Choir Retreat
With the start of the choral season upon us, now seems like a good time to pause and reflect upon the vocation of the chorister. With this in mind, reproduced below is the schedule for a choral retreat which will take place at my church this Saturday:
9:00 Mass (usual daily parish Mass)
9:30 Choirmaster: Why Sing? - the theology of sacred song
10:15 Break (coffee)
10:30 Learning and reflecting on the chant Repleatur os meum laude tua
11:00 Pastor: The Divine Office - its structure, the rhythm of the day, communal singing
11:45 Silent prayer (in church)
12:00 Sung "Midday Prayer" (a.k.a. Sext)
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Choirmaster: Why Sing Chant? - its rôle in the sacred liturgy and Western musical culture
1:45 Remarks on chant interpretation (choir instruction)
2:15 Pastor: concluding thoughts, prayer, hymn
2:30 Omnes exeunt
May the above serve as a modest suggestion for those wishing to plan a similar choral outing. It goes without saying that to remind one's choir frequently of the interrelation of song and prayer is most beneficial. Of course, many of the themes to be explored over the course of the day are inspired in no small part by the scholarly and pastoral writings of authors in the various CMAA publications.
9:00 Mass (usual daily parish Mass)
9:30 Choirmaster: Why Sing? - the theology of sacred song
10:15 Break (coffee)
10:30 Learning and reflecting on the chant Repleatur os meum laude tua
11:00 Pastor: The Divine Office - its structure, the rhythm of the day, communal singing
11:45 Silent prayer (in church)
12:00 Sung "Midday Prayer" (a.k.a. Sext)
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Choirmaster: Why Sing Chant? - its rôle in the sacred liturgy and Western musical culture
1:45 Remarks on chant interpretation (choir instruction)
2:15 Pastor: concluding thoughts, prayer, hymn
2:30 Omnes exeunt
May the above serve as a modest suggestion for those wishing to plan a similar choral outing. It goes without saying that to remind one's choir frequently of the interrelation of song and prayer is most beneficial. Of course, many of the themes to be explored over the course of the day are inspired in no small part by the scholarly and pastoral writings of authors in the various CMAA publications.
1 Comments:
Great idea!
On The New Liturgical Movement someone posted about a pamphlet scheme inspired by the one conducted by the Oxford Movement that was so successful.
Short essays that could be used as the basis for the specific talks would make a superb pamphlet topic, and be very useful for those of us who are very willing but less learned than others.
<