(Sigh)
I need three months in a monastery.

Rebecca, this is a generous and useful suggestion, and I do think that keeping a list of needs is actually the first task. Does this sound right? Could your first project be developing a database of projects?

It helps for a starting schola if you can get a Mass...even a weekday Mass, which becomes yours to sing. It helps center the group to have someplace and something to sing right away.

Just the other day, Jeffrey Tucker was wishing for a Photoshop user to design a CMAA colloquium poster.

Rebecca--

I think that your website is a fantastic idea. My web project is sacredmusicproject.com and I have done most of the work that you see by myself in conjunction with a few of the monks of St. Meinrad. I have a pile of chants from Fr. Columba Kelly that need to be formatted and arranged in booklets for download. If I had a team of people who would be willing to help with this work so much more would get done, and more quickly.

I'm resonating with your comment about the impending Holy Week, myself, and hope to chat more with you in another week or so! But I think that your thoughts are right on and I see the incredible value in pooling the time, talent and energy of willing sacred music devotees for the propagation of free sacred music resources. I firmly believe that this is a critical piece in the future of sacred music--And this is why, in part, I even began my own project.

Thanks, Chonak, for the reference! Presuming, Jeffrey, that you are still unhappy with your own results: If someone wanted to have a go at designing a poster, where can they get a high-resolution copy of the angel and scroll graphic? And are Roseanne Sullivan's pictures from last year distributable?


Adam, I would love to chat about your/Fr. Columbia Kelly's/the monks' project when you have more time. It seems the exact sort of thing that could benefit from some extra hands. (Indeed, my own interest is piqued.) Are you using Gregorio for the typesetting?


Robert, based on how often questions about the Liturgy of the Hours pop up on the forum, the need for Sunday Vespers service aids such as you describe seems clear. Since you say you haven't the time to take it up yourself (understandably... it's a huge undertaking!), might you have time to provide the liturgical expertise needed to guide a less experienced volunteer? Say, typing up a trustworthy list of which texts would be needed for each of the Sundays of this year between Pentecost and Christ the King, or for Advent? That would be enough to get somebody started on the next steps: getting the texts in a useful format, and locating music. If we break it into tiny enough pieces, then we may not have to wait for someone to come along who has all the expertise, all the free time, and the dogged willingness required to accomplish it alone.


Ghmus7: Music Sacra sugar....wha??

Adam,

Your work is appreciated...nice site and very useful.

Thanks for the insight, Carl D. I agree that the language I used implied a much higher degree of commitment than I had intended. I think you're absolutely right that energy and spark is one of the best parts of this forum, and any database should only be to keep track what we are discussing here. A list certainly doesn't get me fired up :-) I removed a few of the columns from the list, added a paragraph about no-strings attached questions to both the Project List and the Contribute pages, and explained that names are listed to facilitate discussion, not to bind anybody. I also changed the "Requested by" column to "Suggested by."

Do you think that "friendly's" it up enough?

Making a non-intimidating, low-commitment way to help out should probably be the main goal of any database or to-do list. So many of these projects are enormous... if we don't break them down into little bite-sized tasks, then extraordinary generosity, free time, or expertise will be needed to get them done.

potential seminary communications--
a) recommend the extent to which seminaries can be contacted, without alarming our Ordinary Bishops

At the membership meeting at the last Colloquium I asked what could be done in this regard and i think the answer was virtually nothing -- we have to "go through" the bishops.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

Jeff O: "Seminaries ... making sure they receive the CMAA journal"

I know CMAA promotes "parish" subscriptions (have any subscribed as such?).
How about promoting "library" subscriptions?
Do libraries accept "gift" subscriptions?

How many seminaries are in the USA?
Is there a way to correlate the seminary locations and their libraries?

Maybe we can provide a donation option for members to subsidize a seminary library subscription.
The journal should be on the periodical rack alongside
America, Worship, Ministry and Liturgy, ...

What about college and university music department libraries?
The journal should be on the periodical rack alongside
Diapason, TAO, ...

priorstf,

did the libraries accept the gift subscriptions?

I think this is wonderful.

I really feel like we all need to do this.

I would be willing to get a subscription for a seminary, especially if we were all on some kind of "campaign"

I like the improvement, Rebecca, but note that the right column is still blank. :-) I suppose the way that might get filled in is as a result of discussion threads here on the forum, where people have the opportunity to ask questions and ponder how they might contribute.

A volunteer for designing/photoshopping a Colloquium poster has officially been obtained! Details to be posted later, along with other updates.

Happy Easter everyone. Christ is risen!