St. Brigid Schola Cantorum

04/25/2020

03/20/2020

The public celebration of the Mass may be canceled but that doesn’t mean that the prayer of the Church must stop. Wherever you are, whoever you are with, you can still unite with Catholics throughout the world, and the angels and saints in heaven, in the one, unceasing liturgical prayer of the Chu...

03/20/2020

01/23/2020

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy tells us that the Mass “is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows…. From the liturgy, therefore, and especially from the Eucharist, as from a font, grace is poured forth upon us; and the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their end, is achieved in the most efficacious possible way.” Here we have the purpose of the Mass: giving glory to God, and the sanctification of the faithful. Other later writings express this concept as edification of the faithful. Edification and sanctification have to do with what makes us holy and better people of God. Sometimes that coincides with what we want; often it does not. Let’s all remember that what is best for us is not necessarily what we prefer. What we get out of the Mass is in measure with what we put into it. A Mass could have bad music and poor preaching, but there is no such thing as a bad Mass, because every Mass is miraculous. Worship is like a constant circle between us and God: we glorify God, and in return we are sanctified. When we are sanctified, we then give glory to God. Let us all be willing to enter that circle.

01/03/2020

“Servers, readers, commentators, and members of the choir…exercise a genuine liturgical function…. Consequently, they must all be deeply imbued with the spirit of the liturgy,…and they must be trained to perform their functions in a correct and orderly manner.” That is a quote from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy produced by the Second Vatican Council, and as a teaching from an ecumenical council of the Church, we are obligated to follow it. With school resuming soon after Christmas break, I want to renew the call for singers in our choirs, especially children. The choir fills a vitally important liturgical function in the Mass. Musicam sacram tells us that the choir’s “role has become something of yet greater importance and weight by reason of the norms of the Council concerning the liturgical renewal.” We must never forget that we have an important duty to the Mass. Not that it’s drudgery - we do actually have a good time! I urge you, then, not to think of the possibility of singing in choir as something to do if your child can spare the time after other priorities, but rather to make it a priority. Please consider joining us - call me at the parish office or send me an email to [email protected].

11/25/2019

I would like to form a small vocal ensemble comprised of Central State University students that will specialize in singing medieval plainchant, using the latest research in performance practice. The group would sing regularly at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Xenia. Some vocal experience is helpful, but proficiency in reading chant notation is not required. It is not necessary to be Catholic; all backgrounds are welcome. If interested, please message me through this site.

10/12/2019

The London Oratory Schola Cantorum Boys Choir will sing at the canonization Mass of Blessed John Henry Newman on Sunday. Charles Cole, director of the choir,...

10/03/2019

Some people have asked what a "chorister" is. Literally, it simply means a member of a choir, although it is often used specifically in reference to child member of a choir. I deliberately avoided using the term "children's choir" because it's not just a children's choir, considering that adults join us on Sunday. In the old days of Men and Boys' Choirs (including the one at St. Brigid), "choristers" referred to the boys, who often rehearse separately, and the "Men of the Choir" to the adults. These days "choristers" includes boys and girls, and we tend to use "Adults of the Choir" for the others. I understand why there can be some confusion. The group as a whole is the "St. Brigid Choir," but the kids of this choir are called "choristers." In many parishes, there are separate Adult Choirs and Children's Choirs. Given that there was no Adult Choir to speak of when I started, we decided to pool all of them together in one group, thus honoring the great tradition that has existed in the Church for centuries, and a tradition that at one time was very healthy at St. Brigid. I also believe that having children as full members of the one and only parish choir that serves regularly at Sunday Mass gives them a certain dignity and sense of responsibility. No, it's not the way it's done at many places, and that's the way we like it - it's something special!

10/03/2019

I have been researching the history of music at St. Brigid Church and School. It's challenging, given that most of the parish archives were destroyed in a fire and then in the 1974 tornado. But I did find this piece in the archives of the local newspaper that indicates that the Sisters of Charity who ran the school had a pretty serious music program going on. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of skilled and dedicated musicians like Anne Shoup, her mother Dorothy Shoup, and the many Sisters who taught the children well. The quality of music managed the transition after Vatican II, and seems to have been only momentarily interrupted under a former pastor. This tradition is still in evidence, with the stronger-than-average congregational singing and appreciation for beauty in the parish. St. Brigid has it going on - help us keep this tradition vibrant!

Xenia Daily Gazette, 14 June 1914
In the presence of interested parents and a gathering of friends which well represented the parish the annual muiscale [sic] of the music class was given in the auditorium of St. Brigid’s school Thursday night. The inclemency of the weather kept a great many people away, but those who were conscious of the quality of the recitals from previous audiences braved the weather and they were not disappointed by the exhibition of the art which the pupils put forth.
The program consisted of piano solos and duets, violin and mandolin accompaniments and vocal numbers by several of the pupils. It would be impossible to pick the best performers of the evening, as each individual number was of the highest class, and would pass favorably in the judgment of a most learned critic.
The excellence of the whole program is a testimonial of the ability of the teacher, Sister Josetta, and the efficiency of the pupils shows the fruit of a season of the most conscientious work. Thirty pupils composed the class of this year and every one took part in the evening program.
In closing the pastor, Rev. Quinn, expressed his appreciation of the work of the teacher and the pupils in working so diligently to make the entertainment a success. In expressing his thanks he spoke of music as being the language of angels, and said that in modern day education plays an important part, and that a child’s education is incomplete unless they have knowledge of music. He spoke of the excellent facility afforded in the school for the study of music, where the pupils are allotted a part of each day’s study period for practice, and it is practice which is a large factor in perfection for music.

09/26/2019

At St. Brigid we sing some Latin in the Mass - the Kyrie (which is technically Greek, not Latin), Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. It was going on before I started. Some are uncomfortable with it, and consider it some sort of regression to how the Church was before Vatican II. Not true. In fact, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, that seminal document that came out of Vatican II, says this:

"In Masses which are celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be allotted to their mother tongue. This is to apply in the first place to the readings and 'the common prayer,' but also, as local conditions may warrant, to those parts which pertain to the people... Nevertheless steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them."

Further documents clarified what exactly those Latin Ordinary settings should be, so that Catholics across the world have a common repertoire. To summarize: the vernacular language was allowed, primarily for the readings and prayers - not even suggested, because it uses the verb "may" - and extended to the possibility of singing the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei in the local language, as long as they kept the fundamental Latin settings of those (for the record, we will have English Ordinary settings in addition to the Latin). The verb used there is "should," not "may."

Therefore I can confidently say that we are following the teachings of Vatican II, and we've just scratched the surface of those Latin settings that are suggested. :)

09/16/2019

Many parishes have children's choirs, but they usually sing infrequently for Mass - perhaps once a month if that. Our children will sing EVERY week while school is in session. What about the adults? We need them too! We plan to have ONE parish choir, with the adults and children combined. Centuries ago, choirs consisted of clergy. Even in a time when priests were more abundant, that proved problematic, and so laymen and boys "stood in" for priests in the choir. That began the tradition of men and boys' choirs that has continued in the Anglican tradition. In the Roman Catholic Church, there are still some such as the exceptional Westminster Cathedral Choir in London. Our choir will be in that tradition, but also include women and girls. The adults and children will rehearse separately during the week, and then combine on Sunday morning. This video of the choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City (I used to work there; in fact, that's me unseen playing the organ) shows what is possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61AU1QzBNWM . Our world needs this more than ever, so if you have this gift, you need to be a part of something special like this. The kids' lives will be impacted, and we will be the vessels of extraordinary beauty. Adult rehearsals will be Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Please contact me if you're interested. It's also not too late to sign up kids for the choir: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2vMrE98XaWPKe2c9Ng7nL40kxwAdqlwyQHjLXK7_2PADXGg/viewform?usp=sf_link

The Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine performs Ave verum corpus by Colin Mawby at the Basilica Di San Francesco (St. Francis' Basilica) in Assisi, Ital...

09/12/2019

These photos are from a parish history compiled in 1898. They had a healthy participation level back then. I'm not sure of the function of these groups. The Choristers are in cassock and surplice, so must have had a liturgical function in Mass.

09/05/2019

Part of my duties at St. Brigid is to provide music for the morning daily Mass. That daily discipline helps me to do my job better. For instance, today's epistle reading from Colossians is a lesson in patience. Too often we want immediate results, but this is a marathon, not a sprint. Real learning and growth takes time. We're all guilty of it. I have to check myself from the inclination to want to do amazing and beautiful complicated choral music just starting out. On the other side, some may wonder why are kids are so quiet their first time singing for Mass, and without microphones. Sometimes things get worse before they get better, and it's an exercise in will and patience to endure that period. So let's all pray for patience, wisdom and understanding, so that we bear fruit in the future.

Colossians 1:9-14 (NRSVCE)
For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

09/03/2019

Today is the Feast of St. Gregory the Great. In iconography, he is often depicted with a dove. According to legend, a dove alighted through his window and dictated sacred Gregorian chant to him. As I wrote, it's a legend. ;) But there is a grain of truth in the story - the dove, after all, symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and Gregory was certainly inspired by the Holy Spirit. "Gregorian" chant is named after him; it's a bit of a misnomer, considering that he wrote very little of it, but what he did was to unify and codify it for the Church. His legacy remains. Although some may think that the Second Vatican Council "threw out the baby with the bathwater," they actually affirmed the tradition of chant, giving it primacy among all music for the liturgy. That's why we are forming a "Gregorian" chant schola to sing for Mass; this music remains vital to the life of the Church, and it is profoundly beautiful. St. Gregory, pray for us!

08/30/2019

Deo gratias! We now have nine children signed up for the choir: 6 girls and 3 boys, and a nice mix of ages: 3 3rd graders, 1 4th, 2 5th, 1 6th, and 2 7th. It's always nice to have some older kids involved who can mentor the younger ones.

08/29/2019

We now have four choristers signed up - in 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th grades. That's a nice start; let's keep it up.

08/28/2019

https://stbrigidxenia.org/parish/music/

St. Brigid Parish Church 312 Fairground Rd. (Church) 258 Purcell Dr. (Office) Xenia, Ohio 45385 937-372-3193 / phone 937-374-3622 / fax