Breakout Sessions, Colloquium 2024
Tuesday, 6/25/24, 1:00 -2:00 pm
Organ Breakout, Newman Center Chapel, Chris Berry
Hymnody as Organ Pedagogy
For those who teach, and those looking to improve their hymn playing, this session will seek to show how the foundational principles of organ technique, improvisation, service playing, and repertoire playing can be taught through the study of hymns. Based on successful work with students at Carthage College, Prof. Berry and participants will demonstrate how hymns may be used to introduce the use of pedal, to coordinate hands and feet, to learn transposition, and to lay the groundwork for all types of continuo playing and improvisation. We’ll also discuss hymn registration, variations from verse to verse, creating descants, and more. This session will be participatory and conversational, so bring your favorite hymns and ideas and join us.
Chant Conducting Breakout, Msgr. Swetland, Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka
Beginning and Developing Skills for Conducting Chant (Chironomy)
Aimed at equipping beginning and developing directors of chant with a roadmap for growth in skills for conducting chant, this session will cover several intuitive approaches to leading parish choirs in singing chant that can be learned and used with ease, as well as exercises for conducting according to the classical Solesmes (Mocquereau) method.
Basic modality and psalm tones, Lewis Lounge, William Mahrt
Illustration of the principles of modes, their finals, reciting tones, and intonation figures as well as their psalm tones. Rules and exercises in singing psalm tones will give the course the chance to become familiar with chanting psalm tones.
Accentualism for non-Accentualists, Choir (B124), Charles Weaver
An examination of the performance style developed by Dom Pothier in the late nineteenth century. Topics include the rhythm of the Latin word, the tonic accent, the mora vocis, reading the Vatican edition, the hierarchy of rhythmic groups and distinctions, and the rhythmic organization of melismas.
Benedict XIV: An Enlightenment Pope on Sacred Music, St. John Fisher, Susan Treacy
The documents of twentieth-century popes have been frequently studied, but few pontiffs before 1900 have been referenced for their views on sacred music. Benedict XIV was a very scholarly pope who had interests in scientific research, Thomism, and the arts; he was conservative regarding liturgy and he worked to stem the tide of burgeoning secularism throughout Europe. Benedict's major document on music was Annus qui, an encyclical promulgated in 1749; Robert Hayburn has ranked its importance as “second only to the November 22, 1903, motu proprio of Pope Pius X.”
Wednesday, 6/26/24, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
New Music Session, Newman Center Chapel, David Hughes
Participants will share their compositions with other composers during this session, offering encouragement and suggestions. Participants are requested to bring 15-20 copies of their music to share.
Conducting - The Next Level, Msgr. Swetland, Horst Buchholz
How to start and stop. Phrasing and dynamics. Accelerando and ritenuto. Conducting recitative.
The beauty of the modes, Lewis Lounge, William Mahrt
The basic melodic shape of each of the modes, how their melodies reflect the grammar and rhetoric of their texts and how they transcend these textual aspects. Illustrations will be given of some typical and some exceptional pieces.
Semiology for non-Semiologists, Choir (B124), Charles Weaver
An examination of the principles of chant rhythm developed by Dom Cardine in the second half of the twentieth century. Topics include accentual value, signs that diminish or augment value, Romanian letters, and how to read the triplex editions.
Learning to sing the Priest’s parts of the Mass, St. John Fisher, Rev. Robert Pasley
Led by the CMAA’s chaplain, join in learning to sing the priest parts of the Mass using the tones available for this purpose. Clergy and non-clergy welcome.
Thursday, 6/27/24, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Organ Music of the Spanish Golden Age, Newman Center Chapel, Aaron James
The music of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spain remains one of the most obscure corners of the organ literature, but this beautiful repertoire does not deserve its neglect. Within the period of Spanish artistic and political flourishing known as the siglo del oro ("golden century"), organists developed a refined and expressive musical language that would influence later Baroque composers in France and Italy. Much of this music is still well suited for the Catholic liturgy today, and is very accessible for players with less advanced pedal technique. This session will introduce music by Antonio de Cabézon, Francisco Correa de Arauxo, and Juan Cabanilles, discussing the most important genres and styles of this period, elements of performance practice, and how to adapt this music to typical modern instruments.
Unlock Your Vocal Potential: Overcoming Vocal Barriers, Msgr. Swetland, MeeAe Cecilia Nam
Are you tired of vocal fatigue impacting your singing performance? This session will pinpoint and tackle common issues like tension in the neck, jaw, and tongue that impede your voice, resulting in pitch problems, a constricted sound, and inconsistent tone, including wobbling and fast vibrato. Participants will engage in an exploration of corrective techniques to unlock these hindrances, ultimately enhancing their vocal production.
Clergy / Music Director Relations, Lewis Lounge, Rev. Robert Pasley, David Hughes, Chris Berry
Enjoy a panel discussion about this topic that affects everyone involved with Sacred Music.
The Classic Solesmes Method for non-Mocquerellians, Choir (B124), Charles Weaver
An examination of the performance style developed by Dom Mocquereau at the beginning of the twentieth century. Topics include the ictus, the arsis and thesis, the Solesmes rhythmic signs, the greater rhythm, chironomy, and the performance of special neumes.
Semiology, St. John Fisher, Edward Schaefer
Title: Incorporating semiology into chant performance when you don't have 4 hours a day to study manuscripts.
Description: It is remarkable how the Solesmes markings often correlate with semiological markings in various manuscripts. This workshop will show you how to recognize what these Solesmes markings reveal and how to interpret them with some sensitivity to the ancient marking in the manuscripts.
Friday, 6/28/24, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
New Music Session, Newman Center Chapel, David Hughes
Participants will share their compositions with other composers during this session, offering encouragement and suggestions. Participants are requested to bring 15-20 copies of their music to share.
Unlock Your Potential: Body Alignment and Breath Support, Msgr. Swetland, MeeAe Cecilia Nam
In this session, participants will explore how physical tension can impact vocal performance, leading to vocal stress and limitations in vocal range, breath control, and confidence. Through an in-depth study of body alignment and breath management, singers will discover how to release tension and unlock their full vocal potential. By learning these techniques, participants will be able to sustain long notes and phrases, enhance their ability to handle complex vocal arrangements, and boost their overall vocal performance skills.
Fundraising for Music Programs, Lewis Lounge, Rev. Robert Pasley, Lucas Tappan, Horst Buchholz, Mary Ann Carr Wilson
Join our panelists for ideas and encouragement regarding fundraising for Sacred Music programs.
Mensuralism for non-Mensuralists, Choir (B124), Charles Weaver
An examination of the mensuralist performance style based on the writings of Fr. Vollaerts (1950s) and more recent writers. Topics include the theoretical evidence for proportional rhythm, signs for short and long values, and the prevalence of binary beat divisions
Music Reading, Theory, and Solfège for Parish Choirs: Tips for Learning and Teaching, St. John Fisher, Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka
Developing independent musicianship, sight reading, and ear training skills is essential for choral development, and doesn’t need to take a huge amount of time away from rehearsing for upcoming liturgies. In this session we’ll cover some essential, short exercises every choir should learn, some essential pedagogical approaches for connecting ear training and repertoire in the rehearsal, and how to organize a rehearsal to maximize learning.
(edited 7/28/24)