There will be a workshop on Sacred Music in the Diocese of Madison, WI on 1-2 October, Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Use that link for concrete information about schedules, etc.
The workshop is entitled “A treasure of inestimable value”, which is a phrase from Sacrosanctum Concilium.
The presenter will be Fr. Robert Skeris, one of the old warriors of the dark years after the Council when sacred music was being dismantled in the USA (and everywhere else). He was a colleague of the late Msgr. Richard Schuler in this regard, and therefore has well-considered thoughts about sacred music.
Also, His Excellency Most. Rev. Robert Morlino, the Bishop of Madison, will be personally involved both days, for Evening Prayer and for a sung Mass, Novus Ordo, to close the workshop on Saturday. The participants will provide the chant.
Readers of this blog have seen entries about Bp. Morlino, who is a leader in the defense of life of the unborn.
These workshops are popping up all over the place. The participants learn some things about Gregorian chant and then get some practice. This is good.
Perhaps your parish can sponsor one?
I am delighted to see a diocese doing this! That says something!
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Our diocese had a seminar on the new translation today, at our parish – it’ll repeat tomorrow. Liturgical Institute.
I was doing coffee and bagels and fruit and stuff and had to listen in between, but it sounded very good indeed. All the presenters and most of the audience were very much in favor – large number of parish priests in attendance, as well as a good number of sisters in habits. A few complainers but they were in the minority and gently smiled at.
The Madison Diocesan Choir will also be present, leading the chants for Evening Prayer on Friday, and providing music for the Mass on Saturday. It should be an amazing event. Also, the diocese has been very blessed by the presence of a man named Aristotle Esguerra, who is highly educated in Gregorian chant. He is not only bringing it back strongly in the parish where he serves as director of music, but is also teaching schola cantorum for one of the area home school groups and at Saint Ambrose Academy (Fr. Z, you should check out the Saint Ambrose website: http://www.ambroseacademy.org –Bishop Morlino is very supportive, and in fact spends a good amount of time twice each month with the high school students providing solid catechesis!)–bringing Gregorian Chant directly to children as young as third grade! The Diocese of Madison is so incredibly blessed!!
I am signed up for this chant workshop! The signup deadline was technically Wednesday, I believe, though considering there is still a week till the workshop they may still accept registerations. I am not musical at all, but the materials for the workshop say you don’t have to know anything about music. I am not sure I have ever heard a Novus Ordo Mass that was all in Gregorian chant, however it would take very little to convince me that would be preferable to what we currently have. That is my idea of music that is really suitable to liturgy.
Elizabeth D — Don’t worry. When they say you don’t have to know anything about music, they mean it. You may even be at an advantage, at certain points, because you won’t have any preconceived ideas to unlearn. :) Just be prepared to listen hard. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you’re a bit tired at the end. Thinking and listening does burn calories, and singing is a kind of aerobic exercise.
I was wrong–I beg forgiveness–the choir will not be singing at the Mass. Evening Prayer, yes, but not Mass. :)
I’m totally coming to this if I can get in!!! I can’t wait!
I highly recommend a workshop with Fr. Skeris! He led one at my parish a few years ago, and it was wonderful. He’s not only a great presenter and speaker, but a saintly person. And he’s fun to work with too. :-)
I also wanted to mention, I attended a workshop a little over a week ago at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI with Scott Turkington, also a great experience! There is a wrap-up article (and audio recordings) on our parish blog Saint Peter’s Point.
The neighboring diocese of La Crosse just did the same thing a few weeks ago.
http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/2010/06/gregorian-chant-workshop-la-crosse-wi.html
Around 70 attended in La Crosse and I heard around 60 are signed up for Madison.
Great things happening in Madison, indeed! Lawrence Stich, a long-time student & collaborator of Fr. Skeris, directs a Gregorian Chant Schola which sings for Sunday EF Masses at Holy Redeemer Church, in Downtown Madison. Maestro Stich will be assisting Fr. Skeris at the upcoming workshop.