THE WEDNESDAY REPORT: July 6, 2022

Dear Partners in Ministry,

This summer is speeding by us! We're already halfway through our "summer break," but it feels like we just started our summer projects. That said, things are going well! Our cleanup project in the music room is well underway (thanks, library crew) and we're getting the choral library organized. Music for the rest of the liturgical year is now available (see below) and the Concert Series is practically breathing down my neck at this point. But before we go any further, I want to know how you're doing, and how you perceive we're doing as a ministry.

I have certainly surveyed you to death at this point, so, let's make this a simple email. Please copy the following questions into an email to me and share your thoughts. Your responses will be totally confidential (only I will read them) and I'll be happy to reply personally to your feedback if you'd like. Next week, I'll share a very general report on what you all said, what common threads appeared, and any potential directions we might pursue from it. As always, I really value your candor, your questions, and your insight!

1. What do you perceive is going really well in our Music Ministry program at present?

2. What do you perceive needs work?

3. What do you believe is impacting the perceptions you listed above?

4. How are you doing personally as a music minister?

5. What are your hopes for the next six months? The next liturgical year? The next five years?

Working from home this week

My oldest son, Ian, tested positive for COVID on Monday (not a great way to spend a holiday) so I'm home taking care of him this week. At this point, he's post-feverish and doing much better, and I fully anticipate I'll be around for this weekend (and masked for your safety).

Rehearsal Next Thursday

A reminder that we'll meet up for a mid-summer rehearsal on July 14 at 7:00. We'll begin preparations for our new Mass setting, prepare upcoming psalms, and learn a new song for August... all are welcome if you're able.

August 4 Potluck: Ideas?

I'd welcome more of your input over the next few days about ideas for our August 4 get-together. Location? Organizing food? If you feel inspired, share away!

August 7 Song Change

FYI: I've changed the Gathering Song for August 7 to John Foley's "For You Are My God."

Fall Music Selections

Music for our last stretch of Ordinary Time (Sep 4–Nov 20) is now available!

Our phase-in of the Mass of St Mary Magdelene is included. We'll start with the Gospel Acclamation on Sep 4; introduce the Holy on Sep 11; add the Mystery of Faith and Amen on Sep 18; finish the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the Lamb of God on the 25th; then begin singing the Glory to God on October 2. Each step has been planned to ease our assembly in by reinforcing melodies for at least two weeks before we harmonize, and I'll do plenty of encouraging our parish via YouTube links, pre-Mass practice, and at least one weekend of invitations to after-Mass practice sessions.
I've begun highlighting new material with a bright green border to give you a visual heads-up.
You'll see a lot of Ward psalms this fall, mainly because there are several psalms of the day in these last weeks of Year C that are either not available to us in JS, lacking for options, or otherwise unavailable to us. Psalms are one of the hardest gaps to fill in these cases, as publishers tend to print psalms in large (and therefore expensive) collections... so, rather than spend hundreds of dollars on materials we'll barely use, I figured I'd give my own settings a go when needed. I promise that, as a rule, I won't throw this much of my own stuff at you in the future!
New songs this fall include the full version of "Hear Our Prayer," which we sang as a response to the Universal Prayers in Lent, and (possibly new?) "Christ before Us" (JS 640), a beautiful text by Janèt Sullivan Whitaker ("In Every Age," "Here at This Table") set to the equally lovely Welsh tune, SUO GÁN.