Saturday, June 27, 2009


Tongues of fire, tongues on FIRE!

Somebody explain to me why Jeffrey Tucker posits that we colloquium bloggers have been slackers! He's not getting my Bloomingdale's $45 bow tie, which is still fresh as an unpacked Paschal candle for griping over at NLM! So there! Kidding.
We did, after the magnificent Vespers,feté the King of Pomp and Circumstance. But he was, of course, late for the feté, so it was left to me to verily praise, honor and initiate the salute and toast to the true Queen, not Elizabeth I, not Mary Queen of Scots, not Marie Antoinette nor any mere mortal south of the BVM- no I'm talking Mrs. Arlene Oost-Zinner. Yes, she who, not unlike the BVM (or Elizabeth for that matter) will roll up her sleeves, box surplus books, write out whiteboard directions for the following day's locales whilst others are partying or sleeping, circumnavigate Lake Michigan on a morning walk, and teach the rendition of a perfect gradual....SIMULTANEOUSLY. Only our true CMAA Queen receives the plastic margarita grail inwhich inordinately priced but truly succulent wine is poured.
Jeffrey did roll in and also received his plastic orchid-adorned cup with some hearty red as well. I have to give him his props (he is of particular genius, you know) in that he figured out who the lone basso was that was inspired by the Holy Spirit to join in singing the psalmody assigned Arlene's Treble Schola at Vestpers.
And, as many have commented here and in cyberland, he's so, so, well....animated!

The Requiem Mass for Msgr. Schuler and CMAA/Cecilia Society predecessors:
1. The Joan Brudieu Mass setting proved to be like a Hope Diamond one finds at a garage sale. I thank Jeffrey for assesing our choir's performance as stunningly beautiful under Maestro Brouwer's immaculate and purified preparation and direction. Wilco was able to let his "hair down" in the afternoon to describe his discovery of the gem and its journey to Chicago. It is proof that there is still much gold in the old mines that have been long abandoned and assumed fallow. CMAA, do your homework. Find out who these odd names are in the St. Basil, the St. Pius X and other venerable hymnals. Go looking for Psalters from city-state cathedrals whose composers' settings were in the vernaculars of the 16th century. Then look for their Ordinaries. These are the treasures spoken of in the documents. The Predieu Mass represents all those ancestors of ours who added to the treasury of sacred music so eloquently examined in Fr. Ruff's book.
2. This Mass was, among all the other liturgies of the week, the very embodiment of our Holy Father's book "The Spirit of the Liturgy." I particular commend and cannot wait for the transcription of Fr. Hayne's homily, which is Cosmology 101 of the Roman Mass in the Usus Antiquor.

We've laid down some preliminary agreements to host a weekend seminar in Central California with Professor Mahrt, Fr. Jeff Keyes and MaryAnn Carr of San Diego sometime between Christmas and Lent of the next liturgical year. Talk of forming a West Coast chapter of CMAA has surfaced....talk of a West Coast Colloquium has been whispered....(I'm still thinking we take our act to Europe!)

A couple of related sociological phenomena have presented themselves as powerful witness: home-schooling families and the pre-eminent mandate for musicians and clergy to not relinquish their rightful authority over the instruction and repertoire presented to our parochial school children! The young adults who've been home-schooled are deeply networked and poised to assume leadership of music ministry if given opportunities by enlightened clergy locally. The young seminarians present are protean examples of the future of the priesthood as the Holy Father envisions and brings to our world-wide attention as we've entered "The Year of the Priest."

Lastly, Scott Turkington is perfect. Even when he's directing on top of a chair.
Thank you, and good night now.

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