Good musicians don’t grow on trees. John Paul II knew that, as did his predecessors. Vatican II endorsed the musical formation of the clergy…Churches have established many other schools that deserve to be supported and reinforced by an ever better knowledge and performance of good liturgical music. A hundred years ago, or even forty, the setting up of a music school would be assumed to be a resident/bricks-and-mortar thing. I doubt this is possible or truly necessary. Conferences, seminars, and even colloquia serve this role nicely on a few levels for different people. Charles and others: thoughts?
What synchronicity, as I replied:
T)his very subject as it came up in many conversations at SLC, namely if “endowed” (in whatever sense of the word is appropriate) parishes and cathedrals would offer musical/performance learning opportunities for the at-large faithful on a regular basis that are sequential and truly beneficial. Apparently there are not a few of us doing that. We just had our first session this last Tuesday night. When we first publicized the sessions, we would have been happy with an ideal enrollement of eight. Thirty-two people of all ages showed up, most of them unknown to us in formal music ministry!
It was almost overwhelming the level of interest that bubbled up from folks unknown to us for nearly 20 years in the parishes. And we do make concerted efforts throughout the leadership for new membership and our ensembles do receive new members on a regular basis. What struck me, which is captured perfectly in this video clip of the first meeting this last Tuesday (7-10) was the ease with which people crammed into a little meeting space not only confirmed their comprehensional grasp of what solfeggio is and does, but how responsive to actually singing the musical’s song they proved! So, I think Todd and all at SLC that I encountered who mentioned they were involved or were going to initiate such opportunities are really onto something with great potential.