Centennial Choir

Dear Epiphany Musicians and Friends of Music:

The hundredth anniversary of our parish is a cause for great celebration – a time to “pull out all the stops” with our liturgical music. Our centennial celebration will include an opening Mass on January 2, 2011, a Mass with Archbishop Carlson on January 16, a mid-year Mass in summer of 2011 including all of the priests and religious from Epiphany over the years, and a closing Mass on January 6, 2012. We are also looking into the possibility of an ecumenical prayer service with the Lindenwood churches.

These centennial liturgies call for a program of glorious music. The music for the opening and closing Masses, celebrated in the church, will be fairly traditional while the mid-year Mass, celebrated in the gym, calls for more contemporary music. To serve these special musical needs, we will form a Centennial Choir for these liturgies. If you currently sing in one of our choirs or cantor you are invited to join the Centennial Choir. If anyone else is interested, you are welcome to join following a brief audition.

The Centennial Choir is an opportunity for those who want to do something above and beyond our usual Sunday choirs. We will be learning a good deal of new music, to a higher standard of performance than a typical Sunday. Every one of our current choir members has the ability to learn this music—if you are willing to invest the time and effort needed. This may require working on your parts on your own between rehearsals. Some items of note:

• The rehearsal schedule for this fall is: Wednesday October 13th, November 10th, and December 8th and 29th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The opening Mass is Sunday January 2 at 10:00 a.m. and the Mass with Archbishop Carlson is Sunday January 16 at 9:00 a.m. We will also meet on Wednesday January 12th for a brief rehearsal and a social. In addition to the rehearsals, there will be a CD recording of all choir pieces including individual voice parts (soprano, alto, etc.) Rehearsals for the mid-year Mass and closing Mass will be determined later.

• We will have a shared expectation of attendance at rehearsals. If you miss a rehearsal you will need to make up that material before the next rehearsal. If you are not able to keep a strong commitment to the schedule and have not learned your parts before our final rehearsal, I may ask you to sit out.

• Whether you read music or learn by ear, we will expect every choir member to know his or her parts before the December 8th practice. December 29th will be the full rehearsal with instruments.

• For the opening and closing liturgies the choir will sing from the choir loft. With a sizable choir, handbells, and brass, woodwind and string instruments the choir loft is the only space that can hold us. If you are not able to climb the stairs, you are still welcome to sing for the mid-year Mass in the gym, the ecumenical service, and of course all of our regular Sunday Masses.

• The mid-year Mass in the gym will be different in style than the other two liturgies, but will also require dedicated preparation. This music will be led by guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and various other instruments.

If you would like to join the Centennial Choir, please email me at epiphanymusic1@gmail.com, call me at 314-977-7213, or talk to me after Mass.

I am really looking forward to working with you on these liturgies. Together, we can make some great music for these great celebrations.

In Christ,

Scott Pluff Director of Music Ministries