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Forthcoming Events SINGING THE MASS- SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2009 PURPOSE DATE PLACE TIMETABLE If you are able to attend, please will you complete and return the booking form by Friday 18 September - we need an idea of numbers for catering purposes. Also, it is important that we know what instruments you may be bringing, as then we will be able to ensure that there is suitable music available for you. (However, please will you bring your own music stand). We hope to see you for what promises to be a lively and inspiring celebration, and there is no fee for attending! (And if you don’t feel able to join in leading the music, we would love to see you in the congregation). With best wishes Booking Form (online submission) GALLOWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL MASS - SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2009 Our tenth annual (open air) Galloway Music Festival Mass will be held at 2.30 pm on Sunday 16 August at Smithstone House. Booking forms, a bulletin notice and a poster are enclosed. We hope to see as many people as possible present. If you are able to, bring a musical instrument, or simply come along and sing. Seating is available, but if you prefer bring a rug to sit on. It is not essential to book, but if you did it would help to give us an approximate idea of the numbers who will be attending. However, if you need a power point for a musical instrument, please telephone Nicola on (01465) 714797 and we will do our best to arrange it. We will be preparing a list of music as in past years - if you would like a copy of this please contact Nicola. We will be rehearsing from 1 pm (the Mass starts at 2.30 pm) so that everyone who can be there early will have had the opportunity to try out the music. Please invite your Parish Priest to concelebrate the Mass. Bring a picnic for after! Recent Events VESPERS FOR PENTECOST Members of the Galloway Music Network committee led the music for Sung Vespers in St Margaret’s Cathedral on Sunday 31 May. A good number of people attended, and it was an uplifting end to the Easter season. Given the success of this, we hope to arrange Sung Vespers on a Sunday evening two or three times a year. If you would like to be involved in this, please contact us. More information will be contained in later newsletters. SINGING THE MASS Another ‘Singing the Mass’ event was held in Our Lady of Lourdes and St Patrick, Auchinleck on Saturday 14 February. The church was full (nothing of course to do with the scheduled football match on Sunday!) and the music provided for the Vigil Mass was much appreciated (except for the occasional comment that the hymns were too fast . . . ). A group of singers and instrumentalists had met for lunch, and then spent the afternoon preparing for the Mass. It was particularly pleasing to have several solo singers who were able to lead the psalm and processional hymns. We learnt some new hymns and new parts of the Mass, descants to well known music, and tried some four part harmony. Our thanks are due to Auchinleck parish for hosting this event. We intend to continue arranging ‘Singing the Mass’ events and if any other parishes would like to host one please let us know. We expect that the next will be held in St John Ogilvie’s in Irvine on Saturday 26 September.GALLOWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL MASS Our ninth Galloway Music Festival Mass was held on Sunday 17 August in the grounds of Smithstone House. Once again, the weather was kind to us and conditions were almost ideal - it was sunny without being ‘dazzling’ for those reading music, and we didn’t need heavy pullovers. We were very pleased that Bishop Cunningham was able to be Principal Celebrant, and that Fr Stephen McGrattan celebrated the Mass with him. (Fr Stephen Motroni, from Smithstone House, was unfortunately not able to be with us this year.) Musicians included two keyboard players, a guitarist, a violinist and a tambourinist. We used some of the music that we had used at ‘Singing the Mass’ in Maybole, and were deligted to have four solo singers taking part. Unfortunately numbers were slightly lower than in previous years (about fifty) put as ever people were willing to participate as readers and special ministers of Holy Communion. SINGING THE MASS This was held on Saturday 7 June in Our Lady and St Cuthbert’s Church, Maybole. About 20 singers and instrumentalists came together to share their musical gifts, and to spend an afternoon preparing music for the Vigil Mass of the 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The three instrumentalists covered between them organ, piano, violin and (two) guitars and they met at 11 am to sort music and practise themselves. The singers joined them at 1 pm for a soup and sandwich lunch. After a short time of prayer, we started the real work, with only a short mid afternoon break before Mass at 5.30 pm. Fr Stephen McGrattan bravely attempted to ‘manage’ the rehearsal and keep everyone in order! We learnt some new hymns and new parts of the Mass, descants to well known music, and tried some four part harmony. We found a volunteer to sing the verses of a Communion processional hymn. Most of this held together very well during Mass - although the four part harmony and the new hymns may have been remembered more easily if they had been practised on more than one occasion! Our thanks are due to Maybole parish for hosting this event. Feedback has been very positive and it appears that the majority of the parishioners enjoyed the occasion of a more-lively-than-usual musical experience of the Vigil Mass. If any other parishes would like to host a similar event, please let us know . . . . 'SINGING OF GOD'S LOVE: KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH THE PAST' We were very pleased to welcome Noel Donnelly to lead this music day for us, and Jane McKenna who acted as accompanist. Noel has been actively involved in Catholic music for many years and is well known as a composer and liturgist. The event was held in St Margaret’s Cathedral hall - it was the first time we have met there, the surroundings were warm and pleasant, and the lunch excellent! During our first session we looked at new psalm settings, and this was interspersed with background information about the Mass from Noel. The psalms were all Noel’s own compositions. After a short break, we tried out some unaccompanied plainsong - and were happy to be able to take the books for this home with us at the end of the day! In the afternoon we sang through some Communion antiphons and processional songs. We ended with a prayer service in the Cathedral. MUSIC MINISTRY DAY, ST ANDREWS DUMFRIES Although we were low in number, this was a successful day, enjoyed by everyone. Les Hendren led us in an inspirational day looking at music for Lent and Easter, and we all went home with new ideas which we hope to try out in our parishes in the not too distant future! We also listened to a talk on Lent by Fr Stephen Motroni. We are very grateful to St Andrew’s Church for hosting this event.
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