Category: Music

Taste and See

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As we do most Wednesdays, a few of us from the guitar choir got together last night at my house to practice Sunday’s music.

We’ve had to learn a lot of new music in a short time. In the past year we have mastered three new Mass settings and at least 25 new hymns. And while I think it would have been nice if we could have eased into things a little more (like during Advent, when nearly every single piece we did was new to us), I will not argue that this hasn’t been good for us.

It’s gotten us together as a group, outside of Mass. Not everyone can make the practices, but there are always at least three of us here–and sometimes as many as eight. We have time to practice, time to chat, time to complain, time to reminisce, and time to laugh.

Never underestimate the benefits of taking time to laugh together.

Last night we learned a new song for this weekend: Tom Kendzia’s “Lamb of God/Taste and See.” It’s got a beautiful and delicate melody and it works well on guitars (and, I imagine, on organ or keyboard). Big Brother was amazed at how many settings of “Taste and See” there are–this is the third one he has learned since he began playing with our group at Easter. But the words to that psalm are wonderful–and we should sing them often.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord; O taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord.

Let the lowly hear and be glad,
Let us glorify his name.
Together let us praise God’s name.

Glorify the Lord with me,
together let us praise his name.
From my fears God set me free.

Look to the Lord and shine in the light,
Let your faces not be ashamed.
The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Blessed be the Lord.

How to know you’ve done the Gloria right

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If you lose your voice after singing the Gloria, you nailed it.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of Mass after the Gloria.

PRE-joicing!

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Choir practice starts in an hour. And we’re going to be rehearsing the music for Easter Sunday!

So here’s the lineup you’ll hear if you show up at the 12:15. (Local readers please note: it’s 12:15 and it’s not at our USUAL noon location.)

PRELUDE: Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones (a cappella)

ENTRANCE: Glory in the Cross (Easter verses)

GLORIA: Foley (“Give glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth!”) We chose this one because we know it best and also because it’s the most festive one we know. It’s Easter! We want a HAPPY gloria!

PSALM: This is the Day (Joncas)

ALLELUIA!! (I don’t remember which one our choir leader told me to pull out. But it’ll be great to sing it again, no matter which one it is.)

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS: All Good Gifts (from Godspell. OK, not a favorite of mine to do at a liturgy. But whatever…I don’t get to pick.)

MASS: Mass of Creation (I lobbied for the St. Louis Jesuits’ Mass for Easter, since the “Amen” contains many “alleluias,” but the music director nixed that one. Apparently we know it; she doesn’t.)

COMMUNION: Christ, Be Our Light

CLOSING: Lift Up Your Hearts. (We opted out of Join in the Dance, yippee! But I have to be careful, because I know the OLD, non-PC, lyrics by heart.)

So most of it is just great, and I’m looking forward to singing some HAPPY music.

The Devil is Dissing Me

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Because it’s Lent, after all. A holy season.

That means it’s time for me, once again, to get all insulted because apparently the choir with which I sing is not qualified to participate in the parish’s “big events.” Like tonight’s volunteer-appreciation concert. And last spring’s merger Mass with the Bishop. And like next month’s Easter Triduum.

Hey. We’re not fabulous, but we’re dedicated. I’m singing the same tune again and again. Because we are being told, again and again, that because of the instruments we play, we don’t belong–we have not earned the privilege–we are somehow “less than” those who sing along to the noble organ.

I am SO well aware that there’s pride involved. I am aware that I need to take this to Confession. Maybe that would help–a lot.

But I’d have to go outside the parish for that Confession, because the music director has told our choir in no uncertain terms that our best bet right now is just to shut up and go along with it rather than complain to the pastor. He’s not fond of our music, and probably would like to pull the plug on us. So we are trying very hard to hang in there and learn an appalling amount of new music (3 new pieces per week, not including new Mass parts, is not unusual) and do all of this with a smile on our faces.

Our upcoming Penance Service is being held on the same night our choir practices, in a couple of weeks. Coincidence?

The Shuffle Your FiPod Game

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I don’t have an iPod; my sister would say I have a FiPod (Fake iPod.) Actually, I like my mp3 player very much except for the really weird name (it’s a Creative Zen–have fun with that!)
Aimee played this game and it looked so fun I had to join in.
Here’s how to play: hit SHUFFLE on your music player of choice, and post the first few lines of the first 15 songs that come up, unless they give away the title. When commenters name the tunes correctly, strike them out in the list. (The lyrics, not the commenters).
I did leave out the instrumental music that came up, but otherwise you get what you get!

1. Sitting in the morning sun; I’ll be sitting when the evening comes Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding)–identified by Aimee

2. It’s another [TITLE OF SONG]; Starin’ slowly ‘cross the sky, said goodbye

3. Raven hair and ruby lips; Sparks fly from her finger tips Witchy Woman (Eagles)–identified by Aimee

4. [TITLE OF SONG]; Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore So Far Away (Carole King)–identified by Aimee

5. [TITLE OF SONG}; I’d be in trouble if you left me now

6. I got a crack in my windshield; I know exactly how it feels

7. [TITLE OF SONG], that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.

8. [TITLE OF SONG] God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

9. [TITLE OF SONG, PARTIAL TITLE OF SONG] wherever he may go, there isn’t an ocean too deep. I Will Follow Him (Sister Act soundtrack, because there is NO END to my cheesiness)–identified by Aimee

10. Hey You, you lost your only friend; You can’t believe you’re broken heart will ever mend

11. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire; Jack Frost nipping at your nose (HOW DID THIS GET ON HERE? I HATE THIS SONG!!!)

12. A lonely child alone and wild, a cabinetmaker’s son; his hands were meant for different work Leader of the Band (Dan Fogelberg)–identified by Aimee

13. Moon shinin’ down through the palms, shadows movin’ on the sand. Somebody whisperin’ the 23rd psalm.

14. I’m sittin’ in the railway station, Got a ticket for my destination

15. Oh little red bird, Come to my window sill. Been so lonesome, Shaking that morning chill

Public Service Announcement

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Thank you for indulging my little Pity Party.

Party’s over, folks. (Get thee behind me, Satan, and all that.)

Instead, I’m going to listen to Christmas music, and let the joy take over.

Want some FREE Christmas tunes? Amazon has one each day for the whole month. Today’s is gorgeous!

A Bitter Pill

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I’m the one feeling bitter, actually.

Just got back from cantor practice at church.

The choir I sing with has not been assigned a Mass on Christmas. If we want, we can join in with the organ-accompanied choir at the 10:00 Christmas Eve Mass.

So a group that volunteers Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, and that has learned all the new music that has been thrown at us since June (including an Advent that is All New Music All The Time) will not be allowed to handle familiar Christmas carols on Christmas Day.

I consider it a gift and a privilege to be able to sing and play at Mass. It’s nice to sit with my family, but I know they like it too, when I am part of the choir.

And yeah, I’m hurt.

In the grand scheme of things, this is really not much. But it’s something to which I am very dedicated (and I can say the same for the other choir members). Many of us have been part of music ministry for almost 30 years. We don’t take much time off–and when we do, we arrange with the rest of the choir for coverage. And basically, it feels like we’re good enough to jump through all these hoops for Advent, but not good enough to do Christmas carols. Thanks for that.

From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

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Little Brother and I were in the car on our way to pick up Big Brother after stage crew. We were listening to the radio, which was playing a classic rock song.

“Is this the Guitar Hero station?” he wanted to know.

“Yes,” I told him.

“Can you put on the New Britain station?”

For a minute I thought that maybe XM was changing their lineup again: they’ve got all-Kenny Chesney, all the time, and all-Metallica, all the time…so I asked him what they play on the New Britain Station.

“You know, Amazing Grace,” he responded.

I was completely shocked. “How do you know that Amazing Grace is New Britain?”

“It was in the church book,” he informed me, like I should know this already. “I look it up every week. Amazing Grace is my favorite.” (He learned it at Vacation Bible School this summer).

If XM had a New Britain station, Little Brother would listen. So would I, for that matter.

Music at Church

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Soutenus brings up an interesting point in her post about a praise song she heard in church this weekend.

I’ve been playing guitar in church choirs for 28 years now. With the exception of 9 of those years when I was the choir leader, I have not had the power or privilege to choose the music. And many, many times I think that what we sing is just junk…songs with “Jesus is my boyfriend” lyrics, songs with tunes that would be more appropriate in a Broadway musical, songs that have been so done to death that if I have to sing them one more time I might go nuts….and that includes some of the “new” stuff in the hymnals as much as some of the stuff that I’ve been playing these whole 28 years.

Anyway.

The choir that I sing with currently has been singing a particular version of the Lord’s Prayer for about 25 years. Our pastor wants the choir to increase its repertoire, which is narrow. And he has pulled the plug on the sung Lord’s Prayer.

People really like this song. No matter what else we sing at Mass, they will belt out the Lord’s Prayer far above anything else. While we’re singing that, I look around the church and more people are singing it than any other song or acclamation in the Mass.

So, OK. It’s the same one, week after week after week after week after week.

But people don’t mind that. They really love to sing it. We have had people tell us that they asked for their child to be baptized at this Mass because of that one song.

And I had one woman, whom I’ve known for years and who I’ve never known was prone to violence, grab me by the lapel of my jacket and demand to know why we were not singing the Lord’s Prayer anymore.

I basically just told her that Father told us not to sing it anymore.

And I’m failing in obedience right now by complaining about it. But I will abide by his wishes for our choir and hope that this will help me grow, in the process.

It would have helped, though, if there were a little “from-the-pulpit” teaching on why there are some different things going on in church now–musically and otherwise.

How We Pass The Time

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on a lazy summer afternoon.

I sit here at my computer with an electric guitar and a hymnal in my lap, writing electric-guitar parts to “Glory and Praise To Our God” in tablature so Big Brother can learn it for Sunday Mass. Last night we received the music list for the entire summer, standardized so that every Mass at the parish has the same music. “Glory and Praise” will be repeated throughout the summer, and I knew a cool coda part for it, so Big Brother was eager to learn it.

Middle Sister brings out her guitar and decorates her strap.

Little Brother takes out his toy guitar and strums away.

Big Brother explores my guitar and comments on how an acoustic-electric 12-string is different from an electric 6-string.

We could go swimming. But this is pretty cool too.