Scholae in Albuquerque, NM?
  • hilbertastronaut
    Posts: 10
    Just moved to Albuquerque, NM and looking to join a Gregorian schola (as a volunteer, not for income). I'm a tenor with 11 years of chant experience and some experience with polyphony as well. I plan to get serious about rehearsals and performances in January. I'm not so particular about Gregorian chant, though I've been buffing up my chant skills and letting my polyphony skills slide over the past few years.

    I wanted to see if there are any ABQans on the forum who are serious chanters (or intend to be!) and what they thought of the schola and "semi-professional" early music work going on here. There seem to be a lot of early music things going on, but not as much schola work. There's one regular EF Mass (High Mass only every other Sunday and no Gregorian propers) at San Ignacio parish, and a few SSPX Masses (which I haven't visited) going on here as far as I know.

    I don't mind the effort of starting a group even, though I won't have time to do that until January. I also don't mind if it's a group that doesn't have a regular Mass or a parish -- Vespers could also be nice, and I'm not particularly excited about dealing with "parish councils" if you know what I mean ;-) The main thing is that we sing once a week.

    Hope somebody is out there!
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    The Church of the Incarnation in Rio Rancho would probably love to hear from you.

    They're looking into hiring a full-time music director who has serious interests in Gregorian chant. Though it sounds like you wouldn't like to be that director, I'm sure they would love to hear from you. They have an orthodox Pastor who is supportive of sacred music.

    Their building lacks good accoustics, but they're planning on building a new Church that will.

    It's worth checking out - if nothing else than for a very good, reverently celebrated daily Mass with liturgy of the hours immediately afterwards.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    And perhaps starting a volunteer schola would add insentive for good directors to possibly relocate there.
  • hilbertastronaut
    Posts: 10
    @matthewj Thanks for the tip!

    While I'm definitely not up for a full-time music director position (I moved out here to start a non-music full-time job), it's nice to know that the parish and its pastor are interested in starting up a good sacred music program. I like that they celebrate the Office too. I'll check it out -- many thanks!

    mfh

    btw orthopraxy >> orthodoxy ;-)
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 857
    See Father Matthew Keller in Gallup. He is one of my prize students and now the new bishop's right hand man. I believe he has started a schola at the cathedral.
  • hilbertastronaut
    Posts: 10
    EDIT to comment below: Ah, I see, the Diocese of Gallup. Alas, a bit farther than I'd like to travel every Sunday, but glad to hear of the exciting things going on there!

    mfh

    @Paul F. Ford

    That's the cathedral in Santa Fe, right?

    Many thanks!
  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    I will echo the potential in Gallup, NM. Bishop James Wall was a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix (my diocese) before being made Bishop of Gallup. He will be a strong supporter of sacred music and is an all-around fantastic (very young) and holy bishop!
  • hilbertastronaut
    Posts: 10
    btw would you happen to know about these folks:

    http://www.holycatholicanglican.org/StPeters.php

    (They are more or less "Anglican-Rite Orthodox.") I'm a worship-in-Latin RC by preference, but I like to sing the BCP Office sometimes. I corresponded with their pastor a bit and he sounds like a very nice man. It's a small parish though so I don't know if they want to set up a music program.
  • hilbertastronaut
    Posts: 10
    Hm, they have an "electronic hymnal" (i.e., a robot replacement for an organist) :(
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