Schola Cantorum of the Palm Beaches

Corpus Christi

2011-06-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe this is the first post of 2011! The Schola was engaged to sing an EF Funeral Mass in April, and then we assisted for Fr Brian Campbell's first solo EF Mass on Lent I. Our next appearance will be at St Patrick's Church in Palm Beach Gardens with Fr Campbell this Sunday for the Feast of Corpus Christi. Hope to see everyone there!

SCPB Update

2010-12-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

It's been quiet this year for the schola. The new baby and a couple of new courses to teach have kept me from doing a lot this fall. The next date for the schola to sing will be the First Sunday of Lent at St Patrick's Church in Palm Beach Gardens at 2:00pm with Fr Brian Campbell celebrating. For now we will be doing the occasional service, but hope to get back to regular singing soon.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Mike

Schola Complements Monteverdi

2010-11-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

The Schola Cantorum of the Palm Beaches served as the liturgical choir for a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers on 12 November 2010 at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Schola provided antiphons for the Feast of the Annunciation and sang psalms and Magnificat verses in places where the Monteverdi music may have been too much to prepare for the PBA Early Music Ensemble in such a short time.

Missa Cantata for Pentecost

2010-05-02T12:21:00.001-07:00

The Schola Cantorum of the Palm Beaches, directed by Michael O'Connor and Jennifer Donelson will assist at a Missa cantata for the feast of Pentecost at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lantana, FL at 2:00pm on May 23, 2010. The Mass will be celebrated by Rev. Kevin Nelson, the pastor of Holy Spirit. The schola will sing Ludovico Viadana's Missa L'Hora Passa for the Ordinary along with the Gregorian Proper chants.

FL Catholic Story on Recent High Mass

2010-01-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

Please read the recent story on the schola's participation in the high Mass at Holy Spirit in December.

Music Sacra Florida Gregorian Chant Workshop

2010-01-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

Sponsored by
the Florida Chapter of the Church Music Association of America
 in conjunction with
the  Department of Music, Ave Maria University,
Ave Maria, Florida.
Friday & Saturday, March 19-20, 2010

This two-day workshop will present both beginning and advanced musicians with lectures, breakout sessions, and rehearsals that will enrich their knowledge of Gregorian chant and its use in the Roman Catholic liturgy.

Led by a faculty of chant specialists from around the state, attendees will learn more about the history of Gregorian chant and its role in the liturgy as well as experience the chant in the context of both the Divine Office and the Mass.

Beginning chanters will be introduced to the basics of notation and rhythm according to the classic Solesmes method. Experienced chanters will learn new repertoire and advance their understanding of rhythmic and interpretive nuance. Resources and practical methods for the cultivation of Gregorian chant in the life of the parish will also be discussed. A special breakout session will be devoted to helping priests and deacons with their liturgical chants.

This workshop is ideal for choir members, parish music directors, music students, teachers, parents, seminarians, deacons, priests, and anyone who is interested in learning about the heritage of sacred music within the Roman Catholic Church.

Registration fees are $40 or $15 for students (with I.D.) and include the price of instructional materials and instruction. Overnight accommodations will be available at AMU’s Xavier Conference Center. Participants can choose among various options for room and board. For prices and options, click above at “Brochure and tentative schedule”.

Pre-registration is required.  Deadline: Friday, March 5th, 2010
Contact Information:   Susan Treacy  (239) 280-1668 or susan.treacy@avemaria.edu

Faculty: 
Keynote Speaker: Jeffrey Tucker – Managing Editor, Sacred Music
 Mary Jane Ballou – Director of the Schola Cantorae, St Augustine, FL
Jennifer Donelson – Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Timothy McDonnell - Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, FLs
Michael O’Connor – Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL 
Susan Treacy – Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, FL

Solemn Mass for Advent II

2009-11-01T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Schola Cantorum of the Palm Beaches will assist Fr Kevin Nelson and two other priests in a solemn Mass in the Extraordinary form for the Second Sunday of Advent. The Mass will be celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 1000 W Lantana Rd., in Lantana, FL at 2:00pm. The Schola will sing the Gregorian propers along with Mass XVII and Credo III. We hope to see everyone there!

All Saints Vespers

2009-10-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

The SCPB will offer a solemn 1st Vespers service along with Frs. Kevin Nelson, Brian King, and Brian Campbell at St Patrick Catholic Church in - 13591 Prosperity Farms Rd in Palm Beach Gardens - at 7:00pm on October 31. The schola will include a setting of the Magnificat on the 8th tone by Palestrina. The organist for the event will be Alan Bowman.

Season 3

2009-08-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Schola cantorum of the Palm Beaches begins its 3rd season with an open rehearsal on August 30, 2009 at 7:00 pm. All experienced male singers from the Palm Beach Diocese are invited to come out and experience the Church's chant. The schola will introduce polyphony for the first time into a Solemn Vespers service on October 31, 7:00pm at St Patrick Catholic Church in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Chanted Vespers - June 29

2009-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

This Monday, June 29, Michael O'Connor and David Taylor of the SCPB will join with 2 members of the Cathedral Parish of St Ignatius and director Adam Brakel in West Palm Beach for a chanted Evening Prayer in the novus ordo. The liturgy begins at 7:0opm at the Cathedral on Military Trail just south of PGA Blvd.

Schola appearance this weekend

2009-04-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Schola Cantorum of the Palm Beaches will assist the first Mass offered by Brian Campell after his ordination on May 2, 2009 at 4:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Chant Workshop Wrap-up

2009-03-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jennifer Donelson has posted a post-workshop summary at the Musica Sacra Florida site. Stop by and drop her a comment or two on this very nice summary with photos. From my perspective, I thought the workshop went very well, especially for the first one. There was a good number of folks there (manageable for us) and everyone seemed to have an appropriate instructional-level class to attend. I hope everyone had a splendid time as was able to learn something. I thought all the groups did a splendid job at the Saturday Mass. Thanks to all the Palm Beach Schola members who attended. I think we were represented well. I'm sure it was nice to chat and sing with other Floridians who share your passion for chant. You really are not alone!

Just a reminder too that the men will be singing for Mass at St Christopher's in Hobe Sound this Sunday at 2:00. All a acapella!

Lent I Mass

2009-03-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to everyone in the schola for doing a wonderful job on one of the most difficult set of Mass chants in the Church calendar. The group has come a long way, indeed! Here are some pictures I managed to snap to commemorate the event.

Masses in the Extraordinary Form in the Palm Beach Diocese

2009-02-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Schola cantorum will be serving two Masses in the extraordinary form in March. The first will be for the 1st Sunday in Lent (March 1) at St Patrick Catholic Church in Palm Beach Gardens. The second will be for the Third Sunday in Lent (March 15) at St Christopher Catholic Church in Hobe Sound. Both Masses will be celebrated at 2:00 pm and will be in the form of the Missa cantata, which means there will be a single priest, Father Kevin Nelson, with schola to sing the Ordinary and Proper chants. We invite everyone to attend these historic events.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'd like to wish everyone a blessed feast of Mary the Mother of God and the commencement of the 2009th Year of Our Lord. The schola is going to be pretty busy this winter and spring, bringing the music of the Church to its people. I'm looking forward to it! I'm including a picture of our crew and clergy from Vespers for the Immaculate Conception in December here. The cope worn by Father Andrew is a beautifully designed Portuguese vestment with Marian embroidery, originally given to Father Brian (right) by Cardinal O'Malley before leaving for Boston. The beautiful candlesticks and crucifix in the background were inherited by Father Kevin (left). We are so fortunate to have priests in this diocese who also seek to promote the beautiful and the sacred.

Correction

2008-12-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

Vespers for the Immaculate Conception on Sunday evening, Dec. 8, will be at 7:00pm, not 7:30pm as previously advertised.

Parish Book of Chant Now Available Right Here!

2008-10-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

You can view the Parish Book of Chant, a resource every church should have, right here, thanks to the CMAA. To expand the size, use the "down" arrow on the menu at the right to increase the size and then use the scroll bar to move between sides.

The Parish Book of Chant - Upload a Document to Scribd

Website for Our Sisters in Chant

2008-10-24T08:57:00.001-07:00

The St. Augustine Schola Cantorae has a website. Stop by and see what the ladies are up to. Florida is slowly finding its way to real Church music!

Web address: http://www.cantorae.com/

Vespers for Immaculate Conception

2008-10-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Schola cantorum of the Palm Beaches will sponsor a solemn First Vespers for the Feast of The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady on December 7th at 7:30pm at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. The celebrant will be Father Kevin Nelson and the organist will be Alan Bowman. A printed program with English translations will be provided. Everyone in attendance is encouraged to sing the psalms with the schola.

Time to Chant!

2008-09-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to all that the Schola cantorum of the Palm Beaches resumes rehearsals this coming Sunday at 7:30 at Holy Name Church in West Palm Beach. This is an open rehearsal and everyone is invited. See you there!

Chinese Love Their Chant!

2008-08-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

Hat tip to Daniel Page for putting this up. Not sure where this is, but it's in Chinese. The actual translation is "When prayers are being recited/chanted, please do not make noise" (thanks to a CMAA poster for this. I have to agree with the sentiment! No confused noises, please!

Jensen Beach TLM Seminar

2008-08-16T21:57:00.001-07:00

I ran across an article in the Florida Catholic today about a seminar on the Extraordinary Form of the Mass given by Father Marco de Leon. Apparently he has been celebrating the Mass in Jensen this summer. For those of you who thought I knew everything, feel free to be surprised! I had no idea that there was another priest doing this Mass at St. Martin's. Trust that I will be in touch with him very soon! In any event, the article is OK. At least it does not repeat any mistaken ideas about the Mass. The only nit that I would pick is that the bishop's permission is not required for any priest to say a private Mass in the ancient Rite since last summer when Pope Benedict freed up the Mass. Most likely they meant that permission was needed to celebrate the Mass with an invitation to the public. In any case, this is good news for traditional Catholics in our diocese. Let's hope a TLM is started a little closer to West Palm soon.

Here's the link:.

New Schola Season!

2008-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone!

The Schola cantorum of the Palm Beaches will start its fall rehearsals on September 14 at 7:30pm. The good folks at Holy Name Catholic Church at 345 S. Military Trail in West Palm Beach will again be our hosts. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing all returning members, but I'd like to invite anyone interested in learning about chant and how to sing it. If you've never sung chant before, that's OK. We spend a great deal of time on basics and the fall is a great time to check out what we are doing.

We have been blessed with the support of Palm Beach diocese and I'm looking forward to our first chant workshop this spring. Stay tuned for details as they become available. We will be included in the activities for the 25th Anniversary of the Diocese of Palm Beach. It's going to be an exciting year! This fall we have Vespers at St Patrick's for the Immaculate Conception and then in the spring, we are singing another Extraordinary Form Mass at St. Martin de Porres in Jensen Beach.

Yours in Christ,
Mike

Interview with Chant CD Monk

2008-07-28T09:24:00.001-07:00

Hat tip to Jeffrey Tucker for posting this excerpt from an interview with a spokesman from Stift Heiligenkreuz, a 12th-century Cistercian monastery near Vienna. The monks there have recorded a chant CD that has hit the top of the charts worldwide. This happened once before with the monks of Santo Domingo de Silos and likely will fade as quickly, but the best part of this go around is that the monks are taking the opportunity to teach about Gregorian chant while they have the limelight. Check out the interview at the SF Chronicle.

Novena for Church Musicians

2008-07-19T11:39:00.001-07:00

A little late in getting this posted, but I hope someone catches it in time to start the prayers. Download the Novena to St. Cecilia and start today. It is for the health and well-being of all Church musicians. God Bless.

Novena to St. Cecilia (pdf)

Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599)

2008-07-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Someone recently posted a sound file of Francisco Guerrero's Ave Maria a 4 from the CMAA Colloquium in Chicago. I have performed this numerous times on Renaissance brass but had never sung it until that Mass in Chicago. It is truly a wondrous piece and not all that hard to sing (well, there is the melisma in the altos!).

Guerrero was the most famous composer in Spain during the second half of the 16th century because he served the kingdom's most influential cathedral in Seville. Sure Toledo was the primatial seat, but Seville had the finest musical establishment and whoever was in charge was really important. Guerrero spent his whole career in Spain, unlike Morales and Victoria who made their fames in Rome. Guerrero did travel during the 1580s to the Holy Land and wrote an account of the voyage that includes stories of pirate attacks. His music, more so than Victoria's was the model for later Spanish composers like Alonso Lobo, Juan de Esquivel, and Sebastian de Vivanco. He was particularly gifted at created individual polyphonic lines that often run well into extended ranges for effect. Harmonically modern listeners hear the coming of tonal music, but never introduces chromaticism for cheap effects. He is more known today as a result of recordings made during the anniversary of his death (and Philip II's) in 1999. In particular, his Marian works are exquisite. He was not known as el cantor de Maria for nothing.

Click Here is the sound file of the motet.

Parish Book of Chant

2008-07-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm indulging in a little bit of blogging before the real work of preparing classes starts. One of the best things to happen to church music in a long time occurred when the CMAA published The Parish Book of Chant. This is a wonderful little book with lots of chants in it. The book collects just about all the chants a congregation would need for use in either the Ordinary Form (modern Mass in Latin) or the Extraordinary Form (so-called Tridentine Rite). There is a set of Ordinaries (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) and chant hymns. The great thing is that all the Latin comes with English translations. This is so important since the restoration of Latin to the Latin Rite must be done so that folks know what they are singing and hearing. Also there are basic missals for the older and newer Rites (Latin/English) included. Thanks to the CMAA and Richard Rice for compiling and publishing this. I highly recommend this to everyone interested in chant and its restoration to parish life. Keep in mind that this book is a PEW book. The choir/schola still needs music from the Graduale (or Liber Usualis) to sing the Propers of the Mass or Vespers.

CMAA Colloquium

2008-07-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just returned from summer travels so I now have time to put up a particularly nice image from the CMAA Chant and Polyphony Colloquium that was held in Chicago in June. There were about 250 participants this year with abilities ranging from novice to expert chanters. The participants were sorted into 4 polyphonic choirs that sang Masses and motets by principally Spanish composers this year. Naturally I was in heaven! In addition to preparing Masses and one Vespers, there were classes on chant conducting, singing techniques, and sessions for priests. If that was not enough, the people were fabulous. I met lots of new friends and connected with folks I met last year. Even the most highly accomplished musicians were friendly willing to help those just starting. Good people. The image you see here is the entire group with chant masters William Mahrt and Scott Turkington preparing for Mass in the Loyola chapel.

Sunday OT Chant Mass at Holy Name

2008-06-03T14:44:00.001-07:00

A couple of pictures of the men's and women's scholas from Saturday's Mass. Great job everyone!

Fabulous Chanting

2008-05-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hat tip to Michael Lawrence for pointing this video out. This is great example of wonderful chant style.

English Chant Mass in West Palm Beach

2008-05-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Schola Cantorum of the Palm Beaches will be providing the musical leadership for the 4:00 anticipatory Mass (some call it the vigil Mass still) for the Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in West Palm Beach on May 31, 2008. The Mass will be completely chanted and completely in English. It is our hope that by chanting the propers, ordinary, and the readings of the novus ordo Mass in English that a wider audience may experience Pope Benedict XVI's vision for sacred music. It doesn't have to be in Latin. It just has to be sacred (defined as "set apart"). If you are interested in hearing what English chant can be like, we hope you will join us for this event.

Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church
345 S. Military Trail
West Palm Beach, FL

Remaining Schedule for SCPB

2008-05-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

All rehearsals at Holy Name Catholic Church
345 S. Military Trail
West Palm Beach, FL

Sunday, May 11 at 7:30 pm

Friday, May 23 at 7:00 pm (note different time, please)

Friday, May 30 at 7:00 pm

Next appearance: English chant Mass

Saturday, May 31^st, Holy Name Catholic Church

Rehearse at 3:00 pm

Mass at 4:00 pm

Welcome!

2008-05-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings and welcome to the homepage and blog of the Schola cantorum of the Palm Beaches. The group brings together dedicated singers from Southeast Florida who want to explore the beauty and spirituality of Gregorian and vernacular chant. The group is not affiliated with an individual parish but rather seeks to serve the entire region.

The schola consists of men's and women's ensembles that occasionally come together to sing in alternatim. Future plans will have the groups combining to sing polyphony as well. This page will have rehearsal schedules and appearances but also news about other scholas, workshops, and the growing movement of reintroducing chant and traditional church music into the modern Catholic Church.

Please stop by from time to time and see what we are doing and saying. All views are welcome here but civility and Christian charity are the rule here.

Pax vobiscum
Michael O'Connor
Director