MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Ordinary Form) St. Joseph Church, Cumberland, RI - 10:30 AM - 1/1/10

The historic Church of St. Joseph, established in 1872, present church built in 1888, present organ (W.K. Adams and Son of Providence, RI, two manuals, nine ranks, mechanical) built in 1889 and still in very good shape.

I spent six years here as an assistant organist (1983-89) to the late Bob Dube (1938-2000). This is my first stomping grounds as an actual organist of any kind.

I came here for the 10:30 Mass this morning with my mother. Still quite the nice looking church, and the organ's still very playable. The hymns were a bit different from what one would normally expect for New Year's Day, but on the most part wasn't bad. There was some stuff I definitely could have done without.

Entrance: On this day, the first of days ("Gott sei Dank")
- I have not heard this hymn in eons! Was actually good to hear again.
Psalm: refrain from the missalette (David Kraehenbuehl - anyone remember his old book Service Music for the Mass? Blue book?) / verses were recited by the lector
Alleluia: Janco (Mass of the Angels and Saints?)
Offertory: Make me a channel of your peace (Temple)
Eucharist: Massive Cremation (blech!)
Communion: Sing of Mary, pure and lowly ("Pleading Savior")
Recessional: Let there be peas and carrots on earth (blech!)

Although the Mass was that of Mary, Mother of God, I think the organist tried to combine the votive "World Day of Prayer for Peace" in her hymn selections.

I would have done something like this (in the typical parish that insists on hymns):
In: Hark! the herald angels sing (I combined the Mary and the Peace motifs in this one Christmas carol - "Offspring of the Virgin's womb", and "Peace on earth and mercy mild". BAM!)
Psalm: Alstott setting from Respond and Acclaim (I like the chant motif on this one, and would have sung this a cappella.)
$: an Ave Maria of some sort, or (since this parish uses We Celebrate), Stainless the Maiden (which uses the Polish tune "Serdeczna Matko")
+: What child is this (the Babe, the Son of Mary)
Out: Lo! how a rose e'er blooming (easier for your typical congregation to sing than it looks, though if the congregation is too chicken, or the pastor is too chicken, Sing of Mary, Pure and Lowly is good, too!)

BTW, after 20 years away from St. Joseph's, I can still remember the stoplist on this organ:

SWELL:
Bourdon 16' / Stopped Diapason 8' / Harmonic Flute 4' / Bassoon 8' / Oboe 8'
(The bassoon is the bottom octave, the oboe is the rest of the rank)

GREAT:
Open Diapason 8' / Dulciana 8' / Melodia 8' / Octave 4' / Flautino 2'

PEDAL: Bourdon 16' (borrowed from Swell)

Fr. Hunt made a mention in his sermon of "hero worshipping". Michael Jackson (who's death I did NOT mourn, btw - after all, he got away with a hell of a lot, IMHO) was his example on how false worshipping can lead to bad things. I almost wanted to do the Pentecostal thing and yell out "AMEN, FATHER!"

Peace,
BMP

MY NEPHEW'S GRADUATION MASS

On June 18, my nephew Christian and his eighth grade class graduated from a Catholic school in Woonsocket. I didn't go (I had to work), but my mother did, and she gave me a copy of the program. She did alert me that there was no organ. It was a choir, piano, and the gee-tar. So, yeah, pretty much the same goofy type of set-up that ran the music when he made his First Communion a few years back.

The opening "hymn" (if you want to call it that) was Here me is, Lard.
The "Gospel Acclamation" was Sing all sing. (Last I remember, the Gospel Acclamation at Holy Mass is supposed to be Alleluia, except during Lent.)
The offertory was some ditty called We offer gifts. (Is this supposed to be an eighth grade graduation or kindergarten graduation?)
The "Holy", "Acclamation", "Amen", and "Lamb of God" (exactly how these are written in the program) are listed merely as "sung". So I have no clue what settings were used, but can imagine.
The Communion ditties were My voice is thirsting (Does this title make any sense? I guess the opposite of this is My stomach is mute) and Open the eyes. And to add more crap to the crap, there was a "meditation hymn", With one voice.
The recessional was How great is our God. (If this is the one I think it is, which came from a 70's book called Songs of Praise, published by Servant Music, I haven't heard this one since my last nightmare.)

Whoever wrote out the program even went as far as thanking the eighth graders for choosing the music. I highly doubt that the eighth graders would have chosen this dreck on their own. I'm guessing they weren't given much to choose from. Awful stuff!

Peace,
BMP

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Anticipated Mass for Sunday XIV of Ordinary Time
5 PM - Saint Joseph Church, Providence, RI

This, btw, was the second of the two Providence churches I applied at back in May (this one is the one built by Patrick Keely). Unfortunately I found out my fate here was about the same as every other place I've applied since November 15, 2007. The two bright spots are 1) they hired someone REALLY good, and 2) I know where he left and I plan on applying there first thing Monday morning. In fact, that parish where I'll be applying is one where I filled in for about six weeks last winter when the now-outgoing organist was on the injured reserved list.

The organist/music director at St. Joe's left two weeks ago, relocating to California. The assistant organist is officially retired after the 11:15 Mass tomorrow. The new music director will be on his own.

Anyhoo, here's the music list:

Glory and praise to our God...Schutte (blech, but I've heard much worse)
Gloria and Psalm was SAID, not sung (I'm not surprised that the Gloria was said - that seems to be common in this diocese, but the Psalm said?)
Alleluia...Mode VI
Alleluia! sing to Jesus..."Hyfrydol"
Sanctus...Vermulst/"People's Mass"
Christ has died and Amen...Danish
Agnus...Olawski (the only other really low point)
He shall feed his flock/Come unto me...Handel/"Messiah" (the cantor sang these beautifully)
Mine eyes have seen the glory..."Battle Hymn"

Postlude was something I've only heard Jason do until tonight - Rutter's Toccata in Seven. Kick azz tune!

I don't mind the Battle Hymn musically, but liturgically I can't see it. The Fourth was yesterday. It does, however, remind me of something a high school friend once made up about two teachers at our alma mater - the first being the band director at the time we went there, the second was the head of the science department...

My name is Mr. Chrabaszcz, but my students call me "Ted";
There always making fun of me 'cause I have a big fat bald round head.
I give some of my students first parts even though they're not the best.
I wish I knew how to dress.

We love Mr. Nashawarty. We love Mr. Nashawarty.
We love Mr. Nashawarty. He's the hero for you and me!

Peace,
BMP

(PS: The first teacher's name is pronounced "Shray-behs".)

RELATIVE'S FUNERAL: A MUSICAL SABOTAGE

This morning my wife and I attended the funeral Mass for her aunt (she was 84). Man, has the music taken a steep downhill slide! The church is a modern build in my hometown (the original, much nicer looking, church burned down in 1976), with a three-manual Rodgers and a recently-acquired digital piano. See if you can guess which instrument was used for the ENTIRE Mass. Yup - the digital piano. Every freakin' piece was arpeggio after arpeggio after arpeggio. Apparently they haven't gotten the fact that cocktail lounge music does not belong at Mass. It was more mortifying than death itself. Here's the rundown:

As my wife and I and the rest of the funeral procession entered the church, we were entertained with the lounge-like instrumental stylings of We will rise again by David Haas.
The opening hymn was Amazing Grace, of course.
Apparently the "pianist" doesn't know much about (or is just completely ignorant of) liturgical rubrics, as Shepherd me, O God was the Psalm, which really sounded like background tracks to a soap opera (or as my mom would call it back in the 60's and 70's, "my story").
The Alleluia was from the St. Louis Jesuits debacle.
The offertory was Gentle Woman, without the Hail Mary part.
The music for the Liturgy of the Eucharist was from, wait for it, wait... for... it..., Massive Cremation.
The Communion was, of all $#^&^#$% things, All I ask of you - yeah, at Communion, we sing of being sentimental with our friends.
The song of farewell was Bob Dufford's Songs of the angels (blech!)
The recessional was How great thou fart, complete with vocal ad libs on the second verse.

The entire music program reeked of mellow cocktail lounge entertainment, or perhaps one of those old "easy listening" piano albums that my mom had collected over the years.

My wife's aunt, rest her soul, must have been mortified.
Peace,
BMP

I HAVE AN INTERVIEW

...finally! Someone wants to talk to me! WOOHOO!

It's at this church, on 3/25 - late morning, the Tuesday within the Easter Octave.

The pastor offered me three different time slots (he has three applicants), all morning times. I strategically took the last time slot, in hopes that the "save the best for last" theorem really works.

Oremus!
Peace,
BMP

WHERE DID I GO TO MASS TODAY?

Saint Joseph Church, Attleboro MA

OVERALL - it wasn't bad at all. Better than what I'm used to seeing and hearing in most places.
...Yeah, but there was a guitar there too.
...Yes, but he didn't overshadow the organ, at least. The only REALLY crappy tunes were done by guitar and choir before Mass (one was Only a Shadow by Landry, which I can't stand; the other I didn't recognize but it sounded so..., so... um... seventies). But since the number board had all the music used DURING Mass (which was far better), I stayed around.

That and I wish the organist would lose the tremulant (which she used throughout except for the closing hymn). It makes that Casavant unit sound like a Hammond. That was really the little critiquing I had today.

The selection of hymns wasn't bad. Not one Haugen/Haas/Jesuits-type piece at all during Mass. The hymnal is We Celebrate. The guitar played with the organ at the Entrance and Communion only. The rest was with the organ only. Here's the list:

I am the Bread of life...Toolan (which, as I mentioned on CVA #123 last Monday, would be the popular choice for today)
With the Lord there is mercy...Bogdan (not bad at all)
Praise and honor to you...P. French (for once I didn't have to endure that Mary Had a Little Lamb version of Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ...)
The glory of these forty days..."Old Hundredth"
Sanctus, Memorial, Agnus...Jubilate Deo (a breath of fresh air! and a cappella)
Amen...Danish
The "Stations of the Cross"...Keil (a better than average Kevin Keil tune)
Lift high the cross..."Crucifer"

Peace,
BMP