a bit of a seeker parish, if you will - many of the familiar parts of the mass aren't so familiar, and there are a lot of extra spots where we add some gospel music. But it is vibrant, heartfelt worship. And some seriously soulful gospel singing.

I got to sit in this past Sunday. No rehearsals, no charts, only two songs I knew - Burleigh's "Order My Steps", and Malotte's Lord's Prayer. I was on organ, a Hammond A-100 with TWO Leslies. I mostly just followed the pianist. There was a drummer, too, and a bassist/guitarist. When he wasn't playing bass, I kicked bass on the A-100.

Really loose, but some serious worshiping going on. We had satarted out talking about having me come in as the principal accompanist, but the pianist and I jelled real well, so I'm going to ask if I can be her backup - she's better on piano anyhow, and has a voice like an angel. Plus she knows the repertoire. I need some money, due to a big day-job shakeup, but I can get by without the full salary for now. Their biggest (stated) fear was that the current accompanist would up and leave (for stardom - she's THAT good!), and they'd be left with no one. But having me in the wings may actually be better for them than having me take over. Especially cos I got a lot to learn about gospel yet...

Changes in mass are coming for Catholics

Should be interesting! I expect a lot of resistance to the stand-until-everyone-is-served mandate. I expect there will even be priests who never even inform their parishes.

Stay tuned!

Yahoo! News - Bush Signs Anti-Abortion Bill, to Fight in Court

Here we go, here we go...

The Dems need to come off this fast as their defining issue. Future generations will be horrified at the brand of infanticide that passed as a "choice".

Great bumper sticker, I've just seen lately:

A person's a person, no matter how small. - Dr. Seuss

What liberal could argue with that? I couldn't. Maybe I'm just too liberal???

Eisenhower High School Class of 1973 Reunion

They finally found me! My EHS (then a Washington, MI mailing address, now Shelby Twp.) class reunion committee, that is. We were the first class to graduate from EHS - school opened in 1970 (sorta - we used the Malow Jr. High building), but only had 9th and 10th graders the first year. Probably a great formula for creating megalomaniacs - we were the upperclassmen for 4 years straight, counting 9th grade at Shelby Jr. High (from whence a good 95% of us came). For me it was even worse, having finished 8th grade at a 5th-8th grade middle school. Five consecutive years as the senior class at your school robs you of some perspective, I would guess...

So my pal Curt Pollack, the only guy from school I'm still in touch with, gave me the flyer this past weekend, at mine & Kim's 25th anniversary bash (I still need to post THAT story). I probably won't go - it's over Thanksgiving weekend, and most of my best friends from those days are still on the MIA list. But I know **I** did a search a while ago and couldn't find anything. So, since I know the search engines can find this site, even though NOBODY leaves me comments anymore (waaah!!!), here's my public service announcement:

EHS Class of '73 Reunion
11/29/03, Cracklewood Golf Club
18215 E 24 Mile Rd.
Macomb, MI 48044
6:00pm - ???
$25 per person, includes buffet.
Cash bar.
Hosted by: Rod Sapien & Steve Kasprzyk (and Jerry Penzien owns Cracklewood)

RSVP by 11/06/03
email Rod at eisenhowerclassof73@hotmail.com
register at www.classmates.com (I did!)

I'm gonna leave Rod's phone and snail mail addy off the web for now. I'll put 'em up if he asks.

classmates.com is interesting - found out tidbits about my old girlfriend, and found a webpage for my favorite teacher, the guy who turned me on to jazz all those years ago:
Thank you, Mr. Teachworth!!!

Yahoo! News - U.S. Not Ready for Total Abortion Ban, Bush Says

Well, I'm ready, but he may have a better sense of the pulse of America than I do. Meantime, he's signing the bill outlawing partial-birth abortion, that's good enough for me. For now.

Quote of the Day

"Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Thanks to Ange for turning me on to it.

Cool. Who's pourin'?

You're Ireland!

Mystical and rain-soaked, you remain mysterious to many people, and this
makes you intriguing.  You also like a good night at the pub, though many are just as
worried that you will blow up the pub as drink your beverage of choice.  You're good
with words, remarkably lucky, and know and enjoy at least fifteen ways of eating a potato.
 You really don't like snakes.
Take the Country Quiz at
the Blue Pyramid

Take a look at Helen's travel pics:
~~~Travelblogue~~~

Helen's quite a musician too! Check her and my other home recording pals out on:

Now only $17.99 - 3 CD set.

Warning - there SHOULD be a parental advisory on this one - not Helen's (aka Shaky's) piece, though. But approach the piece by "Brad" very carefully...

This Is Promising

Yahoo! News - House OKs 'Partial Abortion' Ban

The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) and the National Abortion Federation (news - web sites) have already announced plans to file a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. Courts have struck down several similar state statutes.

To quote our fearless leader - BRING IT ON! I want to see this debated everywhere - too many people with their heads in the sand on this one! There is SO MUCH new evidence of the humanity and vitality of these children, and so much shift in social mores and policy (the "ruined reputation / ruined life" story doesn't play anymore), that the more public this debate comes, the more the tide will turn in the favor of Life.

NPM Detroit Calendar Page

October 5th, St. Gerald's Farmington, 7pm. Be there!!!

Sadly, I won't - I'm off to Hamilton, Ontario for a weekend of musical hijinx, with the Mrs. & the granddaughter.

Okay, I'm not THAT sad, but I wish I could do both...

First Church Music exam coming up. I don't have a strong sense of the emphasis yet - we'll review Wednesday, maybe it'll be clearer then.

The text, "The Story of Christian Music," by Andrew Wilson-Dickson, is a pleasant read, but not really designed as a text. The author's biases show - he refers to Ecclesiasticus as "apocryphal", accurate in some faith traditions, but accepted by Rome as part of the canon. And later on, he seems to have gotten Thomas Dorsey, the "father of gospel music", confused with jazz trombonist / bandleader Tommy Dorsey. Though his biographical info about Dorsey seems accurate enough, simply referring to him as "Tommy" (repeatedly) really helps blow his credibility. He's a Brit, so I guess we should give him a break...

Some things are worth cross-posting

Just got a call - I'm a grandpa again!!! My son and his wife were expecting a baby girl at the end of October, but she's here already!!! Lauren is 7lbs., 4 oz., so best guess is the docs were 6-7 weeks off in their calculations. Mom and daughter are resting comfortably.

I'll try to get pics...

It's September 11th

This song (hi-fi/broadband --- lo-fi/dialup) was written in part as a response to the 9/11 massacre. Recording is not yet in final form - bass is too heavy, guitar sound is weak, drums are, um, weaker - but you get the idea.

Music copyright Jay Ricketts, 2001. All rights reserved.
Performance copyright Jay Ricketts and Caroline Muylaert, 2003. All rights reserved.

Back

Blogger's user DB got messed up, couldn't log in for nearly a week.

Didja miss me? ;)

And speaking of back to school:

Grandson Wesley's first day today! Here's a pic from this morning right before he left.



Mom & Dad report that he went enthusiastically, Dad had to actually hold him back so he could take him in. Unlike him, when he had his first day at KinderCare... Boy, do I remember THAT day! Hee hee.

This Semester

Chorale, Organ, Church Music.

For chorale, we're singing a Respighi piece - very challenging. Sounds like the rest will be Christmas Carols, but all the music's not in yet.

Organ pieces this term: I'll finish the Couperin Mass of the Parishes pieces, then on to Bach's P&F in Dm, A Peeters partita on a Lutheran chorale (forget title), and Proulx's Fantasia on O'Carroll & Walker's Celtic Alleluia. This last piece is from Concordia's Jubilate series - very nicely done.

Church Music text was a shocker - $25. I thought it was a rule that all college texts had to be at least $75!!! ;)

Happy fifth birthday to the Contemporary Catholic Music mail list

Five years old Monday. We WERE up to 277 members, but the count seems to be falling off now that a blanket mailer went out. I get notified of the unsubs (there was one), so chances are these are drops for undeliverable mail. Down to 259 as of this posting.

Still, a lively bunch, though I miss many of our early members. And don't let the title throw you - we have our share of traditionalists and noncatholics. And a true international presence, including Canada, New Zealand, England, and Ireland, among others.

In the words of my pal Quilisma:

Moving is one of the fruits of original sin.

[NOTE - picture removed]

Good luck in the new digs, Q.

Report Card

Ugh. An A- in both theory/sightsinging make-up classes, but a C+ in organ. Dr. W. has taken the gloves off - I better start practicing more if'n I want better grades.

I was actually pleased with my progress this summer - we worked primarily on service music, and I was able to take a four week hymn-learning process down to one week by the end of the semester. Of course, I'll still need to be able to learn 4 in a day - for those times when I get a call Friday night for a Saturday mass. But I can still fake 'em pretty well in a pinch. Grade probably would have been better if he could have waited another week to turn them in - my best progress was at our final lesson, a make-up session after grades had been submitted.

Better news - our department finally gets that Wilhelm tracker this year. NOT to AGO specs - 56-note manuals, 30-note FLAT pedalboard, but promises to be a glorious instrument anyhow. I'll miss the Allen toaster, which had a nice warm principal, decent flutes, and a thrilling posaune in the pedal. And fun features like alternate tuning switches, tremulant, and room acoustics emulators. Still, it's a giant leap forward, and my Hammond is nominally AGO (touch is very light, though).

We'll probably start the year with a toaster, and be involved in the organ setup - a great learning opportunity. Stay tuned...

"Hey, some of our best friends are..."

Macomb County stung by stigma of intolerance

A pretty balanced piece from the Freep. Macomb is integrating, slowly, but the county of my youth (Shelby Township, 1969 - 1979) still has the attitude. This is the place that gave us Kirby Holmes, Gil Di Nello, David Jaye, and voted 51% for George Wallace in 1972.

In its defense, though it's a bit of a lame one: I lived in the Martinsburg WV area from 1989-93. It was MUCH worse.

But Macomb has definitely earned its reputation, too. I hope things continue to improve. A faster pace would be nice.

Thanks to Gerald Sarafin for this:

Prayer for Acceptance of God's Will

O Lord, I do not know what to ask of You.
You alone know what are my true needs.
You love me more than I myself know how to love.
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either for a cross or consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for the sake of Your great mercy.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your unsearchable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will.
Teach me to pray.
Pray You Yourself in me.
Amen.

Attributed to either 17th Century Archbishop Francois Fenelon or Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, depending on your flavor preferences. As Gerald points out, it's nice to have the prayer in cvommon, regardless of the attribution...

Off for a Few

To: The 3rd Annual home Recording Jamfest and Barbecue, Andover, CT, August 8-10.

Backson...

For the benefit of my St. Blog's colleague AAE and the slow but steady stream of Adoremus visitors:

A somewhat more detailed review of the Cincinnati NPM Convention

Joys and sorrows, in no particular order:

1) J. Michael Thompson's Easter Procession (Litpress), a parallel to the stations of the cross, but designed for Easter season, was just excellent, both in concept and implementation. A great idea for giving the Easter season its due, and the ingenious mixing of choral responses with assembly responses really displayed the breadth of options. This is a topic that really deserves its own thread, but the short of it is that it is both innovative and yet strongly rooted in our traditions, and rock solid in its faith foundations. I really hope we take this to the world;

2) Though I'm looking forward to a second reading of the plenum addresses, I found myself largely put off by the one-sidedness of Mitchell and Ciferni's presentations. Coupled with the "GIRM and sacred texts" breakout I attended, which echoed the same point of view, I have to wonder if we limit our efficacy as an organization, in that there's a perception out there that we're squarely in the liberal camp, liturgically. I know at least one music minister who was not allowed to attend by his pastor, for precisely that reason. I believe we might have been served better by hearing a few dissenting voices as well;

3) I really got a kick out of Jennifer Breedlove's "solution" to the bilingual text issue at the WLP reading session. The response was bilingual, but the verses were sung line-by-line, with the choir singing a line in English, holding the last chord, while the cantor sang in Spanish over the held chord. Very nicely done - A very musical and prayerful approach to a thorny problem. I'd used the same approach with Latin and English once (on an Agnus Dei), but never thought to combine Spanish and English that way;

4) Ran into (a) my first choir director, (b) a musician from neighboring parish, (c) a co-keyboardist from an old parish, and (d) a Pittsbugh compadre (whom I'd never seen before or since) from the '99 convention. Seemed like every time I'd turn around, there was another blast from the past;

5) "Clown of God" (WLP) was a truly enjoyable drama, marred only by some serious feedback problems and some heavy mic pops. Funny how you only notice the sound engineering when it falls short. I also have to question whether a typical parish would really be able to pull that off, as claimed in the writeup. Fun nonetheless; and

6) Other magic moments: Val Parker and Rick Reed at the Millennium Hotel piano, Durufle at Pipedreams, discovering Concordia's Laudate and Jubilate series, SAVAE's Ancient Echoes concert, Skyline chili (but I'll stick to Detroit's coneys, thank you), the St. Meinrad Chant workshop, the John Bell concert, and FINALLY getting the NPM Detroit chapter off the ground!!!

Whew!

Canon Law / Labor Law Collide

So much for Catholic teachings on social justice. Kinda reminds me of labor advocate Bruce Springsteen's issues with his road crew a few years back - do as I say, not as I do?

I'd really like to see us (NPM) get something going with the American Federation of Musicians, but this idea seems to get a collective yawn from my colleagues. Maybe they're picturing a Brownsville-type reception...

Thanks to Aristotle Esguerra for the link. I hope he makes the gathering in Milwaukee. I've been gently chided by one of my NPM pals for the lefty comment - he felt it was a pretty balanced presentation. Recordings of the lectures are available from WLP if you're interested. Or the next issue of Pastoral Musician will have the texts.

And --- it seems Adoremus has found me as well. They have a lovely hymnal...

Quote of the Day

Sunday has to be connected to Monday. If it isn't, we aren't who we say we are.

I don't have an attribution, but thanks to fellow musician Ken for sending it...

Happy Birthday, Sunshine!!!

And Grandpa promises he'll get a new picture up here soon...

YMBK! Dianetics?

Or something very much like it.

But if this means I could finally play GROSSER GOTT straight through without hosing it up a few times first, I'd sign up in a heartbeat...

No wonder I understand VB

Man, this is depressing...

Back from Cinci

What a blast! Great to see all my old internet / church music pals again, plus met a few for the first time. It's always a bit of a shock to find out what someone really looks like.

I gotta take back part of my comment about "not just a bunch of lefty guitar pickers anymore", however. The lefties still run this place. Most strongly evidenced by the plenum addresses, but also in my class on the GIRM and musical texts.

I am probably more lefty than righty, but I REALLY would have liked some balance. what we got instead was a good deal of carping about the illegitimi in Rome, and promises that the wind would shift again. This was particularly troublesome in my GIRM class, where I had hoped to find out details on how the new rules would play out. It may still be too early in the process, but our presenter didn't seem to want to touch on that anyhow - rather to expound on how the crafters of Liturgiam Authenticam had really missed the mark, and how there would have to be yet another instruction soon.

OTOH, there ARE 2000 organists in NPM now, so some more balance there. And we got the Detroit NPM Chapter going, 22 years after we first tried it. I'll be running the mail list, and technically will be their so-called webmaster (because in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king). Should be interesting.

Here's a groaner:

Jesus and the Apostles were together, and there was a crowd with them. Jesus spoke:

"-y = x2 - 3x + 5",

then fell silent again.

There was a stirring of the crowd, who appeared puzzled. One of the crowd leaned over to an apostle and asked "what does this mean?"

The apostle replied, "Sounds like another one of Jesus' parabolas."

Meet our new bishops

I've crossed paths with all these guys, but know little about any of them. My old pastor, Msgr. Mike Lefevre, is returning to the Cathedral after 10 years at St. Blase. Not sure his new role - parish pastor, maybe? Hope he's not just pushing paper - says a great mass. Some of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking homilies I've ever heard.

Monday Moanin'

Apologies to Bob Talbert, may he RIP.

My granddaughter found my eyeglass lens, in my recliner. So apparently I had lost it the night before, and not noticed til I got to work. So that's all better now.

Niece's 30th birthday on the fourth. Celebrated at her place on the fifth. She lives in the 3rd floor of an old house in Pontiac with a couple of guys. We dragged the whole family there - I got the sense they were waiting for us to leave so the REAL party could start. Lotsa drinking, lotsa 80's tunes, a pretty good spread, but HER friends still hadn't showed up. We left about 10:30.

Fourth was a family get-together. Kinda sad that only half the family comes anymore - everyone's mad at everyone else. Still a good time, the grandkids really enjoyed the pool. And I was introduced to Cisco, apparently the drink of choice in the hood. A 12oz bottle packs the same wallop as a 40 oz. malt liquor. The red tastes revolting, but the peach is pretty good. Good thing I wasn't driving - really easy to get toasted on that stuff.

Another reminder from my prof that I really need to move faster with my organ pieces. He's right of course...

...so I spent all my spare time this weekend working in the studio on a pop setting of some song lyrics someone posted in the HomeRec BBS (got the lyricist's permission first). I'm happy with the result, but, of course, it's not helping my organ class.

NPM convention next week - debated not going, since I'm not working in the field now. But I hadn't seen most of my NPM pals since '99, so I'm going anyhow. For RC musicians who wrote off NPM as a bunch of lefty guitar pickers, things have changed a lot. Much more emphasis on organ repertoire, implementing Vatican directives, and a generally scholarly tone that didn't used to be there. Not that we'd ever be confused with Adoremus or Call to Holiness. But much more centrist than in the past. A good place to be.

Great Day...

NOT!!!!

(1) Started off the day eating something that didn't agree. (2) Driving to work, noticed my temple screw had fallen out of my glasses. (3) Emergency gas station stop due to (1), finally got to work (4) late, where I finally noticed that (5) the lens had fallen out of my glasses. Checked car, office, and parking lot, apparently lens popped out at the gas station, 53 miles away. Called gas station, they hadn't seen it.

The most circuitous part of this is that if I'd had a bit more coffee in me, I'd have realized the (5) risk to my lenses when I noticed (2) the missing screw - but it may well have been the coffee that caused (1) and (3). And (4), really.

Sigh. I'm getting through the day, though. I'll stop at the gas station on the way home, see what I can find out. Oh yeah, (6) Kim can't find any of my old glasses...

Still Here

Work, school, fam, and recording projects are taking most of my time.

Playing catchup this summer - had music theory 30 years ago, sans the sightsinging. So I'm "refreshing" over the summer, covering 2 semesters of music theory and sight singing. First final is next week. Seems to be going well. Also taking organ, and took an impromptu (no credit) vocal course. VERY helpful.

In Organ, I worked up a Joncas hymntune (name escapes me), and am now working an a harmonization of SLANE by Erik Routley. Almost done with the Vierne Complainte I began last semester, and have a couple of Couperin's "Mass of the Parishes" pieces on the horizon. Nice to have permission to take as long as I need to get the hymntunes "just right", but I know I need more practice time. Finally got the Hammond fixed - big improvement. Will still practice at the college once a week - touch on the Allen is much closer to pipe than on le grand Hammond.

Until I read "ALL candles, no matter what their shape, must be banned.", I thought maybe they were serious.

I bet Scalia would buy in. He actually referred to "the gay agenda" in his minority opinion on today's ruling striking down Texas' sodomy laws.

There are many times I appreciate Scalia's onservative Catholic point of view. Times like THIS make it pretty clear he's got no sense of perspective, though...

A Turning Point, of Sorts

disclaimer - this was a November 2002 entry - some Blogger weirdness resequenced it, apparently...

Kim and I have a running joke about the fabulous movie "Home for the Holidays", a funny and touching study in family dysfunction. We rent it every year just before Thanksgiving, so that when her family gets together, we're reminded that there are families out there, albeit fictional ones, that are even worse than us.

Not THIS year, though. I mean we did watch the movie, but the fictional family finally got out-weirded by the real one. Announcements and fights about homosexuality, childhood sexual abuse, negligent mothering, self-centered money-grubbing, and pulpit-pounding flew, Kim's brother stormed out, Kim's sister stayed pissed at everyone for hours.

Food was great though. I'm thankful for my nice, the great cook, my wife, who tried so hard to love everyone in that room, my granddaughter, the belle of the ball, who at 16 months is the prettiest little girl on the planet...

...and for MY side of the family, who never gets together for anything except weddings and funerals. "I am truly blessed", he said, only half tongue-in-cheek.

Good news for a change...

Nice to see such a balanced response from the US Supreme Court on the U-M admissions case. The goals are okay, let's be careful with the methods.

Works for me, which more than I can say for my "Blog This!" button. Which DIDN'T work for me.

Dad
My Dad died a little over two years ago: 1/11/01, to be exact. Interesting, because he was an electronics engineer , and did a lot of machine language programming (i.e., zeroes and ones) on first and second generation computers.

He was born 77 years ago today, James Brewerton Ricketts Jr. Or the Fifth. He was the fourth in a line (II through V) named after his great-great-great-uncle, a Brigadier General in the Civil War. I was the Sixth (but officially III on my birth certificate), but I changed my name when I turned 18 - too much baggage, I thought. Kinda sorry now, but the deed is done.

Anyhow, Dad married my Mom in 1953. They separated in 1974, and divorced in 1979. Dad married his second wife, Dorothy, in 1981. They met 1/13/81, the funeral was 1/13/01. Twenty years on the nose.

Dad got a BS from MIT, and MS from UWM, had three kids, six grandkids, four stepkids, and nine stepgrandkids. He outlived his daughter, my sister Alison, and his stepdaughter, my stepsister Mary Ellen. He had a great-grandkid, and another on the way, when he died: Our grandson Wesley was 7 months old, and our granddaughter Alyssa was on the way. We hadn't told the family about it... they found out at the funeral. A few of them haven't spoken to us since. We WERE planning to tell them...

Dad had a severe stroke in '95, never really recovered. He was wheelchair bound, obese (hadn't been, before the stroke), incontinent, and had a REALLY hard time speaking. He wanted to know why God would keep him around in such a state. While I don't know the answer, I suspect (1) it gave him the opportunity to let someone care for him, and (2) it gave the people around him the opportunity to care for him. He became increasingly humble and gentle as his days went on, and his wife, my stepmom, never lost heart in caring for him, being his advocate, and just loving him.

I still miss you, Dad.

I Hope this is Photoshopped!

SLOPS outbreak worldwide

The World Health Organisation today issued a new warning against non-essential travel to the entire Western hemisphere following renewed concerns about the spread of Severe Loss of Perspective Syndrome (SLOPS).

Officials are warning travellers not to visit the UK, the US, almost all of Western Europe, and Canada, following further outbreaks of the disease, which has led to mass panic among the media, thousands of ecstatic children being kept out of school by their credulous and moronic parents, and increased profits for DIY stores as the idiot public rush to bulk-buy face masks and boiler suits.

A WHO spokesman said, “You’d be much better off going to somewhere like Thailand or China, because all you’ve got to worry about there is SARS, and let’s face it, you’re about as likely to die from that as you are to get kicked to death by a gang of zombie nuns.”

The SARS virus has now claimed a staggering 500 lives in only six months, which makes it considerably more deadly than, say, malaria, which only kills around 3000 people every single day. Malaria, however, mainly effects only darkies what speak foreign, whereas SARS has made at least one English person feel a bit iffy for a couple of days, and is therefore considered much more serious.

The spread of SLOPS has now reached pandemic proportions, with many high-level politicians seemingly affected by the disease. The rapid spread of SLOPS has been linked to the end of the war in Iraq and the need for Western leaders to give the public something to worry about. Otherwise, they might start asking uncomfortable questions about domestic issues, and that simply would not do.

The Choral Public Domain Library :: If you love something, set it free

Free free, set them free...

A musical weekend

Not just the concert:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, we had a funeral for Sylvester, our old sacristan, the guy who had been on the job when I first started at St. C's. The new DM couldn't do it. It meant postponing the DC trip 'til 2pm, but it was the least I could do. We pulled the choir together. Songlist was chosen by a former cantor, who brought him the Eucharist after he was too ill to come to church anymore. She led the psalm and the commendation. A family member sang the Ave - very nice. She and I had both wanted the Gounod, but the family insisted on the Schubert.

Prelude: Eye Has Not Seen (Haugen)
............. The King of Love My Shepherd Is (PRESENCE)
............. Ps. 122, The Martyrs' Theme (Lawton)
Procession: Sing With All the Saints in Glory (ODE TO JOY)
Psalm: Ps. 23, Shepherd Me, O God (Haugen)
Gospel Acc: "Come to Me" Alleluia (Joncas)
Presentation: How Great Thou Art (O STORE GUD)
Sanctus / Amen: Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Memorial Acc B: Mass of Light (Haas)
Agnus Dei: Sing Praise and Thanksgiving (Joncas)
Communion: Song of the Body of Christ (NO KE ANO AHI AHI, Haas)
.................. Ave Maria (Schubert)
Commendation: May the Angels (Sands)
Recessional: On Eagle's Wings (Joncas)

Sylvester was 98 when he passed. Our oldest parishioner. Sorry to see him go.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kim drove all the way to DC. we finally rolled in about 2am - lots of construction. She likes to drive in silence, especially when she's only got my CDs to choose from. Given her choice, she finally settled on some Allman Bros., and The Band's Greatest Hits. Her comment on St. Duane and the boys: "Wow, these are some really long songs!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First concert, at the Shrine, went pretty well. We got lost in NE on the way there when one of the ramps on our route was closed. Drove around lost for a while, finally stopped for directions at a Days Inn - a hooker was checking in at the next window. Her "manager" was waiting outside. There are some things I really don't miss about DC.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Shrine itself was lovely, but Kim didn't want to stay for mass, so we drove back to the hotel, and called around to local churches for mass times. Decided to go to Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington, because of the 6pm mass time.

VERY interesting mass. Pastor was a Holy Ghost Father, an order I'm unfamiliar with. "Lead Me Guide Me" was in the pews, some compelling gospel-style piano and vocal from a contralto in sweats, and some, but not lotsa, participation from the pews. Deacon's homily blasted their bishop for failing to allow girls as altar servers (even as THEY had a girl serving), the sign of peace ran for 10 minutes as everyone shook everyone's hand, prayers of the faithful included a polling of the assembly, and a number of homegrown acclamations (the Lamb of God was particularly nice). They stopped short of an altar call, and they DID observe their bishop's ban on the cup. But definitely a rebel enclave...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dinner at our favorite restaurant in the universe: Mike's American Grill in Springfield, VA. Excellent as always. Saw "About Schmidt" on PPV. Really hit home. Decidedly different role for Jack, but he handled it perfectly. Kathy Bates and Howard Hesseman were excellent too, though maybe we saw a bit too much of Kathy. Knowwhuddimean?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We had a last minute rehearsal Sunday morning - mostly designed to get our noses out of the scores so we had more communication from our director. VERY productive. Glad we did it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Met with friends from our former life in DC ('87-'93) for brunch. Great to see them. Young couple with a 7-month-old daughter. Kim and Jess were supposed to go out for the Christening, Jess got sick at the last minute. Glad Kim got SOMETHING out of the weekend.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concert at the Cathedral went VERY VERY well. Every moment of it was better than any moment at any of the other concerts. Still plenty of room for improvement, but we have never sounded so musical. The Cathedral folks taped it for us - hope I get a copy. A couple of internet pals showed up. That was nice, too. Concert was followed by Evensong with the Cathedral's Men's Choir (gorgeous, but we were behind altar and mics were off, so we didn't hear readings or homily), and then by our prof's organ concert on the Cathedral's monster Skinner, ca. 1939. High points were Mendelssohn and Franck, but all was glorious.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kim was ticked that we stayed for the concert, but I wouldn't have missed it. Made for an icy first couple of hours going home, though. We picked up some of our regional food favorites: crab chips, birch beer, cranberry nut bread. Yum. Listened to more Band, plus the Dylan/Band Basement Tapes, and a Keith Richards listening list titled "The Devil's Music", a blend of blues, old r&b, reggae, and cajun stuff, from the 30s through the 70s. Sweet.

Somehow, managed to disconnect the radio antenna. My bad. Rolled home about 4am. Spent Monday recovering. All in all, a great weekend!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was so much fun, let's do it again...

Off to DC... my college choir, the Madonna U. Chorale, will be performing at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (by Catholic U.) Saturday 5/10 at 2:45 pm, and at the Episcopal National Cathedral Sunday 5/11 at 3:15 pm. Admission for each concert is free. Sunday's concert will be followed by an Evening Prayer service, and then an organ concert by Dr. David Wagner, our director.

Here's the choir's songlist:

Kyrie, Missa Aeterna Mundi - Palestrina
Gloria, Missa Aeterna Mundi - Palestrina
Song for Athene - Tavener
Ave Maria - Biebl
Miserere - Allegri
Alleluia - Thompson
Laudate Dominum - Goemanne

The program's about 35 minutes. If you make it, be sure to say hi - I'm the tall guy with the mustache and ponytail.

Dave Letterman's Cubicleville Top 10

10. Being told to "think outside the box" when you're in a @#$%?* box all day long.
9. Not being able to check e-mail attachments without turning around to see who's behind you.
8. Cubicle walls do not offer much protection from any kind of gun fire.
7. That nagging feeling that if you press the right button, you'll get a piece of cheese.
6. Lack of roof rafters for the noose.
5. The walls are too close together for the hammock to work right.
4. 23 power cords - 1 outlet.
3. Prison cells are not only bigger, they also have beds.
2. The carpet has been there since 1976 and shows more signs of life than your coworkers.

And...the number 1 drawback to working in a cubicle....

1.You can't slam the door and walk out when you quit

Report Card

Deja vu all over again...

Music History - A
Chorale - A
Organ - B+

Spring / Summer is gonna be a homegrown theory review with emphasis on ear training (2 credits) and organ (2 credits). Prof promises we'll get to service playing this time. And no more Wachet Auf. YAYYY!!!!!

In Atlanta? Don't miss Saturday's Rich Mullins Tribute concert. Bill's archives appear broken, so scroll down to the 4/22 entry...

Tell Bill, Ken, & Elyn I said hi. Wish I could go...