Phil’s Notes & Tidbits

                        “The Choir in Rome”

The Choir returned to Stevens Point about 1AM Tuesday and with an early bulletin deadline, we don’t have much for this week’s bulletin.   However, Fr. Letona was able to post a number of updates online while they were there. Expect more updates and stories in future bulletins! Below are some of the highlights from Fr. Letona:

“It is as if it was such a beautiful and awesome thing that it could only happen in a dream. Our choir, the St. Peter parish choir from little ol’ Stevens Point Wisconsin, rode shotgun with the Sistine Choir for the Papal Mass of the Epiphany. (Jan. 6^th)  The choir was given the privilege from the Sistine Choir master to sing two prelude songs. This privilege is rarely given to visiting choirs. A testament to just how awesome our choir was! The other priests around me commented on how great “that other” choir was. Of course I was so proud and happy for them, I couldn’t help but say ” I am here with them!” They all asked “How do you get so many young people to join a choir like that?”

 We had Sunday Mass (Jan. 8^th) in Santa Croce in Florence. Here in Italy Epiphany was on Thursday and it was a holiday. So today we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord. The mass was in Italian and Fr Derek and I concelebrated with a young Franciscan priest from Romania. Once more the choir sang. The celebrant, addressing the regular parishioners in Italian, thanked the choir for the magnificent job and gave us an edifying compliment. He said “It is said that when we sing we pray twice, well we have just prayed three times! Bellisimo!”

-On January 4^th, the choir was privileged to attend the General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI.  During the Audience, the various groups were introduced.  There is an amazing video of St. Peter’s Choir being introduced and then singing a hymn for the Pope.    It can be found here:  http://www.saintpetercatholic.com/  Just click on the Video on the main page of the Pope’s audience.  To see our students (public school, Catholic school, homeschool) our young adults and college students, parents from our parish, and even at least one grandparent parishioner, singing for the Holy Father made me beam with pride for St. Peter’s!  What an incredible gift for our parish!  Other updates and pictures can be found on St. Peter’s Facebook site.  Enjoy! 

God bless you!

Phil Lawson

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

Visit the parish facebook page for all the latest updates on the Schola Cantorum’s pilgrimage to Rome.  Pictures and video are available, as well as updates from Fr. Robert Letona.  Read about the General Audience, celebrating mass with Cardinal Burke, the schola concert and more!

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Christmas Proclamation and Gloria

Responsorial Psalm

Alleulia

Gospel (Chant by Father Letona)

Angels We Have Heard on High

What Child is This?

O Magnum Myserium (Victoria)

Wsrod Nocnej Ciszy

O Magnum Mysterium (Lauridsen)

Silent Night

Joy To The World

Postlude (Mr. Patrick Burkhart)

Postlude (Mr. James Smyth)

Postlude (Mr. Cedric Engwall)

Podjdzmy Wszyscy (Sung by Michael Konkol)

Puer Natus Est (Today a child is born)

Lulaje, Jezuniu (Sung by Michael Konkol)

Alma Mater Redemptoris (O Holy Mother of the Redeemer)

Angels We Have Heard on High

In the Bleak Midwinter

Dzisiaj w Betlejem

Gaudete Christus est Natus

The First Noel

Wzlobie Lezy

Procession- O Come, All Ye Faithful

Gloria

Responsorial Psalm

Alleluia

Offertory- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Offertory- What Child Is This

Communion- O Holy Night

Communion- See Amid the Winter’s Snow

Communion- ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

Communion- A Child is Born in Bethlehem

Communion- Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

Communion- Christ Was Born on Christmas Day

Communion- Silent Night

Recessional- Joy to the World

The children’s schola provided the music for the prelude to the Vigil Mass for Christmas on Saturday, December 24th at 3:30 PM.

Bouree- Handel

Allegro- Handel

Sussex Carol

Lo, How a Rose

O Come, Little Children

Angels We Have Heard on High

Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus- Handel

Gavotte- J.S. Bach

On This Day Earth Shall Ring

O Little Town of Bethlehem

In the Bleak Midwinter

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

37 members of Saint Peter's children's schola with director Patrick Burkhart.

The children’s schola takes a break from rehearsal to pose for a photo with their director, Mr. Patrick Burkhart. The children’s schola rehearses weekly on Wednesday at 5:30 PM and sings for Sunday 8 AM Mass once a month, as well as for First Communion.

St. Peter Schola Cantorum, "Bon Voyage" concert Dec. 2, 2011

Members of the St. Peter Schola Cantorum pose with director Patrick Burkhart, Pastoral Adminstrator Father Arul Joseph, and Associate Pastor Father Robert Letona on the evening of December 2, 2011 before singing in a “Bon Voyage” concert with SPASH choirs in the first concert of the Advent Preludes series. The schola cantorum departs on a pilgrimage and singing tour of Rome and other parts of Italy in January 2012.

An Advent Organ Concert will be held at St. Peter Catholic Church (800 Fourth Ave., Stevens Point) on Friday December 16, 2011 at 7:30 PM. The concert will feature the organ students of the St. Peter Organ Academy, instructed by Director of Sacred Music, Patrick Burkhart.

The Monteverdi Master Chorale will perform at St. Peter Catholic Church (800 Fourth Ave. Stevens Point) on Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 PM. Admission ticket is required for this concert, which is part of the Advent Preludes concert series at St. Peter.