Big Night for a New Choir

Tomorrow night is the "Big Night" for my new choir. I could not be more proud of the work and effort they have put in. Indeed we have had 6 weeks of rehearsals and I know they have also been practicing their parts individually...even making cheat sheets for Latin pronunciation. They are really into it. One woman will be sneaking out of her son's Christmas party in order to come sing the Mass with us after she has already been to another one.

We will be singing some traditional Christmas hymns, a special Responsorial Psalm from the Chabanel Psalms project, a special Gloria picked out by the pastor, Puer Nobis Nascitur from the Secunda book (that is a traditional 3 part treble choir book) for the Offertory, the Communion Antiphon In Splendoribus from the Graduale Romanum (modern notation...for now), and a rendition of Silent Night for Communion.

Last Saturday (vigil mass) I had them sing for Communion as a trial run. They sang Creator Alme Siderum, which is the "traditional" Vespers hymn for the Advent season. They did great!

On top of everything else they presented me with a Christmas gift last night as an appreciation, which I did not expect. The Priest's new album Harmony is importing into my Mac as I type this.