Pope Benedict XVI Schola Concert - Knoxville, TN
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    Holy Ghost Church, Knoxville, TN
    Saturday, November 20, 2010

    Pope Benedict XVI Schola Concert
    Mary Weaver, Director

    • Schola
    Oremus Pro Pontifice (Prayer for the Pope)
    Anonymous

    Dixit Maria
    Hans Leo Hassler, 1564-1612

    Locus Iste
    Anton Bruckner, 1824-1896

    Jesu Dulcis Memoria
    St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153

    O Bone Jesu
    Claudio Monteverdi, 1567-1643

    Ubi Caritas
    Anonymous

    • Charles Walden, Organist/Director of Music, Holy Ghost Parish
    Veni Redemptor Gentium
    Michael Praetorius, c1571–1621

    Viens Sauveur des Paiens
    Marcel Paponaud, 1893-1988

    Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland
    Johann Heinrich Buttstedt, 1666-1727

    Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland
    J.S. Bach, 1685-1750

    • Schola
    Thou Knowest, Lord
    Henry Purcell, 1659-1695

    Magnificat
    Thomas Morley, c1557-1602

    Lord, Hear My Prayer Instantly
    William Byrd, c1539-1623

    Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake
    Richard Farrant, 1530-1580

    God So Loved the World (from The Crucifixion)
    John Stainer, 1840-1901

    • Charles Walden, Organist
    Ave Maria
    Flor Peeters, 1903-1986

    Communion
    Louis Vierne, 1870-1937

    Gagliarda
    Bernhard Schmid, c16th-17th centuries

    Festive Trumpet Tune
    David German, 1954-

    • Schola
    Faithful Cross (English translation of Crux Fidelis)
    Venantius Fortunatus, c530-609

    Ave Verum Corpus with Organ
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791

    Jesu Rex Admirabilis
    Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina, c1525-1594

    Salve Regina
    (text) Hermann of Reichenau, 1013-1054

    In Memoria Aeterna (from Beatus Vir) with Organ
    Antonio Vivaldi, 1678-1741

    As a peripheral participant (and thrilled to be asked to be involved) I had the opportunity to attend some rehearsals and hear the Schola and also sit back and enjoy much of the concert.

    10 singers form this group which has been together three years, singing a monthly Mass at the church where list member, Charles Walden is Director of Music/Organist. The parish to especially interesting as it is home to OF Masses, an EF Mass, an Easter Rite Mass and, I believe a Spanish language Mass.

    This is the first concert by the group. The ambitious program may suggest that this is a group of semi-professional/professional singers who get together to sing repertoire. But that's not the case. From what I know, these are all very committed amateur singers who come from varied backgrounds, some with more musical training than others, but not just a "let's get together and sing" group, but rather one that has spent three years learning and growing together.

    The first thing that people noticed and commented on at the concert was the ability of the schola to sing together in unison. You hear people talking about trying to sing "with one voice" and this group really does. It's not a natural thing and during rehearsals I watched as Mary Weaver pulled them together and got them ready to sing and what we heard was the product of her attention to detail and their desire to sing the best that they could.

    During the Colloquium I spent time talking about the draw a schola concert and organ recitals can have with some musicians. Charles Walden's playing organ works in between the choral works was like being served a sorbet between courses to cleanse the palette. His choice of music and knowledge of the Schantz pipe organ, one of only two pipe organs in the entire diocese, combined to make the afternoon a multimedia event - choral music, the ringing of the tower bells on the quarter hour preceeded by a medieval thumping and grinding noise, the organ music and the stunning late afternoon light through the stained glass windows. And one of the schola members paints Icons, so we had the added beauty of candles and Icons around the sanctuary. It does not hurt that this is the most beautiful church in the diocese either!

    10 singers on a football Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. Popular event? 89 in the audience, including I believe, a Monsignor and two priests. Great turnout!

    Much of the program was unaccompanied - Mary Weaver has in iPhone with a very realistic pitch pipe application - and the group really came through as troupers singing some very challenging music with confidence and obvious joy. This program was proof that chant and polyphony can and are being mastered by people who love to sing, taking the polyphony off the concert stage and putting it back in the place where it originated.

    There are singers around who are looking for a place to sing, Mary Weaver's worked hard to find them and I can tell you that they are grateful.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,978
    Thanks for the kind comments. I think most of us who were involved have come to the conclusion that the best way to spread better music, is to just do it. We may not be at the ideal yet, but perhaps it's better to focus on the progress we are making, rather than the ideal.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    CharlesW was a gracious host, and a pleasure to work and talk with.
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