Who is going to Colloquium 2013?
  • Who will be at Colloquium this year?
    I've blathered about it a lot to my choir, and for a few years now. We have 10 people going- 5 of whom are teens! Another 2 are college voice students who serve the parish as choral scholars- great guys. We are leaving the southwest corner of the country (San Diego) to join fellow liturgy/choir nerds in seven days of musical heaven.
    So exciting!!
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Present.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    MaryAnn - will you be bringing your hula hoop? So looking forward to seeing you again - and meeting your contingent from San Diego.
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    yep!
  • Hula hoop, and two children (who will be with a good friend at the hotel during classes).
    MJ, you knew Dominic in utero at Solesmes, saw him as a tiny babe in Pittsburgh, and now you'll get to see a feisty, funny two year old!! Liam (almost 5) will also be coming- and he has an angelic voice that's rarely used that way... I just can't leave Bill with all four boys. ;)
    The choir contingent from SD is simply a delightful, wacky group of people. God has made it easy for me to love working with them.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I was blessed to be able to go last year (fist time), and thoroughly enjoyed it, musically and spiritually; wish I could go again, but alas, time does not permit. The Cathedral is a great space to sing in; the Hotel is nice with a good wine list; and SLC is beautiful to walk around.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    Ahhh, MaryAnn, I remember you in Pittsburgh! How blessed you are to get to go!
  • rollingrj
    Posts: 351
    I wish I could be in the "yes" column, being it returns to my back yard (geographically, my parish as well as me are located north of the Cathedral). Unfortunately, I don't even have the widow's mite. (Those of you who know my personal situation, I still seek your prayers, but not your pity.) I do plan to attend as many of the Masses and the Vespers service as possible. It will be a mini-retreat for me.

    God bless all the attendees. May this be another spiritually and musically fruitful time for all.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    Rolling One - make sure you find me to say hello!
    Thanked by 1rollingrj
  • hcmusicguy
    Posts: 63
    Wish I could, but won't be. I attended in Chicago in 2009. I was during that Colloquium that I first met my wife (though she wasn't an attendee); we're expecting our first child this fall. So the Colloquia have personal significance to me, let alone professional! Finances/life changes haven't allowed my attendance since. I hope to again soon, especially if it ever comes to St. Louis.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    I am going to try and save up for next year.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I think I'm seeing a trend... I think we need it in the Midwest next year...hcmusicgut, giffen, ally, Aristotle, irishtenor, claire h, ryand (?), me...and it'd be closer for all you east coasters too...
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 783
    Yes, delightful as it is, SLC really isn't practical for just about *anybody*.... the Westcoasters are going to have to fly basically no matter what (we east/midwesters have a hard time comprehending the sheer distance from ANY point A to point B out there...) so why not just make it somewhere that a large chunk of people have the option to drive to... For me at least, the fact of having airfare practically double the cost makes it unfeasible, although this would have otherwise been a great year for me to go.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    I vote for next year's to be held in Watauga, TX. We have many excellent venues here, and the Chili's has recently been renovated.
    Thanked by 1expeditus1
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    How about Madison, Wi? The roads have been recently renovated to have fewer bumps, and we have a bishop in town (very supportive of sacred music). A chancery with overnight rooms for cheap rent, onsite food service. Boom. Take that, Adam.

    Not to mention several likely attendees within an hour.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Adam Wood Ally
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    On a serious note, I had the same problem with airfare. I was *this close* to coming this year, before I looked at plane tickets...
    Thanked by 1Hilary Cesare
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,192
    Not to mention several likely attendees within an hour.

    ... and a lot more within four hours.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    Our Wendy's has also been renovated, and is serving bakery items.
    Thanked by 2Ben expeditus1
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    Hey, don't dis SLC! It's only a day's drive from Colorado.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I was *this close* to coming this year, before I looked at plane tickets...

    If you book (and prepay) your flight very early (5 months in advance) it helps. A trip that costs $500 now was available in January for $325.

    Anyway, if you want to bring the Colloquium to your city, identify a potential site (preferably a Catholic college) with a big church nearby, equipped with a suitable pipe organ; the site needs to have comfortable summer lodging for 250 people, rehearsal spaces for 5 choirs, plus a few classrooms; and we usually hold the event the week of June 24/25.
    Thanked by 1mjballou
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    I'm all for a DFW location. Money's tight with our little 11 month old.
  • hcmusicguy
    Posts: 63
    St. Louis University would be perfect, except the college church (large, beautiful gothic structure) has not had a pipe organ for years. Perhaps they have a suitable electric organ. But my wife insists that they do have an organ of some type.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    @ClemensRomanus
    Where in DFW are you?
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    I'd like to go again this year, but it's really expensive and I haven't even been able to put much of what I learned to use where I work. I'm still trying to batter through a brick wall with my head. Plus, did I say it was expensive?
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    San Antonio, TX, has several Catholic colleges. As to whether there are any priests willing to sing the Mass, I don't know. How many of those colleges have pipe organs I don't know.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    where was it in Chicago before? would that place work again?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    It was at Loyola. Just my opinion here: the chapel was good, and the accommodations were fine, but some of the classes were held in "sick" buildings (with poor indoor air quality due to construction dust or perhaps mold). If they could correct that, and if the price were right, they'd be competitive.
    Thanked by 1hcmusicguy
  • Adam, you are seriously cracking me up.

    Yes, it's expensive. I'm almost 40 (shhhhhh!) and I actually asked my Mom if she'd "sponsor" me. I have been on the "every other year plan" for the nine years before that.
    And I'm driving this year, to save cost... San Diego to SLC in a caravan. Oh, the sights!

    So the last maybe 20 posts are about people who are not going.
    You will be missed- and prayed for!!

    But, but
    Is anyone reading this actually going?

    (What a great thread for a control freak like me to be able to laugh about how discussions can't be controlled!)
    Thanked by 1mjballou
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    Adam, I'm in Grand Prairie at St. Michael the Archangel.
  • PaixGioiaAmorPaixGioiaAmor
    Posts: 1,473
    Chonak, Is there a location set for next year yet?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I haven't heard from Arlene. Sometimes it's announced at the Colloquium, sometimes a few weeks later.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    Adam, you are seriously cracking me up.

    That's the nicest thing anyone ever says to me.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,192
    Alas, once again it is impossible for me to have my first experience of a Colloquium ever, this in spite of the fact that I feel so very close to its principles. Ben has suggested Madison, Wisconsin for next year, and that would probably be close enough for me to attend (about 240 miles), although personal commitments and issues might make even that impossible yet again.

    Last year, I suggested the nearby Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) as an ideal venue for the next Colloquium site, and I reiterate the suggestion now. In addition to the Cathedral of St. Paul (National Shrine of the Apostle Paul and Co-Cathedral of the Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis), there are other Catholic churches: St. Olaf in Minneapolis and St. Agnes in St. Paul, to name two, at least one of these (St. Olaf) is, or will soon become, familiar to CMAA people through the conference there in October. The organ at the Cathedral has been newly refurbished and is a splendid instrument, and the entire Twin Cities area is an organ crawler's dream. Additionally, the Twin Cities area is a Midwestern mecca for sacred and other choral music. Amenities and activities for visitors abound, and people here are friendly, outgoing, and helpful ... reflecting what is known as "Minnesota nice."
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    And driving distance to St. John's Abbey. We could join Fr. Ruff in the Daily Office and then stage a traddies vs. proggies water balloon fight.
    Thanked by 2Ben Chris Allen
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Nah, Adam, that could turn out to be very, very bad.
    Variation- just have me and Todd Flowerday between the two teams as targets for tally, and there'd be a lot of pent up aggression relieved afterwards
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    We could set up a dunking booth.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,192
    And driving distance to St. John's Abbey. We could join Fr. Ruff in the Daily Office and then stage a traddies vs. proggies water balloon fight.

    Rather than stage a fight (of any sort), we might hope that all might witness, visually and aurally, the real beauty of sacred music as we understand it.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    But... water balloons!
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Pin the tail on the Modernist?
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    No. Water balloons.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Only if the water balloons are all one colour.

    Too many colours is too confusing.
  • JennyJenny
    Posts: 147
    Hi May Ann! Yes, I am going! This will be my 8th year and I wouldn't miss it. There are at least three others coming from the Baltimore area.
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    Yes, MCW, I'm going.
  • Chris AllenChris Allen
    Posts: 150
    Finances (Department of Defense furlough and the need to get a new car) won't let me go this time, I'm afraid, even though I'm only a two-day drive from SLC. Madison wouldn't be half bad as a venue, since I have relatives in Wisconsin (including some in/near Mad Town) I haven't seen since '08.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • God bless everybody who is going. My prayers with you. Perhaps the Lord will someday call me to this wonderful event. For right now, however, finances will not permit.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    I shall not be able to attend.

    But I have a request, (Im very forward.)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jani
    Posts: 441
    My daughter and I will be there. If the Cathedral is in rollingrj's backyard, I guess it is in my front yard - would be a shame to miss it two years running.

    It would be really, really helpful if someone would give some tips or advice about how to choose which sessions to attend - for those of us rookiest of the rookies.
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    There used to be a guide - look around. This is a very common question.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Chant Courses Descriptions

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dfIYWS5_zb5ao1ONlcpRZTkqroxZf4A8W00nbnZ5X6s/edit

    Also, there are Polyphony description and Preliminary Schedule, where you can see which group is singing what. http://musicasacra.com/colloquium/

    I found it's more productive if one can prepare the music before going to the Colloquium. That way you can spend more time talking with others during free time (which is not much anyways). Mealtimes are lots of fun, make friends and one can learn much information from others. So looking forward to it!! (It's about time for me to be recharged.)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Chris Allen
  • jczarn
    Posts: 65
    So sad that I cannot make it this year. Last year was my first Colloquium, and I brought my wife and young son with on the trip. I had a wonderful time and was looking forward to coming back. Little did we know at that point that God had already blessed us with twins (and to think they were there with us the whole time in utero)! I suppose He has other plans for us this summer - the 3 little ones are keeping us busy enough at home for now :-)

    I do hope to make it back one of these years. To those who are going: enjoy! We will be praying for you!
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Well . . . due to a series of coincidences/alignment of planets/divine intervention (choose one); I will be attending Colloquium XXIII after all. (I'll be missing the opening dinner, unfortunately.) Glad to be going again. Did I mention the wine list?
    Thanked by 1chonak