Choir for Christmas?
  • WittManWilsonWittManWilson
    Posts: 76
    Has anyone thought about the possibility of no choir this year for Christmas? Is it too early to think about? I normally plan music on the premise that I will have a full SATB choir. Does anyone have any suggestions for Christmas music in the absence of a choir this year? Any favorite (and easy) organ repertoire or music that can be sung by a lone cantor or my six children (ages 2-11)? I am thinking I will need a Plan A (choir) and Plan B (no choir).
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,075
    I have thought about just instrumental music.
    Normally this is time of year I start proposing new choral pieces for Christmas, but we cannot get together to practice, so that's about out.
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,025
    This is easy. Just plan familiar, beloved Christmas carols that the congregation can join in singing or will at least enjoy hearing if congregational singing is discouraged in your region. If Covid is still disrupting people's lives at Christmas, they will want musical comfort food.
    Thanked by 1Elmar
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I won't be picking out Christmas music until (1) choirs are allowed again or (2) Dec. 24th, whichever comes first.
    Thanked by 8Casavant Organist Elmar Liam tomjaw GerardH Carol PaxMelodious CHGiffen
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 800
    I've been doing largely the same thing, sometimes waiting until Sunday Morning to choose hymns for Mass. It's a good thing my cantor can sight read... not to mention we have screens (ugh...).
    Thanked by 1Elmar
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,942
    And this dynamic may also obtain through Easter.

    (Just remember: for every silver lining there is at least one cloud.)
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,156
    2023
    Thanked by 2Liam CHGiffen
  • Nathan_the_Organist
    Posts: 434
    I've been picking music a few weeks out, but always with the expectation that I may have to revise it to accommodate new circumstances. Our choir doesn't sing during the summer, and we are a smaller church (Newman Center), so even during the year our schola is never more than 10 guys (most of the time closer to 5). We will probably be able to do something with the schola this school year, but will have to wait and see. Currently we have no congregational singing, but a socially distanced, small choir is allowed.

    As far as Christmas, we normally have a smaller musical offering than a typical church since most of the students are gone. Last year Christmas day mass was just me. I set up a mic at the organ and accompanied myself.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,371
    These might help to get singing allowed again.
    https://www.broadwayreliefproject.com/singersmask
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • kenstb
    Posts: 369
    Great thread. I usually have Christmas planned by now, taking into account the new music that I may offer and the time it takes my singers to learn new pieces. I am not even close to having a program set this year. So far in my diocese in New York, I am allowed one singer and myself as the organist/cantor. I am working through which hymns can be done with a quartet of singers using appropriate social distancing. It seems that we may have to do several masses since we aren't allowed to fill the church and accommodate all of the parishioners at once. This is a problem for those of us accustomed to midnight masses. I have chosen to approach this year as an opportunity to do some of my best work. Let's hope that I'm not kidding myself.
    Thanked by 1Carol
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    [A tip: if you post a link without writing any text, the anti-spam software will treat your comment with suspicion and put it on hold. --admin]
    Thanked by 1GerardH
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