A second course is also being offered - a 1.5-hour workshop on 11th February for all abilities
In February 2017, a unique course will be offered in Cork city for the first time offering training for church cantors in liturgical theory and practice.
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Making it Simple!
Assisting musicians & vocalists to work well in the
liturgy
Who
is the course for?
This
course is ideal for those who are already good musicians or vocalists and who
wish to prepare to be leaders in singing the liturgy – particularly Sunday
Mass, weekday Mass, funerals and weddings – at a time when there are fewer
people available to sing the Mass as members of church choirs.
The
course would also be very helpful to choir directors and organists in being
more attuned to the liturgy and in learning how to better sing the liturgy.
The
course format
The
first course in February 2017 will have six 2½-hour lecture/workshop classes
for musicians and vocalists in the theology, practice and repertoire of
liturgical music. The principal focus throughout the course will be on gently
leading parish congregations in singing the liturgy.
The
sessions will be held in a location including use of a church or chapel. This
will offer participants many opportunities to become increasingly comfortable
with singing in a church or chapel space.
What
kind of music?
The
existing parish repertoire of liturgical music in Ireland will be emphasised while
presenting new material which is congregation-friendly. Hymns and psalms from
the books published in Ireland since the 1960s and which are widely known in
our country will form the bulk of the music that participants will encounter. The
books in question will include The
Veritas Hymnal and Sing the Mass.
What
are the entry requirements?
For
entry into the programme, leading to the first grade certification, a good
standard of musical performance is necessary in any instrument or voice,
equivalent to Grade 5 of the RIAM or ABRSM.
The
ability to sing (unaccompanied) accurately, pleasantly and within a comfortable
range for a typical congregation will also be required.
It
is anticipated that this basic First Grade Certificate course will lead to
subsequent courses at higher levels in the future. A course for those who have
limited musical knowledge and experience but who wish to develop their musical
skills in the liturgy is also being considered.
Who
is teaching and directing?
The
course will be directed and taught by Father Fergus Ryan, OP, a Dominican friar
originally from Cork. He is a graduate (in liturgy and liturgical music) of the
Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome, Italy, where he has also gained
experience in teaching. He has practical experience of liturgical music in
parish settings in Ireland, in a variety of European countries and in the
United States of America. Others with expertise in liturgy and music will also contribute
to the course as presenters and examiners.
Cost
& Materials
Cost:
€95, payable after being accepted onto the course and before the course begins.
€45 for students and the unwaged.
The
fee will cover the cost of a number of handouts given to participants during
the course.
However,
participants will need to bring with them to each class the Veritas Hymnal, Sing the Mass, the Roman
Missal for Ireland (study edition, 2011). Further details on enquiry.
Where
& When?
In
Saint Martin’s chapel at Saint Mary’s Church, Pope’s Quay, Cork city.
Some
classes will be held in the Dominican Pastoral Centre, also on Pope’s Quay.
The
classes will take place in February 2017:
3rd & 4th;
10th & 11th; 17th & 18th
Friday
evenings from 7.00pm to 9.30pm.
Saturday
mornings from 10.00am to 12.30pm.
Attendance
on all days for the full period of each class is obligatory in order to be
admitted to the final examination.
The
final examination at the conclusion of the course will be offered on Saturday
25th February 2017. It will consist in two parts: an interview on
the matters studied during the course and a performance test.
For
further information before applying for a place you may email the course director,
Father Fergus Ryan OP: fergusryanop AT gmail.com. To apply for a place
on the course, also email the course director.
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