


Summer is here...and with the exception of three big Sunday Solemnities the next few weeks (Trinity, The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ/Corpus Christi, and Sts. Peter and Paul), we are back in the green of Ordinary Time.
For liturgical musicians, this is somewhat of a relief and also sometimes feels like a bit of a letdown. The grand settings we were using during the Easter Season don't feel quite appropriate over the summer, when our choir breaks for a well-deserved rest and our musicians take their turns heading out of town on vacation. Simplicity is the key for the summer, in terms of planning music: we try to use things that are easy to sing, that are beautifully familiar, that feel like coming home (even if you happen to be visiting us on your way through town heading to or from your cabin at the lake).
So, the 5 PM and 9:30 AM Masses will transition to Richard Proulx's/Michael O'Connor's Missa Simplex this weekend, and the 6 PM Mass (a favorite of weekend lake-goers from all over the diocese) will be using the Mass of Creation.
This past weekend for Pentecost, I had the joy of attending the 6 PM Sunday evening Mass and hearing one of our younger parishioners belting out the Gloria (the one from A New Mass for Congregations by Carroll T. Andrews) at the top of her voice. It was wonderful - a moment when I felt so grateful to be here doing what I do. She has learned that Gloria from singing it here at Mass every week, and she has the whole thing memorized. It was a good reminder that although sometimes musicians get tired of doing the same music after a while, repeating things is the best way for congregations to become familiar with them and to feel comfortable singing them.
This summer, you can expect to hear some old favorites, some familiar tunes, and some lovely musical settings that shine in their simplicity. This seasonal change is one of the gifts of planning our music according to the liturgical year.
You can also expect to hear a bit of Gregorian Chant at selected Masses over the summer as our Summer Schola gets off the ground. Find more information here, and stay tuned for details to come soon.