Need Examples of Sacred Music Portion for Parish Website Re-Design
  • AMAJ
    Posts: 26
    My parish is re-designing our website and I'm working with the designer (and pastor) on the sacred music section. Our current website includes nothing about the liturgical music in our parish so I am starting from scratch.

    I'm looking for two things:

    1. Please point me to any parish websites with content/aesthetics that you like so I have a few examples to get me started.

    2. Advice for how much/how little information to include. For instance, I've looked at some Cathedral websites with bigger music programs and some give very detailed info on differences between each choir, repertoire, etc., while some give a brief more generic-sounding description with contact info. (Our choirs are all made up of volunteers and there is no audition required). We are a mainstream, OF parish, but on the whole sing traditional hymns (St. Michael hymnal), the congregation is comfortable with Latin, the choir chants the propers (English and Latin), etc., but I'm a bit hesitant to use the words "polyphony" and "Gregorian chant" in the description on the website, fearing it might scare off potential choir members. Thoughts?
    Also, would you post guidelines for music choice at weddings and funerals?

    Any other input welcome!
    Thanks!
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Avoid vague language. ("Mainstream OF parish)

    I drove 1000 miles for an interview (not a parish, not a music job) because we sounded good to each other over the phone. I trusted that I would be happy with the best combination of the old and the new.....
    Dumb idea. I came a long way for lunch. On the other hand, I got to see a small snippet of a city I've come to think of as the center of sanity (even if California's Silicon Valley is my other reference point).

    Avoid wishful thinking. (Don't advertise what you'd like to do musically, unless you really would like to do it.)

    Thanked by 2cesarfranck AMAJ
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    https://www.stmaryauburn.org/music/

    We farmed this out to the diocesan IT guy. I might have done things a bit differently if I was working with an in-house designer who could do my every bidding at once and change it when I changed my mind.

    Note that this includes, on the landing page:
    -At right (desktop) or bottom (mobile) a feed from the Facebook page for the music department, allowing me to post news, rep, notes on music from my phone or computer each week, without fiddling with Wordpress
    -A clear explanation of what to expect musically at each Mass, so visitors know they should plan to attend the 9:45 to hear the choir, but the other options are also pleasing and right and just
    -A description of the ensembles: who they are, when they sing, what sort of music they perform
    -A description of Holy Day Masses, celebrations of the LOTH, and other regularly-recurring solemn events outside Sunday high Mass with fine music that folks might attend
    -A desultory description of the organs, with link to additional file with detailed history and specifications
    -A description of the vision, scope, and purpose of the program, and justification for same in re liturgical law, not as a separate screed, but as part of description of program itself, where I hope these things are worked out week to week.

    Please don’t make the Music landing place only a place to navigate ten more confusing menus; one will not know which link leads to what, and you will find people who can’t find stuff quick give up before trying them all.

    I insisted that Music be included on the main menu of the site – on the top ribbon on desktops, on the menu at left on mobile, not buried under fifty different links, as it is in many places, e.g.

    stbugnini.org/Community/Worship/Programs/Liturgical/Proclaimers/Ministries/Music

    This way it shows that music is taken seriously here, and is part of the church’s identity.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen AMAJ Elmar
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Guidelines for weddings would be helpful; and if you can add audio samples of the standard repertoire options your music director offers, that will make his or her life easier, too. Some directors make up sample CDs to give to brides, but putting them on a web page would be even easier to use.

    The same applies to funerals, though the sound samples may not be needed for that case.
    Thanked by 1AMAJ
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    Our aesthetics stink, but here's ours. I'm stuck with the format, so I do what I can!

    www.stpaulsbhm.org/sacred-music
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen AMAJ
  • 32ContraBombarde32ContraBombarde
    Posts: 138
    Here's our new music page: https://materdeipa.com/music

    It's a work in progress, and we'll probably add some basic info about weddings/requiems as well as calendars in the future.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn AMAJ
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,801
    Hi AMAJ (A-Major?),

    You don't say whether you're the music director or a volunteer, but whatever you do make the page editable and updatable by other responsible persons. I once got a lot of calls from anxious friends after a former employer began a search for clergy, leaving the home page formatted something like:


    Pastor
    Richard Mix






    Minster of Music
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