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> Music in the Liturgy > Contemporary Choir > Bilingual (Spanish) Choir > Children's Choir > Youth Choir > Legacy Handbell Choir > Bereavement Choir > Sound Technician Ministry Music in the Liturgy Music is a major component of the worship experience at St. Brigid, and anyone who desires to participate is welcome to participate in one or more of the groups which comprise the Music Ministry. There are no formal auditions, and the structure of each group is designed to make the experience as convenient and enjoyable as possible while still effectively ministering to the community. There are currently seven groups which minister on a regular basis, with the possibility of new ensembles developing depending on the availability of interested people. Please let us know if there is an ensemble not listed in which you would like to use your musical talents, and we will certainly work toward creating that opportunity for you and others with like interests. Contemporary Choir This group meets weekly throughout the year to prepare music for the 5:00 p.m., 10:30 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. weekend liturgies, as well as the major feasts and other events. Members of the Contemporary Choir rehearse on Wednesday evenings, and the group then divides into smaller groups, ministering at the aforementioned liturgies. The members are able to sing at whichever Mass they attend that weekend, even if it is not their "regular" liturgy. The ability to read music is not required, but throughout the course of rehearsals, most members learn at least some of the basics, which are taught in connection with learning new music. The Contemporary Choir has been the "anchor" group for a number of community events such as our annual Community Christmas Evening. For special events like this, members of this group come together to form a really wonderful chorus, learning more challenging music for musicals and special liturgies. Participation in these events is optional for each member, but many choose to become involved because of the enrichment of their musical experiences. Most members have found that although there is a lot of hard work attached to these special events, the camaraderie and the feeling of fulfillment that accompanies ministering in this very special way brings them closer to each other and to the faith. Bilingual (Spanish) Choir Most Tuesday evenings throughout the year find the Bilingual Choir hard at work learning and rehearsing music for the weekend bilingual liturgy and the special feasts and events in which this group participates. The primary ministry of this ensemble is the 8 a.m. liturgy each weekend, but it doesn't stop there. This group provides music for special feast days, particularly the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, and the members also join forces with members of the other groups within the Music Ministry for special events. The instrumentation for this group involves guitars, accordions, and melody instruments such as the trumpet and violin. Those who sing in this group are not required to read music, but the skills are taught within the course of the rehearsals. Likewise, the ability to read or speak Spanish is not a requirement, but of course, is very helpful! However, anyone who truly desires to participate will be helped through phonetic pronunciation of the words. Members of the group ultimately sing in Spanish, English, and sometimes Latin, doing their very best and still maintaining a relaxed and fun environment. Many of the members have commented at how this group feels like extended familyÑworking together and caring for each other while sharing the love of music. Children's Choir A great way to help our younger members feel a part of their church community is involvement in ministry. For those youngsters who love to sing or play a musical instrument, the Children's Choir provides an outlet for this gift and a way to serve the community through ministry. This group facilitates music for liturgy once a month during the school year, singing at the 10:30 a.m. liturgy on the last Sunday of each month. The children also sing for special events and liturgies throughout the year, working with some of the other musical groups. In the past several years, the ChildrenÕs Choir has participated in Community Christmas Evening, and most recently, they have also played a major role in our Easter musical. Christmas Eve, 5:00 p.m. Liturgy, is sung by the ChildrenÕs Choir, and this group also sings at the 10:30 a.m. Easter Sunday liturgy. Membership in the Children's Choir is for those children between the ages of 6 and14. It is required that younger children, in particular, have basic reading skills so that they can read the text of the songs. Children are not required to know how to read music symbols, but are taught several music reading skills while preparing music for the liturgies and special events. The children are also taught how to play melody chimes, and they learn the dynamics of working together. They are also encouraged to play together, with each rehearsal including a short playtime, and some rehearsals incorporate small parties. If your child would like to become involved, please call the Music Ministry Director. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings during the school year from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; regular attendance is a must. Youth Choir A number of the parish youth find enjoyment and solidarity by becoming involved in the St. Brigid Youth Choir. This musical group ministers at the 12:30 p.m. Mass on the first Sunday of each month during the school year and at other special liturgies during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Their repertoire is centered around music that would have special appeal to the younger generations, but it is well-received by people of every age. The Youth Choir members are generally middle-school and high-school students, but young adults are also welcome in this group. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and these are scheduled at the discretion of the director and adult sponsor. There are no formal auditions or music reading requirements, but steady attendance at rehearsals and faithfulness to the scheduled liturgies are a commitment expected from the members. The Youth Choir is a great venue for those who love to sing and play to come together to use their talents and to bond with each other. The Youth Choir's director and sponsor encourage time for work and for fun-building community and ownership in the church they call "home." Legacy Handbell Choir The Legacy Handbell Choir is comprised of people of varied ages and backgrounds who share in creating music written specifically for handbells. Each individual is responsible for playing certain bells within the ensemble, and the ringers must have a reasonable working knowledge of music basics. Together, they make music by individually playing the correct bells at the appropriate times in the music. This requires emphasis on rhythmic counting and pitch reading, which is taught to some extent in each practice session. Members of this group rehearse most Wednesday evenings throughout the year from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The group plays for special liturgies and other events throughout the year as determined by the director and the members themselves. Of course, since each person is responsible for certain notes in the scale, regular attendance at rehearsals is critical. There is a need for some members who could be part-time in order to back up a regular member in case of absence. Bereavement Choir In times of loss, members of the greater community turn to St. Brigid to conduct funeral and memorial services for their loved ones. Since music is both comforting and inspiring at these times, the parish offers the services of parish musicians and singers involved in the Bereavement Choir. Normally, services take place during the workday, so this is a good opportunity for those who either do not work outside the home during the day or have some flexibility in scheduling their time at work. Bereavement Choir members are called on an "as-needed" basis, and commit to services as their own individual schedules allow. There are no regularly scheduled rehearsals, but some general rehearsals might be scheduled in order to learn new repertoire. The members of this group find that ministering in this special way is very fulfilling for a variety of reasons. If you are interested in helping to minister to those in sorrow through music, please call the Music Ministry Office @ x1015. Sound Technician Ministry Even wonderful music and inspiring readings can fail without effective sound reinforcement, and a large part of achieving the goal of effective sound reinforcement is personnel needed to help run the sound equipment. Each liturgy is unique in its sound needs, and the sound environment does fluctuate even within the liturgy itself, depending on the people involved, the attendance, and even such factors as temperature and humidity. Fortunately, the use of the sound equipment can be monitored through very simple and easy to understand steps. The sound technicians are asked to come to the liturgy about thirty minutes before to arrange general settings, and then to stay seated near the mixer board during the liturgy, being ready to make small changes as needed. No previous technical experience is required; training is provided on an individualized or small group basis. It is important that the sound technician have a good sense of musical sound balance, as well as the ability to discern the understandability of speakers and singers. With enough response from individuals, sound technicians should have to serve once every three weeks or so, like many of the other liturgical ministries. |
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