Sacred Music in Jacksonville, FL
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Does anyone know whether there is a Schola at Immaculate Conception in Jacksonville, FL? I'm going to be there over the weekend of 23-24 February, this is the church closest to the hotel, and they offer the Extraordinary Form at 0800. I'm so there, of course, but would like to help with the chanting if they need me.

    For political reasons I have to remain anonymous, but if you want proof of my bona fides, I was in attendance at the recent workshop in Auburn. I have a Master's in music from a large southern university -- thank God for that, because I would know nothing about the Tridentine Mass if I hadn't learned it in music school. I sing, I play, I conduct, I even compose -- but I don't advertise the existing compositions because they are too "pianorific" to be used in church.

    Any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!

    Yurodivi
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    I was there about a year ago and there was a small choir singing hymns. Could have changed by now. There is a website for the Latin Mass Society at http://www.latinmassjax.org/
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Thanks! I've E-mailed them to see if they would like me to join them for the day. I'll report on the experience after the fact.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Too bad you won't be a little farther south, say around March 30. My schola is doing Low Sunday Mass in Jensen Beach (about 3.5 hours south of Jax).
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    What time is the 3/30 Mass at which your schola will sing?
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    The EF is offered at 3:00 at St. Martin de Porres in Jensen Beach. Love to see you there!
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    No, I'm living very far away, and ya know, Easter tide is my busy time at work (snark)

    In all seriousness, I have family in the area, and one member is really suffering from the liturgies and music at parishes in the area.
    You know the drill, he loves music so much that he searches out Masses with no music.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    G, you know what? I am exactly in the same boat. Right now I am singing at a church which is about a half hour away, but even though they do some good music, there's enough of the other stuff to make it not worth it. Blended liturgies? No thanks.. It really is a wasteland here and I too will be searching out a Mass w/o music in order to keep my mind focused on the liturgy. My chant group is my refuge.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    After communication with someone in JAX I am still going, but it sure sounds like the four-hymn sandwich. Alas! I would have been better off not asking. What's the point of doing an EF liturgy with just hymns thrown in? IN fairness, the person told me they had lost their choral director/organist, so maybe that's why things have taken this turn.

    I'll report after it's all over. Sigh. And I'm learning the propers for that day from my Liber Usualis just in case. You never know . . .
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    I have to say that I do envy those who have the opportunity to attend high Masses. Almost all of the EF Masses I have attended were low Masses said by ancient priests who seem to pride themselves in how fast they can recite their Latin.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    This one is a Low Mass. She says they hope to have Missa Cantata once a month, but not this particular Sunday.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    Yurodivi, the person you want to communicate with is the Director of Music at Immaculate Conception (our only EF in the diocese). Edward Schaefer has only been there a brief time and has a tremendous amount of work ahead of him. He is also an associate dean in the School of Music over at UF in Gainesville. He was director of choral music and the schola at Gonzaga before coming to UF. And he can "re-percuss" beautifully. (He is also a permanent deacon.) e-mail address is eschaefer@arts.ufl.edu. You can google him to find out more. Even if there won't be a Missa Cantata, he would appreciate knowing that someone cared.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Thanks Mary Jane! I'll E-mail him.
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    Way OT, I had no idea Dr Shaefer was now at U of F.
    Yet another reason to want to somehow get back to the Hippodrome.

    (Save the Liturgy, save the World)
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    G, MJ, not so fast.

    I've just exchanged E-mail with Dr. Schaefer, and he says he is "no longer attached" to Immaculate Conception. So the people I was talking to last week are apparently the ones in charge at the moment.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    Oh dear. I'm afraid he must have found the problems there insurmountable. (Especially in light of the travel from Gainesville.) Now I'm so depressed I'll go back to arranging a Civil War medley on the harp.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    I'm feeling better and the medley is finalized. Now I've heard that Dr. Schaefer has started a small men's schola and I believe they'll be singing in the future at the EF in Ocala - but it's just in the beginning stages.

    Have there been any reports on the EF in Savannah? I know they were going to move to the Cathedral at the beginning of the year. I attended their Mass in Thunderbird at the very end of December - remote location, makeshift arrangements (and it was a holiday weekend as well). According to Google, I can get to Savannah faster than Jensen Beach.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Mary Jane,

    The Mass at Jensen Beach is a Low Mass with a choir. They do sing the Ordinary since they believe that is better than a really Low Mass I guess. My schola is singing there for a one-time event on March 30. The music director there is in my group but he has let the Latin Mass choir do their own thing for the time being. He's still a bit new. I think once he gets his chant feet under him, he might take over the EF Mass group. It's a group of dedicated volunteers. I'll say no more at this point.

    In any case, we'd love for you to make a trip down to S Florida and work with the women's group here. We just got them started recently. The men are already sight-reading chant really well now. Just got to get them to blend a bit more and listen and we'll have a nice group.

    Mike
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