Music at SEEK 2015
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Friends, just returned from Nashville, TN after a wonderful week at the SEEK 2015 conference (hosted by FOCUS). The conference was attended by over 9000(!) college students.

    I directed the music for two Masses, one on Friday, and the Epiphany Sunday Mass, both with bishops presiding. If you'll indulge me, I'd love to share the music that we did.

    Jan. 2
    Men's choir (about 25), organ (digital-Rodgers), cello, violin, flute, oboe
    Mass setting: ICEL chants in English

    Processional:
    Congregational chant: "Your all-powerful Word..." Christmas 2 introit from the SEP (Bartlett)
    Entrance Hymn: Of the Father's Love Begotten

    Alleluia: Common chant with TBB verse harmonization (arr. HM)

    Offertory: Away in a Manger (TTBB arrangement by HM)

    Communion:
    Congregational chant: "All the ends of the earth..." psalm setting by Richard Rice
    Communion hymn: Soul of My Savior
    Communion motet: The Bread that I Will Give (Palestrina, adapted by HM for TBB)

    Recessional: O Little Town of Bethlehem (FOREST GREEN)

    Jan. 4
    Mixed choir of mostly music majors (32 singers), organ, string quartet, brass quartet, flute, oboe
    Mass setting: Missa Jubilate Deo chants

    Processional:
    Introit: Ecce Advenit (Gregorian chant)
    Congregational chant: "Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One has come" with choral Gloria Patri fauxbourdon (Viadana)
    Hymn: O Come, All Ye Faithful (arr. Willcocks)

    Kyrie: Chant with Viadana choral interpolations (arranged Proulx)

    Gloria: Missa Simplex (Proulx)

    Psalm: "Lord, ev'ry nation.." (R. Rice)

    Alleluia: Common chant Alleluia with SATB harmonization, SATB verse by Willan

    Offertory:
    Chant: Reges Tharsis (Gregorian chant)
    Motet: Ab Oriente (Handl) (Note: This piece is AMAZING!)

    Communion:
    Chant: Vidimus (Gregorian chant)
    Congregational chant: "We have seen his star..." Epiphany communion (slightly adapted) from Lumen Christi SG (Bartlett)
    (UPDATE: Nearly forgot the Heinrich Isaac Vidimus that we sang right after the congregational chant!)
    Hymn: What Child is This? (arr. Proulx)
    Anthem: There Shall a Star (Mendelssohn)

    Recessional: O God, Beyond All Praising (arr. Proulx)


    Kudos to FOCUS for promoting beautiful liturgy! This is my third year doing this and they keep asking me back! : )
    Thanked by 4Chrism canadash CHGiffen Ben
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Videos here!

    http://seek2015.com/connect/videos/

    Day 2 and Day 4 were the Masses in question.

    UPDATE: Gah! They cut nearly all the communion music for the sake of video length . . . nuts.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,509
    Fantastic! I'm sure the young people were receptive, too.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Richard R.
    Posts: 776
    I appreciate the exposure, Heath.
    Thanked by 2Heath Kathy
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    My bass choral scholar, and assistant director of our Choristers (youth choir), Paul May, attended and sang in the choir. He had great things to report.

    Paul showed me his binder before he left, and it looked like savvy selection of great repertoire. Kudos, Heath, for helping college students experience praying with authentic sacred music!
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    That is awesome, Heath! I had several friends who attended, and I'm sure they appreciated it.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • WICatholic
    Posts: 35
    I have this positive feeling about many in my age range within the Church (20somethings). Some have this longing for something more. My wife is an example... never grew up with much of a religious background, her parents never took her to church services outside of when she asked (and even so, she is Lutheran... soon to be Catholic). She had a curiousity and a "want" within herself.

    We both attend Mass weekly now. She is showing a want to sign up for an hour in our Parish's adoration chapel. She gets even more upset than I do when we "try" out other Catholic churches, and they change words to things, use the "Great Amen" verses traditional Amen, folk guitars, etc. She said we are spoiled to have a Parish that believes in beautiful music in Mass, and Mass done exactly the way that Pope Emeritus Benedict requested. I even took her to her first EF Mass, and she loved the beauty of it.

    Let's hope this is a sign of improvement within the Church... that pure beauty in the Mass does serve God better, and aids in a totally prayerful, out of the world experience.

    It is just wonderful to hear what you explain... just wonderful...

    Thanked by 1Heath
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    This situation really reminds me of this... a few years ago, I directed a small schola for a weekend youth rally, and it went spectacularly well.

    http://www.chantcafe.com/2014/01/do-teens-actually-want-sacred-music-you.html
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Mark M.Mark M.
    Posts: 632
    Fantastic indeed!

    The Day 1 and Day 3 Masses seem to have been quite a bit different, musically. I'm curious about the participants' response on the very different approaches.

    Back in the day, Jeffrey Tucker was quite critical of FOCUS. There was a bit of a heated exchange online — I can't seem to find it right now, and perhaps that's a good thing.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    I think the Jeffrey Tucker/FOCUS exchange is gone . . . but it was an impetus for their shift.
    Thanked by 2Mark M. Ben
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