just stuff

Choir practice today. We will be doing some contemporary stuff for Christ the King, and I have figured it out: I only like contemporary "classical" liturgical music when the composer is adopting some ancient style. When they do their contemporary thing (with angular intervals and dissonant chord progressions), I end up straining my voice and wondering why on earth they are putting me through such agonies to sing something I don't even like. As it is, I am going to miss choir for several weeks while I am doing our Christmas concerts in New York and Boston, and I wish those were the weeks we were doing the modern composers. Reminds me of a Lenten Sunday a few years back when we did a Mass by Benjamin Britten. After Mass, someone in the assembly commented that the music (it did have a rather dark, even eerie quality to it) sounded as if it had been written by Vincent Price. (I guess only readers of a certain age would even know what that meant.) Give me da Vittoria any day!

Last week we had our celebration for the Pauline feast of Jesus, Way, Truth and Life. A good many people joined us here, since it was also the "official" closing of our 25th anniversary in Chicago. I made a big pot of jambalaya, and many of the guests brought treats, too.

We had the extra joy of welcoming members of the Holy Family Institute, the institute of consecrated life founded in the Pauline Family for married persons. There is an active group in the Chicago area (see picture). Having other Paulines around really enhanced the feast day, which was so much in our Founder's heart. (Speaking of the Founder, his feast day is November 26.)