Good News: Diocese of New Ulm "Cor Jesu" Event
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    This year, at the invitation of the Diocesan Coordinator of Youth Ministries, I've taken a leadership role as choir director for the Diocesan Youth Council, which is a self-selecting group of young people from throughout the diocese that coordinate youth events for the diocese. Their signature events are the "Cor Jesu" evenings, candlelit holy hours with exposition, preaching, confession, and music. The DYC students are divided into "teams," one of which is the choir team, that leads the music at the "Cor Jesu" events, which travel around the Diocese.

    It's been a privilege to work with them so far this year, but tonight's event was truly exceptional.

    This being the Advent event, we focused our repertoire on that holy season. The culmination of the night's music was planned to be Paul Manz's extraordinary, "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come," sung by candlelight in the darkened Church of St. Ann in Wabasso, MN (population: 665), the Blessed Sacrament exposed.

    I have some students at the parish high school where I work (about 45 minutes away) who are working up this piece as a special ensemble for the regional solo / ensemble competition, so I dropped them an invitation last week to join us, if they wanted.

    They showed up, almost to a man, despite the length of the drive and the cold, late hour. That left me with a choir of fully 20 high-school youth from around the diocese. It was stunning. The Manz went off flawlessly, too. Here is the full list of music we sang:

    -O Salutaris (Werner, SATB)
    -O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (unaccompanied)
    -O Heart of Jesus (Marier, from the "Pius X Hymnal")
    -Cor Jesu, Salus in Te Sperantium (Fr. Schultes)
    -The Angel Gabriel
    -Ave Maria (plainchant and Arcadelt)
    -Creator of the Stars of Night
    -Godhead Here in Hiding (ADORO TE)
    -The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (MORNING SONG)
    -E'en So Lord Jesus, Quickly Come (Paul Manz)

    and at Benediction:
    -Tantum Ergo (plainchant)
    -The Divine Praises (adapt. from the Simple "Te Deum" by Fr. Wm. Fitzgerald, O. Praem)
    -O Come, Divine Messiah

    What a privilege and a blessing! Just wanted to share some of my overflowing joy.
    Thanked by 9M. Jackson Osborn Incardination rich_enough tandrews irishtenor CHGiffen Casavant Organist mattebery GregoryWeber
  • tandrews
    Posts: 157
    Consider them poached for Friday's Lessons and Carols event! :)
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • vansensei
    Posts: 215
    Slightly jealous. You are doing very, very good things in the Diocese of New Ulm.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    tandrews,

    Poach away! We're happy to sing for you!

    vansensei,

    Minnesota's most rural diocese! I'm increasingly convinced that the gift of music is being bestowed by God in an exceptionally generous way upon what's left of His Church in this country, and not without a purpose.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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