Spirit-Lifter: High Schoolers in Rural Minnesota Singing Byrd
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    This recording is of the Sleepy Eye St. Mary's HS Schola Cantorum (grades 7-12, 18 voices) at All-School Mass on Friday. They took this piece to Solo / Ensemble Contest this morning and received a high Superior rating (38/40).

    Sleepy Eye is a town in rural Minnesota with a population of 3,404. It is also incredibly fertile ground musically and in terms of Catholic life, and blessed with a stunning church. The parish has two adult / intergenerational mixed choirs (OF and EF), and an adult Men's Choir; the HS Concert Choir, this Schola Cantorum, and Elementary Choristers, as well as five organists and a volunteer brass ensemble.

    The school and parish have invested heavily in musical education and musical liturgy.

    I am truly blessed to be working here. Glory to God for this beautiful place. I hope these sounds lift some spirits.

    Lord, Make Me to Know Thy Ways
    Thanked by 9CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn Incardination Randolph Nichols Casavant Organist Jeffrey Quick teachermom24 cesarfranck janetgorbitz
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    Yea, it gladdens the heart!
    Thanked by 3NihilNominis CHGiffen cesarfranck
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    Congratulations on the lovely work!
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    Thank you both! They are an exceptional group of students.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Carol
    Posts: 856
    How lovely! Congratulations on your nurturing of this sacred sound.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,094
    Very nicely done! What's the background on that contrafactum? I've played that pavan a lot.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • cesarfranck
    Posts: 162
    What a pleasant way to end my day.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,935
    How, No-Name? Just......how? Anything and everything you do is so effortlessly excellent.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    Thanks again to all for the kind comments!

    Jeffrey, I'm afraid I don't know the background of the contrafactum. It is mentioned in a paper on "Modern Byrd Contrafacta" by Richard Turbet in the Early Music Review, so I'm given to understand that its provenance is not terribly ancient. The Earl of Salisbury, His Pavane, makes for some fine choral music, though.

    Stimson, you flatter too much! God is good, and this contrafactum is accessible! :-)

    We'll see how the New Ulm Diocesan Chorale does with the Bruckner Vexilla Regis this Saturday morning at the Chrism Mass. "Effortless" and "excellent" may not come to mind.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Jeffrey Quick
Add a Comment