Even though I was fired as choir director after only two months, I learned much about renewing a choir in the model that Musicam Sacram (1967) envisioned and the Holy Spirit seems to be blessing in the last couple of years. I think what I have learned may be helpful to others who are blessed with a pastor who wants to implement the best practices we in CMAA have been learning about.

First, I volunteered to serve as director for a number of months without pay. This enabled us to hire a qualified organist to play our really fine pipeorgan. The idea behind this was to use the choral Mass as an evangelization tool, bringing into the Church people who had been put off by what one choir member called "wiggle-waggle music," and unchurched folks who would be attracted by the beauty of what we were doing.

Second, we agreed up front that we would continue to use the existing pianist (who had been the only accompanist for several years), and incorporate music from all of the Catholic tradition, both ancient and modern. The pastor later changed his mind about this, and that's when I was discharged, but we very successfully integrated Haugen hymns with traditional ones in the congregational singing. The pipeorgan, with supplementing piano, vastly improved the leadership of the hymns, and the congregation was responding enthusiastically, especially to the foursquare Introit hymn and concluding hymn of thanksgiving.

Third, we did not waste a lot of time learning a new Ordinary. We had been using the "award winning" Mass of Renewal at all English Masses for a full year. I've reviewed that on the ChantForever website. We switched the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei to the Missal chant. It took about fifteen minutes for the choir to learn them, and the congregation was singing them within a couple of weeks.

Fourth, we spent adequate time learning the propers for each Sunday, using Adam Bartlett's English Propers. We sang the Introit (men chanting with women on handbells) and Communion (female voices only with psalmist verses and piano accompaniment). The Introit was sung once before the Introit hymn, which was chosen to complement the Introit. The Communion antiphon was sung three or four times, with psalmist verses between, while the priest, deacon and communion ministers received. Then the choir received communion while the organist played an improvization on the Communion antiphon melody. Finally, after the choir and pianist had received Holy Communion, all sang a suitable (usually modern) Communion hymn. The improvement in continuity was so strong that I suggested it for other choirs.

Fifth, we realized that it was critical to recruit new members who wanted to achieve more diversity in the music. We posted recruitment signs weekly and began the process a month before the choir "debut." I preached a homily at three Masses encouraging the parish to get behind the new effort. We used the tag line "pray, give, join." Our numbers immediately shrank (a little) as folks who wanted to sing only lite rock bailed. But within a month we were back at strength and actually had enough men to rehearse three and four-part anthems.

All trajectories were positive. In our case, the ultimate result was what might be considered a failure, but only because of outside factors. When the pastor changes his mind, one has to obey. But I would recommend this method, and the focus on the beauty of the propers of the Mass, for anyone who wants to follow the Council's and the Holy Father's (and the U.S. bishops') lead in renewing the music of the Mass.