Diocese of Covington Episcopal Consecration and Installation of Bishop John Curtis Iffert
  • Mattspmusic0320
    Posts: 71
    The episcopal consecration and installation of Most Rev. John C. Iffert as the 11th Bishop of Covington Thursday, September 30, 3:00 PM EST St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington KY.

    Due to limited space, entrance to the cathedral is restricted to ticket holders. The ceremony will be live streamed from the Cathedral's website, covcathedral.com. or online at EWTN. It will be archived on both websites for viewing later.

    The worship aid can be found here:
    https://covdio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Iffert_Consecration_Congregational_Program.pdf

    Bishop-elect Iffert asks everyone to join with him in praying every day this adapted prayer of St. Isaac Jogues as we prepare for his consecration and installation:

    "Wherever I go from here, Lord,
    let me be strong in faith and poor in spirit.
    Make me a man after your own heart."

    huns://vimeo.com/covcathedralbasilica
  • davido
    Posts: 958
    Worship aid link is broken

    [Fixed now. --admin]
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    https://covdio.org/iffert_consecration_congregational_program/

    Fixed.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Mattspmusic0320
  • davido
    Posts: 958
    Thank you!
    Dignified and beautiful lineup.
  • fcbfcb
    Posts: 339
    The music does look beautiful. I do wish the when this much effort is put into producing a program that a tiny bit more effort could be made to make the fonts used in the music consistent. It just makes life easier for us compulsive types.
    Thanked by 2ServiamScores irishtenor
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    This is kind of a bummer. The choral lineup indicates the presence of a large choir who can sing works of at least moderate difficulty. So the Gregorian propers could have been sung, a slightly more ambitious ordinary than the ICEL English chants, the various dialogues, the solemn Salve Regina, etc. I don’t find anything in the program offensive, but it does feel quite pedestrian, like the “traditional Mass” on a Sunday morning in suburbia.

    Surely there are some non-Anglos in Covington, so more Latin would have been more inclusive….
    Thanked by 3trentonjconn ServiamScores MNadalin
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,221
    Scripsit fcb:
    I do wish the when this much effort is put into producing a program that a tiny bit more effort could be made to make the fonts used in the music consistent.

    Yes, the scores appear in four different styles, and there were a few small mistakes in the booklet's content: e.g., the Gloria comes from Mass XV and is in mode IV. Considering the expense they went to in printing a full-color booklet, it would have been nice to make it more beautiful with consistent engravings.

    That's not to fault the person who designed it -- I assume the music director did the work, along with the regular duties of that office. For an event like this, with a booklet as big as this (48 pages!), designing the booklet is probably not a good use of the music director's time.
  • Schönbergian
    Posts: 1,063
    I had to laugh at the "Great Amen" label for the two-note solemn Amen (that they thankfully used over something less apt)
  • fcbfcb
    Posts: 339
    I don’t find anything in the program offensive, but it does feel quite pedestrian, like the “traditional Mass” on a Sunday morning in suburbia.


    If I might speak up in defense of the pedestrian, given that this is an event where people are gathering from a variety of parishes, there is something to be said for the choices. The Missal chants for the ordinary have the best chance among all the chant settings of being known (and sung) by the congregation. Likewise with the Salve--I suspect the congregation belted that out, which they could not have done with the solemn chant.
    Thanked by 6CharlesW chonak a_f_hawkins mattebery Liam toddevoss
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    If I remember accurately: in Covington, the Missal Chants were de rigeur for a year after the 2011 books came out, and were used since then every time the bishop was present in a parish to keep them fresh.
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,915
    Gamba, I agree with you. (And, if a bishop’s consecration isn’t an excuse to sing something elevated and out of the ordinary, I don’t know what is.)
  • davido
    Posts: 958
    There are two sides:
    1. Festive events at the cathedral should feature music we don’t have the forces to sing at parishes
    2. Cathedral events should reflect the congregational music that is (should be) sung in parishes.

    Since, sadly, most cathedrals subscribe to 2, at least Covington did dignified music.
  • Mattspmusic0320
    Posts: 71
    Keep in mind it was only in late-May, Early-June where we were permitted to once again have choirs singing. It began as groups of 5 singers, then they opened it up when vaccines were more readily available. The Basilica has an all volunteer choir as well. For the music they did, and the resources they have, they did very well. This choir is very much rooted in a tradition that was born out of the boys and men's choir of the Covington Latin School. Many men who are in the choir now were the boys. It changed in the late 1970's to feature women on the soprano and alto parts. Dr. Bob Schaffer wrote or arranged much of the music they still sing today.

    (NihilNominis can correct me on some of this history)
    Thanked by 4liampmcdonough CHGiffen NihilNominis irishtenor
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,915
    at least Covington did dignified music.

    For sure. For my part, I don't mean to knock what they did do. I haven't watched the stream, but I'd also suppose that what they did do, they did very well.
  • fcbfcb
    Posts: 339
    It might be worth noting that for both the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei after the congregation had sung the first two parts the choir did a choral setting of the third part, so there was something "elevated and out of the ordinary."
    Thanked by 4liampmcdonough CHGiffen ServiamScores irishtenor
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    Keep in mind it was only in late-May, Early-June where we were permitted to once again have choirs singing. It began as groups of 5 singers, then they opened it up when vaccines were more readily available. The Basilica has an all volunteer choir as well. For the music they did, and the resources they have, they did very well. This choir is very much rooted in a tradition that was born out of the boys and men's choir of the Covington Latin School. Many men who are in the choir now were the boys. It changed in the late 1970's to feature women on the soprano and alto parts. Dr. Bob Schaffer wrote or arranged much of the music they still sing today.


    Absolutely. Worth adding too that the room is not nearly as friendly to sound as you might expect. The choir stood at 17 volunteers for this event, according to the program and my sort-of-verification headcount from the stream.
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,915
    Is that due to the odd placement of the choir/organ in the transept? I’ve always wanted to visit (have friends near there) but have never made it.
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    That and the ceiling material (hint: it's not stone).
    Thanked by 1ServiamScores
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,915
    You’d still think between the floor and the walls and all those fabulous stained glass windows that it would be a lovely room; but I guess if there’s horse hair up there…
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