September 14-17, 2022
Menlo Park, California
As the first evening of the workshop began, about 35 participants were meeting at the Vallombrosa retreat center in Menlo Park, a few blocks from St. Patrick Seminary, where the Masses for the workshop were to be celebrated.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022: Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Starting with a brief practice session and dinner, we met in the retreat center’s chapel to sing Vespers for the feast, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, with our chaplain Fr. Robert Pasley, presiding, and with David Hughes and Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka as cantors for the two halves of the choir. Most of the participants were not frequent singers of chant, but had some exposure to it; so together with the more experienced voices, they made a good start.
In this Vespers service, the hymn Vexilla Regis prodeunt, last heard on Good Friday, makes a return with verses for this feast: O Crux, ave, spes unica — Hail, O Cross, our only hope!
If you’d like to follow the Vespers from our music book, that portion is available here. Thanks to Matthew Fong for typesetting the chant so nicely, complete with indications for when the two choirs (Gospel side and Epistle side) take their turns.
After Compline that evening, we sang the Salve Regina according to the solemn tone:
Thursday, September 15, 2022: Our Lady of Sorrows
On Thursday morning, these breakout talks were presented:
- Prof. William Mahrt, president of CMAA, on The distinctions between the Mass ordinaries
- Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, professor of sacred music at St. Patrick Seminary, on Modes and their pedagogical utility
The first Mass of the workshop was offered at the chapel of St. Patrick Seminary. The English adaptations of proper antiphons were set to music by Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB, a member of the seminary faculty. Dr. Horst Buchholz, vice-president of CMAA, was organist for the Mass.
After dinner that evening, Fr. Weber spoke to us about his work in sacred music, preparing the collection The Proper of the Mass and teaching Gregorian chant to seminarians.
Friday, September 16, 2022: St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian
At the time for breakout sessions on Friday, Dr. Buchholz gave a talk on choral rehearsal planning:
And Fr. Robert Pasley taught a session on the tones sung by the priest at Mass:
The Mass this day was celebrated at the chapel of St. Patrick Seminary according to the modern Roman Rite, for the memorial of St. Cornelius, pope, and St. Cyprian, bishop, martyrs.