Janet Gorbitz, Author at Chant Café

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020 by Janet Gorbitz

Fall Courses offered by Sacred Music Institute of America

Looking for a way to get online education on Sacred Music? The Sacred Music Institute of America is offering a range of courses for the fall, including a course taught by CMAA President, Dr. William P. Mahrt.

From the Sacred Music Institute of America’s press release:

In today’s rapidly-shifting environment of changing regulations and guidelines, the Sacred Music Institute of America, LLC stands by its commitment to provide high-quality educational experiences to meet the needs of sacred musicians beyond the confines of traditional academic programs. This fall, we are honored to welcome Dr. William Mahrt to the faculty for a ten-week online course in Gregorian Chant. “Gregorian and English Chant I” is a beginning course in chant which will proceed from reading and singing of the simplest chants and the study of their liturgical function and include chants of progressive difficulty for the priest, people, and choir in both English and Latin.

In all of these categories, the study will proceed through chants of progressive difficulty, with priest’s prayers, versicles and responses of priests and people, chants for the Ordinary of the Mass in English and Latin for the congregation, and chants for the proper of the Mass in English for the choir. For the proper of the Mass, chants of progressive difficulty will be studied, based upon The Proper of the Mass for Sundays and Solemnities of Fr. Samuel Weber, O.S.B. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2014). The beauty of the chants as integral to the liturgy will be a consideration.

Dr. Mahrt also teaches musicology and the performance of Medieval and Renaissance music at Stanford University.

The Institute’s fall offerings also include online courses in “The History of Sacred Music,” “Music Theory I,” private lessons in organ, voice, and conducting, and mentoring for church musicians. All fall classes begin on August 24. More information is available at www.sacredmusicinstitute.org or by contacting the Institute at 614-395-7783 or administrator@sacredmusicinstitute.org.

The cost for registration in the 10-week courses will be $850, with various pricing for private lessons, depending on the teacher.

Download the flyer: FLYER

June 25, 2020 by Janet Gorbitz

Spanish Language CMAA Virtual Event

As part of the Church Music Association of America’s (CMAA) Virtual Colloquium (July 6-10, 2020), the CMAA is venturing further into providing resources and programming for Spanish speakers.

Spanish Virtual Colloquium Ad – pdf

We’re delighted to be able to offer two online workshops on Thursday, July 9, 2020, presented by Dr. Heitor Caballero, They are integrated into a fuller day including a streamed Requiem Mass and Compline, both in Latin.

Admission to these events is free, but advance registration is required.

April 24, 2020 by Janet Gorbitz

Free Online Organ Class with David Baskeyfield

Sacred Music Institute of America offers Free Online Class

Organ Pieces to Practice at Home and Online Learning with Organist David Baskeyfield – a Survey of Manuals-Only Repertoire — FREE CLASS ONLINE SATURDAY, 4/25/20 AT 1pm (EST)

From the Sacred Music Institute:

We heard from many musicians who either missed the event offered earlier this month or had difficulty logging on, so David Baskeyfield has graciously offered to repeat this event live this Saturday, April 25th at 1pm (EST).

Due to the Coronavirus situation, many of us are currently shut out of our churches and, more widely, being encouraged to stay home. Organist David Baskeyfield will present a brief survey of manuals-only organ repertoire that can be practiced on the piano or any keyboard. During this time of restricted social interaction, we would particularly like to emphasize that online lessons are continuing through the Sacred Music Institute. Since online lessons may be a new style of learning for many people, during the presentation David will teach some very short “demo” lessons with currently enrolled students to give an idea of what online teaching looks like. The Institute and this presentation are perfect for all levels of skill and experience whether you’d like to expand your repertoire and technique or gain some new perspectives on service playing.

This event is free and open to all; however, access to this free event is limited, so attendees must register in advance in order for us to send you the link to join this online presentation.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-learning-made-easy-with-organist-david-baskeyfield-tickets-102908451950

February 14, 2020 by Janet Gorbitz

Christendom College Organ Scholarship

Christendom College will offer free organ lessons and $500 in tuition reduction for a student starting in the Fall of 2020.

Next fall, there will be one beginning scholarship in organ opening up which will provide free lessons and $500 in tuition reduction.

Specifics can be found at this link: https://www.christendom.edu/the-benedict-xvi-organ-scholarships-2020-2021/

These scholarships are part of a generous bequest of an anonymous donor to train parish organists. The recipient is expected to study the organ, working toward a degree program in music at the college.
Students must submit an audition video by March 6 and, if selected, will need to come to campus to audition in person on Saturday, March 28. If there are any questions you should contact Dr. Kurt Poterack at: kpoterack@christendom.edu

November 13, 2019November 13, 2019 by Janet Gorbitz

Cantate Domino in Ottawa!

Join St. Clement Parish in Ottawa for a Weekend of Sacred Music, November 22 – 23, 2019.

Featuring organist and chant director, David J. Hughes, the workshop begins at 7:30 pm on Friday, November 22 with Vespers, followed by an organ recital.

On Saturday, November 23, the parish will celebrate the Feast of St. Clement with a High Mass at 10:00 am, followed by a Chant Workshop beginning at 11:30 am. The workshop will culminate with 5:00 pm Vespers. Lunch is provided.

Pre-registration is required. Please call 613-281-3766 or email ottawachant@gmail.com to register. The registration cost of only $20/person includes lunch.

St. Clement Parish is located at 528 Old St. Patrick St., Ottawa.

May 14, 2019May 21, 2019 by Janet Gorbitz

Jeffrey Morse on Chant Intensive 2019: register now

You still have time to register at regular rates and avoid the late fees… Register by May 15th!

Once again, the CMAA will be offering the Summer Chant Intensive at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. The course is offered June 24-28, 2019.

This course has been a valuable springboard for many Catholic musicians who wanted to learn more about Gregorian chant. Many of us got our start in directing scholas and choirs because of this course, which was offered for the first time in 2008.

Our instructor this year will be Jeffrey Morse, who has provided us with this letter that includes more detail about the scope of the course:

… Over the years teaching chant to various groups at the Colloquium, many students had expressed their desire for more Chant instruction, particularly in subjects like the modes, but due to the time limitation of the Colloquium it was impossible to cover these topics.

If you were one of these students wanting more, the Chant Intensive is for you! The topics of the Chant Intensive are provided on the CMAA website, but I thought that perhaps it might prove helpful to expand a bit on the course description and syllabus, which can be a bit off putting and vague as they are necessarily short and succinct.

The Chant Intensive is offered for everyone, with little or no chant experience, but particularly for those with an intermediate level of knowledge of plainchant and even for the advanced. I think all levels will find something useful in this Intensive. While no chant knowledge, or little is required for the class, some will be helpful as the basics of Chant, the reading of the square notes, the staff, etc. will be done at a fairly good pace, serving as a review for the others in the first sessions. In my experience in teaching over the years, this is fine for beginners, but if you would like to go at a much slower pace, perhaps “Laus in Ecclesia Level I”, offered at the same time, might be a better fit.

In the course of the week, we will explore the 8 modes in which Chant is written. Their individual qualities and sounds, using solfège (do, re, mi) to learn the modes and be able to sing them. Modal studies will also focus on examples of Chant representing every mode, the
important notes in each, and how over centuries these notes have sometimes changed, as well as the psalm-tone for each mode. In the learning of the psalm-tones, or the little melodies to which the psalms are sung, we will learn how exactly the psalms are sung to each of these melodies and the rules of “Pointing” accents and preparatory syllables that make it possible. Emphasis too, will be placed on how a good unified, choral tone is cultivated, as well as good basic vocal techniques helpful for those students with choirs or even for themselves! The simple and natural rhythm of Chant, from the simple syllabic chants of the Ordinary of the Mass and Gregorian hymns, to the melismatic glories of the alleluias and Graduals and everything in between will be explored thoroughly in singing through as much of the Gregorian repertoire as possible, with time spent on teaching the direction of Chant (chironomy), with students able to practice the direction techniques learned with the group.

Lastly, we will be returning to the very sources of the Chant in a basic introduction to the reading of the notation of the St Gall school (9th century) which is the earliest notation in the Western world. We will talk about how these manuscripts helped in the melodic restoration of the Chant in the late 19th and early 20th century by the monks of Solesmes, and we will discover how their amazing subtleties, not carried through in the square note notation of later centuries, can inform and finesse our interpretation of the Chant breathing freshness, light, and life into the sacred texts it serves.

For those wanting a more thorough grounding and exposure to Gregorian Chant than what is possible at the Colloquium, this class is for you. I am grateful to the CMAA for offering the Chant Intensive each year, for I can think of nowhere else where such a complete education in the Chant is offered in such a concentrated fashion. With this class, it is hoped that the students will gain the confidence and skills to form and direct their own scholas or choirs, or become better directors of already existing ones, to bring this unparalleled music of the Church forward to our parishes and future generations, this music with its unique and singular ability to lift minds and hearts to God.

Looking forward to seeing old friends at the Chant Intensive and making new ones, singing with you all and passing it on! See you in Pittsburgh!

For all the information about the upcoming Chant courses in Pittsburgh, visit our website to find information about Registration, Housing, Schedule, and more: CMAA SUMMER COURSES

View a short video about the summer courses here:

December 13, 2018December 13, 2018 by Janet Gorbitz

The Latin Mass comes to Laredo, Texas!

Beginning this coming Sunday, December 16th at 3:00 pm, the Society of St. Padre Pio is proud to announce that extraordinary form liturgies will be offered once a month at 3 pm on the Sunday after the third Saturday of each month. Mass will be held at Christ the King Parish with Msgr. James Harris as celebrant.

It is possible to offer this liturgy in the extraordinary form because of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, from July 7, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Music will be provided by the St. Cecilia Choir, with Rogelio Senties as director. If you’re in the area, make plans to join them and support their effort to make this form of the Mass available to those in the region.

Details:
December 16, 2018, 3:00 pm
Christ the King Parish
1105 Tilden
Laredo, TX 78040
Ph: 956-723-4267