THE WEDNESDAY REPORT: August 20, 2025

Dear Partners in Ministry,

Welcome back to The Wednesday Report! A turbo-charged summer has raced past us, and I hope you're as excited as I am to kick off a new "regular" season of ministry at Saint Noel. Tomorrow night is our first rehearsal, and I'm very happy to share that, as of this writing, we're expecting eight new faces in the Parish Choir! You've always been so committed to welcoming new members into our ministry family, so I thank you in advance for helping these new members feel as welcome and appreciated as you were made to feel when you attended your first rehearsal night.

Music Ministry Calendar

I've put together an online calendar for you all, covering liturgies, rehearsals, and special events from now through Memorial Day 2026. Please check it on occasion, as updates will happen from time to time.

Music Ministry Calendar 2025-26

Can’t and Won’t: Redefining Limitations, Skills, and Commitment in Our Ministry

I've heard a lot of "can't" as a minister, whether it's from a parishioner who feels the need to somewhat apologetically confess to me that they can't sing and no one wants to hear them try (fun fact: not true: our context of singing is prayer, and last I checked, everyone is capable of praying), or from fellow musicians who caution me that they can't read music. This year, I'd like us to explore the concept of can't, discern whether that actually means "can't yet," and ensure that it doesn't actually mean "I won't."

“Can’t” is a declaration of impossibility, a means of defining limitations. A second bass generally can’t sing the range of a first soprano. However, the bass can sing his own natural range. This limitation doesn't mean that the bass is any better or worse of a musician than the soprano, only that the manifestation of his musical ability will be different.

What I would say to those of you who insist that you can't read music is that you reframe that a bit. A significant percentage of music reading is perception. What I mean by that is, while you may not know what the letter name and octave of the pitches you see on a staff are precisely, you can perceive how they move up and down in the course of a melody (this is a musical concept called contour). This allows you to at least interpret whether the next pitch you'll sing is higher, lower, or identical to the previous pitch— and whether that up or down motion is significant or slight. That's a core component of music reading!

Note names, clefs, symbols, and all the rest are learned skills, which can be acquired by doing what you're doing: participating in a music-making endeavor. You also have the advantage of a profoundly nerdy director who loves to share musical knowledge and who believes in the possibility of your growth as a musician. Most of all, you have a family of fellow music ministers who know it is their duty to each other to support and encourage their fellow members to thrive in this ministry.

With this in mind, I'd invite you to embrace the reality that you can perceive music, and that you are capable of building the skills that become reading music. This year, I want to focus on building those skills together. We'll integrate music reading into our warmups, and talk about the musical concepts behind the music we sing. I'll find websites and other resources for you to explore at home to help build those skills— and if you find one that I don't, share it with me!

"Won't" is another story. This highly dangerous contraction is a declaration of unwillingness to do the work. This can manifest itself in blatant ways: choosing not to attend rehearsals, constant lateness, distracting others in rehearsals, refusing to learn techniques, etc. But "won't" can also be downright insidious: convincing yourself that it's not worth trying to learn, depending on fellow singers in your section to do the work for you, assuming that one's skills are great enough to show up and "wing it," and choosing to confine your musical growth to two hours on a Thursday instead of practicing a little on your own each day are common barriers singers impose on themselves, often without realizing it (or, at least, without meaning any harm by it). The hardest (and holiest) aspect of any ministry is that how you perceive, prepare, and execute that ministry has an effect on those who depend on you. This is especially true in music, as we can only serve in this ministry by working together. I will never ask you for perfection, but I do expect that you're willing to give your best effort in service to each other. I believe every one of you is more than capable of overcoming "won'ts," and, as we minister this year, I'd ask each of you to scan for any of these potential "won'ts," discern why these barriers exist for you, and challenge yourself to work past them. Giving this effort to your ministry is the greatest gift you can give one another and your parish community.

Peace be with you,
Tony Ward

MUSICAL FYI

Timbre (TAM-bur) refers to the characteristics of a sound that define it as a particular instrument, person, or source. If you were to close your eyes and listen to two close friends or relatives speaking, you'd almost certainly know who is speaking when because of the unique timbre of their voices. Every instrument and voice has its own unique timbre, and, just as you'd be able to tell your friends' voices apart, seasoned musicians can often tell the difference between brands and even models of their instruments by timbre alone (and then fight about which is better on social media).

REHEARSAL AGENDA: AUGUST 21

Please arrive by 7:00 pm, and be ready to start at 7:10 pm. Keep in mind that Bell Choir is back tomorrow too, so please respect their rehearsal time by keeping it quiet in the church until 7:00.

IN YOUR FOLDERS (unless you picked it up last weekend)

1.004 · Mass of Encounter (Ward)
2.011 · Psalm 117: Go Out to All the World (Ward)
3.058 · O God, You Search Me (Farrell)
3.081 · Here at This Table (Whitaker)

WEEKEND MUSIC

3.058 · O God, You Search Me (Farrell)
2.011 · Psalm 117: Go Out to All the World (Ward) Cantors: Kathy H · Tony · Jerry G
JS 574 · Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte)
JS 776 · Ubi Caritas (Hurd)
JS 813 · City of God (Schutte)
1.004 · Mass of Encounter (Ward): review Holy, Amen I, Lamb of God; sing though "When We Eat This Bread"

THIS WEEK IN LITURGY

AUGUST 24 · Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

READINGS: Read online at usscb.org
Lectionary for Mass: 123
2025 Workbook: p. 249
Breaking Bread 2025: p. 206
Cantors: Kathy H (5:00); Tony W (9:00); Jerry G (11:00)

MUSIC SELECTIONS:

Gathering: BB 546 · JS 574 · Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte)
Glory to God: BB 867 · 1.001 · Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Responsorial Psalm: WA · 2.011 · Psalm 117: Go Out to All the World (Ward)
Gospel Acclamation: BB 930 · JS 264 · Celtic Alleluia (O'Carroll/C. Walker)
Preparation of the Gifts: BB 566 · 3.058 · O God, You Search Me (Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations: BB 874–878 · 1.001 · Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Holy · When We Eat This Bread · Amen
Lamb of God: BB 933 · JS 789 · Lamb of God (Kendzia)
Communion: BB 354 · JS 776 · Ubi Caritas (Hurd)
Sending Forth: BB 385 · JS 813 · City of God (Schutte)

LOOKING AHEAD

AUGUST 31 · Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

READINGS: Read online at usscb.org
Lectionary for Mass: 126
2025 Workbook: p. 252
Breaking Bread 2025: p. 208
Cantors: Karin O (5:00); Rich W (9:00); Greg E (11:00)

MUSIC SELECTIONS:

Gathering: BB 312 · JS 761 · Table of Plenty (Schutte)
Glory to God: BB 867 · 1.001 · Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Responsorial Psalm: BB 625 · JS 829 · The Cry of the Poor (Foley)
Gospel Acclamation: BB 930 · JS 264 · Celtic Alleluia (O'Carroll/C. Walker)
Preparation of the Gifts: BB 418 · JS 639 · Earthen Vessels (Foley)
Eucharistic Acclamations: BB 874–878 · 1.001 · Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Holy · When We Eat This Bread · Amen
Lamb of God: BB 933 · JS 789 · Lamb of God (Kendzia)
Communion: BB 309 · 3.081 · Here At This Table (Whitaker)
Sending Forth: BB 391 · 3.026 · The Summons (KELVINGROVE/Bell, arr. Fisher)

SEPTEMBER 7 · Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

NOTE: We begin using the Mass of Encounter for all our acclamations.

READINGS: Read online at usscb.org
Lectionary for Mass: 129
2025 Workbook: p. 255
Breaking Bread 2025: p. 210
Cantors: Tony W (5:00); Marie P (9:00); Mary P (11:00)

MUSIC SELECTIONS:

Gathering: BB 655 · 6.008 · Seek the Lord (O'Connor)
Glory to God: WA · 1.004 · Mass of Encounter (Ward)
Responsorial Psalm: BB 770 · JS 58 · Ps 67: O God, Let All the Nations (Smith)
Gospel Acclamation: WA · 1.004 · Mass of Encounter (Ward)
Preparation of the Gifts: BB 416 · JS 640 · Christ Before Us (SUO GÁN/Whitaker)
Eucharistic Acclamations: WA · 1.004 · Mass of Encounter (Ward)
Holy · When We Eat This Bread · Amen I
Lamb of God: WA · 1.004 · Mass of Encounter (Ward)
Communion: BB 305 · JS 766 · Gather the People (Schutte)
Sending Forth: BB 548 · JS 593 · Lift Up Your Hearts (O’Connor)