Until The End

From the Huffington Post, a story which does witness to the power of the Sacrament of Marriage.

Talk about the complete fulfillment of the vow "for as long as you both shall live."

The ideal perfectly realized.

Indefinite Intermission

I am still digesting some rather unsettling news.

At our weekly church choir rehearsal at St. Olaf last night, we were informed by our music director that he had been laid off by the parish due to budget cuts.

The choir's last formal appearance will be this Sunday at the 11:15 AM Mass.

This is not to say there will be no music at St. Olaf. There is a staff of volunteer accompanists and singers (myself included) that assist the congregation at other Masses when the choir was not scheduled. Who will schedule them now is also a concern, as the wife of our music director (and also a choir member) handled that duty on a monthly basis.

Stunned is a very accurate word to use right now. Granted, nothing is sacrosanct; but why do you gut what is considered by many parishioners a significant and appreciated part of their parish life, not to mention an important asset in the liturgy? Our new priest has a very fine singing voice; in fact, in his first Mass here, he chanted the Opening and Closing Prayers as well as most of Eucharistic Prayer II. I had a glimmer of hope of the possibility of "singing the Mass" could have been done. It's still there; it's now been clouded by this.

I am not going to make it any more of a problem than it could be. Musical life at St. Olaf will continue, but it will be diminished.

Am I going to be part of the problem or part of the solution?

I'm leaning toward "B", but I need to discern my role.

(UPDATE): Please note this is only a part-time position.

112 Years Of Harmony

One of my fondest memories of my undergraduate days at Morningside College (Sioux City, IA) was my involvement with Gamma Xi Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.

Today the organization celebrates the 112th. anniversary of its founding at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA.

It has undergone lots of growth and development during its existence, not without some growing pains.

But its commitment to its ideals make it what it is today.

The Fraternity's current National President, John Alan Mongiovi, is marking the day with the following announcement:



Having been a voting delegate at the 1988 National Convention in Kansas City, MO and given the recent success of past Conventions, it looks to be another promising assembly.

Even though it has been over twenty years since my last involvement, I can still say with pride, "Once a Sinfonian, Always a Sinfonian. Long live Sinfonia!"

Come, Brothers, Hail!

(UPDATE: 10/6/2011): Whoops! I can't subtract. 2011 is the 113th. anniversary of the Fraternity. I have changed the title of the post and properly edited it to reflect that correction.