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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Singing, Not Quite Alone

It is Music day ! Most folk who come to the Tavern know that I am not in the building on Sunday mornings. I go off to  a Church where many friends gather with me for a Traditional Latin Mass. I take a Nun with me. She does her shopping on the way afterward as I drive her back home.

We are blessed in our small TLM community with a fine Chorister.  Tony is a tall, elegant looking chap who has a family of faithful Catholics in tow.   He sings beautifully. The choir he leads are a faithful bunch too, but very few in number, and he tries his best with the talent available.  I do not sing, of course. I can ruin any effort they make. 

But I can imagine his frustration. It is the bane of choir-masters that all too often he has to cajole others to join and then struggle with stragglers at rehersals. If they turn up at all. My thanks to those who join Tony and give our Mass that extra air of sanctity.

He can and does often sing by himself. Complex latin music. So I thought he might like to  see what other good but frustrated choir-masters have started to do.  

Its 'Technology' you see. 

What can be done today with a little skill and organisation is bringing a whole new means for Glorifying the Great Supplier. I am pretty sure He approves.

I came across a chap who also has a problem getting others to sing. His solution was to clone himself and form his own quartet!  Here he is  singing a particularly complex song, the Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings, Op 11) - Samuel Barber. Matthew Curtis sings all the parts.




Of course, it is nice when you can get others to come along too, but when they are far away, what are you to do?  

Technology can take the problem away (while giving the tuneless techos something to do)



Eric gave a TED talk about how this idea got off the ground.  He had many good points to make even though his own compositions are not quite 'Church' music. Pretty good though. And he went the whole kit and kaboodle with a couple of thousand folk joining in.


 It is a fine way for Nuns to collaborate too. Some Carmelites had set a standard for others to follow.





And with the introductions over, let's see and hear the complete piece.



Today at Mass, Tony and his few faithful voices sang O Come Emanuelle. It was 'OK' but in my mind I was seeing and hearing Jamie. 'Tis a pity she is not a Catholic and at my Church 



Now, I must go and mop the floor of the crypt. That's where most know I am on a sunday afternoon.

Pax

2 comments:

  1. Fascinating blending of voices, the music created is wonderful.

    But it is not the same as singing with others. You have to think and feel and blend your voice into the others around you to become a single blended voice. The best way to describe singing in this way is that it is almost a spiritual experience.

    I attended a carol service this afternoon. The choir leading the singing was the choir I used to sing with and once again I was asked to come back and sing with them...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do not doubt for a moment that singing while standing with others who are all singing is an experiance that has 'authenticity'. Sometimes though they cannot all fit in the shower. :)

      Delete

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Our Bouncer is a gentleman of muscle and guile. His patience has limits. He will check you at the door.

The Tavern gets rowdy visitors from time to time. Some are brain dead and some soul dead. They attack customers and the bar staff and piss on the carpets. Those people will not be allowed in anymore. So... Be Nice..