Musicians Conference in Milwaukee?

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Elzee

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Does anyone know anything about a National Pastoral Musician’s Conference in Milwaukee this past week? Was it an ‘orthodox/traditional’ conference, or did it teach some questionable things in terms of liturgical music and the Mass? Is it worth going to? I heard it was an annual conference. I’d appreciate any info you all could give me. Thank you!
 
I know that Milwaukee is the home of many, many homosexuals and quite a number of musisians are homosexual. So that sounds like a good city for them to go to.
 
Fear Not about this weekend.

Taken from another Site
  • This past week I attended the National Pastoral Musicians’ conference in Milwaukee with 6 other cantors…from various places around the country. This conference offered an Eastern track for both those of the Ukranian and Ruthenian rescensions.
The workshop was facilitated by both Father Peter Galadza (who offered classes on the history and theology of the Octoechos or “Eight Tones” - marvellous!!!) and J. Michael Thompson who helped walk us through the eight tones according to the Prostopinije tradition - equally marvellous!

During the week there were two main events that were specifically Byzantine. The first was a slightly truncated Matins service. This was attended by some 2000 musicians - mostly of RC origin - who sang Prostopinije in 4 part harmony like it was no tomorrow! Many approached Michael (who did an exceptional job as cantor) after the service wanting to learn more about this Byzantine Catholic tradition that was so new to them! (This event preceded Father Michael Joncas’s talk on styles of worship. I spoke with him briefly between the two events and all he could say with a huge grin on his face was - “This was perfect! Just perfect!”)

The second event was a Byzantine Divine Liturgy at the Jesuit chapel, attended by close to 150 RC’s - many of whom had never experienced our tradition - beyond the Matin’s service a few days before. It was extremely moving, and Father Peter’s leadership and homily coupled with the cantoring of Michael (Galician chant this time) and the participation of the congregation made it an unparalleled experience! (Heaven or earth? We did not know!)

Why post this on the Evangelization forum?

Because several thousand RC, Lutheran and Anglican cantors, choir directors, vocalists and musicians now know that the Byzantine Catholic Church (Ukranian and Ruthenian) exists!

KUDOS to our dear brother and servant, Michael, who worked so hard (and suffered so much!) to put on this event that witnessed to so many! I only wish that other Byzantine cantors could have joined us…perhaps in two years in Indianapolis? 🙂
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NPM is a national organization of musicians, not limited to Catholics. They have their own website you can check out if you have any questions. Basically, it is a professional organizations for pastoral musicains. We have several different such organizations for engineers (of which I am one). I imagine it isn’t much different. You get to meet with and work with others in your field (pastoral music) but all have different backgrounds and specialties. You could easily “learn” stuff that isn’t Catholic, but it never claims to be, so I don’t see the problem. They have several regional conferences every year and one national one. The is the first time it has been in Milwaukee that I know of. My husband went to one when it was at Norte Dame some 8-ish years ago. And he attended this one. there is a welth of information you can get for all aspects of pastoral music. Just make sure you realize it isn’t just catholic stuff, so some of it may not be appropriate to apply for mass. And there was no “gay agenda”, specific to Milwaukee or otherwise, as far as I know. Where do people get this stuff?
 
I have to amend what I said. The organization NPM, is supposed to be Catholic, but not all people in it are. As with most organizations, money is a driving factor, and there are many booths, etc. that are from publishers, manufacturers, etc, and not all of them are strictly Catholic. Many composers who have seminars also are not Catholic, but some of their works appear in Catholic hymnals, etc. Again, as long as you know this and don’t blindly take it all in, I don’t see a problem.
 
I was there. It was beautiful, very devoted and both orthodox and orthoprax. Excellent plenary session speakers, breakout sessions on every musical and liturgical subject possible, at all levels from how to read music to organ and other instrumental master classes, and theological breakouts on all aspects of the holy Liturgy and life. There was morning and evening prayer every day, and Mass with the Archbishop on the feast of St Peter & Paul.

I attended two breakout sessions on voval production (I’m a once and future choir singer), two breakouts on chant (where I learned how to read 4-line square-note notation), and one on the Psallite Project, which is about 1/3 of the way through setting to mainly vocal music all of the proper introits, responsorial psalms, and communion verses for all the Sundays and solemnities of all three cycles.

Very much worth it, and nothing to fear.

karen marie
 
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