April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
PARISH LIFE
JOYFUL NOISES: Parishes prep for holidays with special music
St. Joseph's parish in Worcester has used its annual Christmas cantata to ease the transition and build community among Catholics after nearby churches closed.
Many parishioners of the former St. Anna's parish in Summit and St. Mary's mission church in Schenevus joined the Worcester community after those churches closed around 2009. A seasonal chorus made up of members from all three churches had started about eight years earlier.
"The cantata had a lot to do with making the transition [more comfortable]," said Terry Hait, St. Joseph's music director and the cantata director. "There was more of a familiarity and a feeling of acceptance."
It also encouraged an appreciation for music: "When we first started," Mrs. Hait said, "there wasn't a lot of singing; but now, this is such a singing parish."
Rehearsals for the cantata begin in mid-September and run once a week for an hour and a half until the second or third Sunday before Christmas, when the choir makes its "presentation," as Mrs. Hait likes to call the cantata performance. She chooses that term "to keep it more of a religious observance than an entertainment venue."
A cantata is music for voice or voices in several movements including narration; Christmas cantatas tell the story of Christ's birth.
"It's a reflection on the real meaning of the Christmas season," Mrs. Hait said. "A lot of it is scriptural. People really like it."
This year's choir has about 20 members. There are no auditions. There used to be a piano accompanist, but the group now uses a CD.
Other community groups, including other churches, are invited to attend the event, which includes a social hour with refreshments. This year's cantata is Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. (with a Dec. 21 snow date because of the distances people travel for the show).
CATHEDRAL KIDS' CHOIR
Leaders of two new children's choirs at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany have high, long-term hopes for the program.
The Cathedral Choir School of Albany - funded by a $20,000 grant from the John, Marie and Joseph Whalen Foundation - started in October with a "training choir" for kindergartners through second-graders and a children's choir for third- through fifth-graders.
There are 11 younger children involved so far; they practice for an hour once a week and sing once a month at Mass.
Only two older children have joined, but more are expected after Christmas. They rehearse once a week and sing with the adult choir every other week at Mass. When the group grows, leaders want twice weekly rehearsals and separate choirs for boys and girls.
"To start a children's program here is a challenge, because there aren't many young families at the cathedral. The program helps us plan for the future," said Brian Gurley, the cathedral's director of music and organist; he also directs the children's choir. "[It's good to] have children growing up in it. Even recruiting adults is difficult."
Mr. Gurley envisions an intergenerational choir and hopes the children's choirs can evolve into an after-school program featuring tutoring and other activities. Already, the older children get dinner at their rehearsals.
"It's an exciting opportunity for us as the cathedral to welcome new people," Mr. Gurley said, "but also for folks who have not considered being involved in the Catholic Church."
Andrea Reno, the training choir director, said the group continues to grow.
"Children respond to quality music and singing in beautiful spaces," she said. "They don't shy away from a challenge," or from rehearsals: "It's common to hear the choristers beg me to go out into the apse to sing with the organ."
The Cathedral Choir School is open to children of all faiths. Mr. Gurley has made sure to prepare non-Catholics - and little ones overwhelmed by the size of the cathedral - for the sights and sounds of a Catholic Mass. Recently, he demonstrated a thurible and the church's motorized Advent wreath, which is suspended from the ceiling.
The director has enjoyed helping the children "find their singing voice.
"We want to make sure to encourage kids to develop at their own pace," he said. "They're having fun. They hardly realize that they're necessarily learning musical concepts."
The children are already causing a stir.
"I can tell how excited the adults are just to have the kids around, because they have this energy," Mr. Gurley said. "I remember hearing a criticism one time that the cathedral doesn't come across as kid-friendly. I think that's just due to lack of programming."
The school's tuition is $100 a year for the training choir and $400 a year for the children's choir. Tuition can be pro-rated, and Mr. Gurley invites new members at any time. The grant covers financial aid, food, materials and Ms. Reno's salary.
(For more information, contact Mr. Gurley at 463-4744 or [email protected].)[[In-content Ad]]
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