Dear Friends,

I would like to share with you all some exciting things that are developing for me in my work in the liturgical and sacred music apostolate:

Some of you may know that I'm the composer and editor of Simple English Propers and Lumen Christi Missal. About a year ago, just before the LCM was published, the Director of Sacred Music position at my local cathedral (Phoenix) opened, and I was asked by Bishop Olmsted and the cathedral rector to assist in the search process for a new director. I was very glad to help with this, especially because of the important task that lay ahead with the full implementation of Bishop Olmsted's teaching series Singing the Mass as a model at his cathedral parish. I did not apply for the position myself, especially due to my recent substantial undertaking with Illuminare Publications, but after the position went unfilled at the end of the search process, the cathedral rector invited me to step in and take it myself, which I agreed to on a pseudo-interim basis.

As a result, I have served as the SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral Director of Sacred Music throughout the past year as I have continued to undertake my work with Illuminare Publications, and have travelled around the country quite a bit giving chant workshops, and speaking and presenting at various catechetical events.

During this past Advent Season, SS. Simon and Jude undertook a 4-week catechesis on sacred music, and the music program began singing the propers at all liturgies, which was well suited to the already-in-place practice of singing the full Order of Mass and Ordinary of the Mass fully in English and Latin Gregorian chant. The 11:00 Sunday Solemn Mass had a 5-year tradition of singing the Gregorian Introit and Communio already, so the introduction of English propers at the other liturgies was not as much of a stretch as it may be in some places.

Since Advent of 2012, the propers have been sung in some form at virtually every liturgy at the Phoenix Cathedral, and the practice of sung liturgy is being embraced by the parish, school, and by extension the 70,000 viewers of the weekly televised Mass, as normal. There is a remarkable professional 8-voice Schola Cantorum who sings Gregorian chant and a variety of choral and polyphonic music every week, a growing Cathedral Choir with wonderfully talented and committed singers, and a new Honors Choir that has been established in the Cathedral School that sings for the weekly Friday school Mass, and has a newly developing curricular rehearsal schedule. Much has been achieved in only one year's time, yet there is much more still to do.

I completed graduate studies at the Liturgical Institute in Chicago just last month, at the end of which I was offered the opportunity to begin working with the Institute in the formation of a "Chant School" and to help further their program offerings in sacred music. At the same time I received the financial backing needed in order to complete the Lumen Christi Series with Illuminare Publications, which will include a companion hymnal, complete English gradual, a simple gradual, and organ accompaniment editions. Much work on these volumes has already begun, and announcements on their publication and pre-order availability will be made soon.

As a result of all of this, I have decided to step down from my position at SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral and fully pursue my work with Illuminare and foster the growing collaborative relationship with the Liturgical Institute.

I have been charged by the rector, however, to find my replacement, and I will post the official job posting here immediately following this post. All applications and resumes will be sent to me, and I will be the primary point of contact for the search process. I am looking for someone who can carry on the work that has begun in this past year, and help nurture the seeds that have been planted as they continue to grow for years to come.

This will be a really wonderful opportunity for someone – and it really does need to be the right person. The cathedral rector is 100% behind the mission and vision that has been articulated in Bishop Olmsted's teaching series, and sees it as his personal mission to bring this about on behalf of the bishop in his own cathedral parish. Bishop Olmsted resides at SS. Simon and Jude, and he celebrates the daily 6:15AM Mass at the Cathedral every day almost without fail. I have parked next to his car in the parking lot almost every day for the past year (he lets the other priests in residence use the garage). He celebrates the weekend Masses as much as he can, and is extremely active in the life of the cathedral parish.

As I mentioned, there is much still to be done, and I wish that I could do three full-time jobs, because if I could I would most certainly continue to see through the work that I have begun at the cathedral. It is a wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to finding a successor who can continue to help bring about the continued renewal of the liturgy and its sacred music in Phoenix that has already been faithfully begun.

If this is an opportunity that is of interest to you, and that you think you may be well suited to, I look forward to hearing from you. Since I do have many other things that I'm working on and that need my attention I would like to ask that only serious applicants apply, please.

Thank you for your attention and kind consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Bartlett