THE WEDNESDAY REPORT: February 1, 2023

Dear Partners in Ministry,

Happy February (?!). I can't believe how quickly January seemed to fly by! As of today, we're just three weeks away from Lent, and there's plenty to come in the meantime.

The Liturgical Composers Forum was an absolutely joy-filled experience, especially with a milestone to celebrate; 2023 marks 25 years since John Foley, SJ started this organization, and it's been incredible to look back on how numerous, gifted, diverse, and spirited this little family of composers has become! Our presenters were ValLimar Jansen and Rawn Harbor, two of the most prominent figures in the Black Catholic Church today; together, they painted a profound picture of what it means to be Black, Catholic, and American, and what the whole Church could learn from the intersection of these three identities.

We held a concert last Thursday night as part of our Anniversary celebration... it was such a joy to sing with and conduct such an incredible group of liturgical musicians! In the near future, the video of this concert will be available to watch as a fundraiser for the Forum and our hosts, the Mercy Center of St. Louis.

Speaking of video, I hope to have those composer insights from GIFT ready online by next Wednesday, and maybe some news to share about the collaborative hymn text we started that night.

The last three events in this year's Saint Noel Concert Series will all take place in the next five weeks! Buckle up and get ready for three really diverse and captivating performances. This Sunday, violinist Andrew Sords and five equally wonderful musicians visit our worship space at 4:00 pm. Volunteers to greet attendees, hand out programs, and roll the piano to and fro are needed and appreciated. On February 18, we welcome the Cleveland Chamber Choir for a concert themed around mental health and the pursuit of peace and healing. Finally, "Bach's Music Box" arrives on March 3, a percussion duo putting a new twist on Bach's Goldberg Variations. Oh, and did I mention the return of CityMusic Cleveland on March 19?

Another little tidbit for you: today, BBC published a short but informative article on vocal health when recovering from illness, from colds to COVID. This is helpful information for all of us and I highly recommend giving it a read... https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230130-should-you-sing-when-suffering-from-a-cold?ocid=ww.social.link.email

Okay! That's plenty for one posting. Happy Wednesday to you, and I look forward to seeing you for tomorrow's rehearsal...

REHEARSAL NOTES: February 2

The goal tomorrow night is to make sure the next three weeks are really comfortable and easy to move into. Next Thursday, we're focusing on Lent!
If I see my shadow tomorrow morning, we'll have six more hours of rehearsal.

Pick up: