Fantastic! An organizing dinner or something like that is a great beginning.

I started a schola since last October at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (started to sing some parts of Saturday Mass on Saturdays since this February.) Recently, I started to direct a existing schola at the Resurrection church. These two will be singing some parts with me at the Catholic Family Expo. Mass on July 25 with Archibishop O'Brien. I also organized a Latin class with people who are interested in learning Latin in this area. The class will be starting this Saturday after Saturday morning Mass (where we sing) at the OLPH. If you are interested in any of these, please let me know. I have flyers for those classes. I would like to spread chants as much as I can, because it's the most Sacred and beautiful music for Roman Liturgy as the Church declares.
Mia

Last I heard, St. John Cantius had like 10 active choirs. I am wondering if the Sacred music directors at St. John Cantius are involved with CMAA.

Daniel, this is a good idea! What progress have you made in organizing this? Keep me informed, please. My schola is more active now than previously. We sing mainly at the Extraordinary Form Mass here in Front Royal. - - Elizabeth Poel

Yes, I will be at the October workshop and hope to bring a few of my singers. I haven't heard anything more than the replies in this thread. I surmise that people would be willing to help start a DC/Baltimore local group only if it had a pretty strong sense of purpose and mission. Brian, where are you based? Any other suggestions lurking out there?

Excellent!

At St. Mary's in Old Town Alexandria we have the 1962 Rite Mass on the First and Third Fridays at 7:30 PM. Since the priest has just recently learned the rite, we began with Low Mass, but had our first Missa Cantata on August 15th. We advertised in the bulletin and in the diocesan paper for a choir, which rehearsed the evening of August 13th. We got about 25 people, most of whom had sung the music before 1964 (I was an organist, in high school, and played at High Masses for four years before the change, and I can read Gregorian chant notation and improvise accompaniments.) We used simple SSA settings of the propers, which I wrote, and these were sung by a schola of four women. For the Mass we did num. VIII with Credo III. You could definitely hear the people downstairs singing. The choir also did Salve Mater and Mozart's Ave Verum. We definitely need to keep in touch here in the Baltimore/Washington metro area. Also, we need a way of speaking to the clergy so we can get the 1962 Masses on Sunday. By the way, my name is Tom Parker and my address is tom@highviewmusic.com.

Kathy, thanks very much for your note.
I'm thinking that we might want to schedule a Saturday morning get-together sometime early in October.
If we're hoping to encompass Northern Virginia, Washington, and Baltimore, I can offer my parish in Silver Spring, which is literally in sight of the Capital Beltway. (I'm not necessarily letting myself off all that easy: I actually live in Baltimore!) Folks from DC without cars would not find this particularly convenient, however. Any other thoughts?

Saturday morning early in October in Silver Spring would work fine for me.

I should think that schola members would be very welcome alongside their directors or in their stead.
I imagine that introductions of attendees, their current activities in liturgical music, and their hopes for future activities and musician and spiritual growth would be the center of any initial discussion. We could prime the discussion pump with a few questions circulated in advance. Is this a reasonable starting point?

Would anyone in the Baltimore/central Maryland area (or anywhere really) be willing to join our small schola in singing for an EF Mass on 10/26 at St. Bartholomew's in Manchester? This is only our second attempt at the EF and I have just found out that one of our strongest singers will not be able to make it.

Just a shot in the dark...

Jenny

I can host a meeting for folks from the Diocese of Arlington and Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore on:
Saturday, January 31
Saturday, February 7
Saturday, February 14

My email is my first initial and last name at ubalt dot edu.

February 14 at 11:00 would be great.
We can meet over coffee and such.
Those who have time after can get a quick lunch.
Does this sound good?

Hello, everyone. Is February 14 at 11:00 ok with most of you?

Let's brainstorm ways to be in contact. We might ask Elizabeth Poel to send a notice to her contacts, including folks who came to the chant workshop in McLean. Do we want to invite priests in addition to musicians?

I'm afraid I've rather fallen down on the job of making a list. But I think I only ever had your email and Daniel's, Mia.

I live in Charlottesville, but sing in a schola in Silver Spring twice a month. I'd be interested in coming to get to know you all over coffee or lunch. I could be there Feb 14 at 11:00.

Excellent!

Meeting of
CMAA Members in the
Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore and the
Diocese of Arlington
[and others, as interested]
Saturday, February 14, 2009
11:00 am: coffee and conversation
lunch in the neighborhood after, as able
Saint Bernadette Church
70 University Boulevard, East
Silver Spring, Maryland 20901
Host: Dr. Daniel Bennett Page, Director of Music and Principal Organist
[first initial][last name] [at] ubalt.edu

Why not? But you can ask others and Daniel, he is the founder(?) of this.
I also found out some of them in this thread (earlier posts) moved down to south. (way down south)

I'm glad you can come. I go down 95 south and get off on 495 west towards Bethesda. And exit on University Blvd and bear right. The church is on the right shortly after the exit. I hope this helps.

I'm planning to come. I've invited a few colleagues in Virginia, with one definite positive so far.

Daniel, i hope you reserved a big room for this meeting. It's getting big. Many thanks. I might see you, David and Dave at St. Alphonsus today. I'm looking forwad to go to mass there. It's beautiful, and thank you for your beautiful music. I'll be in heaven for a while.

This is super.
My pastor is very pleased.

On the Roman side of things, there's a TLM Missa Cantata with procession for Candlemas at St John's in McLean, Virginia. This evening, February 2, at 7:30 pm.

I received a second positive RSVP for the Feb 14 CMAA meeting.

He'll definitely be interested in knowing.
I know that David Lang (musician at Saint John's in McLean) knows about the meeting.
I'll get you the other emails tonight.