The Way It Is*

Many of you know that in addition to being a musician, teacher, and librarian, I'm a long-suffering church musician. Within the last year or so, I joined a Facebook page called "I'm fed up with bad church music" where contributors tell their own horror stories of bad clergy/parishioners/music/composers/etc. The current project that I'm completing for my DOM may present a microcosmic look into what we're up against:

I went up to my DOM Sunday morning after seeing what hymns he'd chosen and told him that I was tired of doing the same old same old, month in and month out. He complained to me that (ordinary time) wasn't a good time to introduce new hymns--as if Nicaea (Holy Holy Holy) Old Hundredth (All People that on Earth do Dwell), Italian Hymn (Come thou almighty King), St. Anne (Oh God, Our help in ages past), and countless others should have to be taught at this point in the church's life (at least this parish). The DOM tried to blame the pastor for what the he is "up against". I stopped that cold with, "Well, if the Pastor is the problem, I'll take it up with him". After he had a chance to recover from that shock, he told me to make up a list of hymns I wanted to do.

So, I'm in the midst of creating a set list for each service between the 14th in OT to Christ the King, based on the antiphons, readings, responses and themes, with the help of OCP's Music Finder, I've been able to find suitable alternatives to the steady diet of Haugen and Haas I've been subjected to for the past 12 years. There are some notable gaps, but for the most part I've been able put together a liturgically solid, musically sound list. One area had me stumped, though. Permit a brief explanation:

We have beautiful stained glass windows in our church, produced in France (or so I'm told), one of which depicts "The Church Militant, Suffering, Triumphant", a phrase probably more familiar to Catholics of a generation or two previous than to those today.We used to refer to it in the LCMS as Christian or Spiritual Warfare--fighting the temptations of Satan, the world, detractors from the faith.

So at one point I'm looking for songs on the Church Militant, or on spiritual warfare. I check the list of topics on the website. Nothing. I even emailed OCP (We use the Heritage Missal) and, in part, get this response:

...There are 9 songs under the topic Patriotism:

570   America

569   America the Beautiful

568   Eternal Father, Strong to Save 

567   God of Our Fathers

427   Let There Be Peace on Earth (really?)

451   Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory 

571   This Is My Song (FINLANDIA)

484   We Gather Together (Turkey and stuffing, anyone?)

Initially I was stunned. I had made it abundantly clear what I was looking for. When I wrote back and protested that Patriotism wasn't what I had in mind at all--even adding two links on the topics requested and giving two examples ("Onward Christian Soldiers", and "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus"), they responded by quoting the two links I gave and basically dismissing my arguments.

So it's back to completing the list which I promised to give him next Sunday I can only hope that things change--or the cantor will--and I've told him as much.

Onward.

*Bruce Hornsby, The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, 1986.

Hello Goodbye*

The 40th country to check my blog--Columbia--did so today.  Bienvenidos! (5/17/16) UPDATE: Welcome to my reader in the Turks and Caicos Islands--41 countries heard from!

I was a member of the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club during my undergrad days.  While I enjoyed singing the Michigan songs and classical repertoire put in front of us by our directors (Leonard Johnson (assistant professor of voice) for three years, Dr. Patrick Gardner (Assistant professor of conducting) for the fourth), one thing I did NOT enjoy was some of the nonsense that made it more closely resemble four years of "Animal House" than singing in a top-flight choral organization.

Don't get me wrong. I dearly love many of the men with whom I sung in Ann Arbor.  Many of them are brilliant, distinguished in their fields, and would ring a bell if I mentioned their names to you. You may be asking, "where was the director in all this?".  The Glee Club was the oldest student run organization on campus.  The School of Music (later, the School of Music, Theater and Dance) supplied a director to the club, and I would daresay with mixed results.

Professor Johnson was a highly successful studio teacher who took over the club from Willis Patterson, also a studio teacher but with extensive choral conducting experience.  I learned to love singing from Professor Johnson, but found his leadership and conducting skill set to be lacking; when he was denied tenure in 1981, I wasn't surprised, but was decidedly in the minority among club members who opposed the change.

On came Dr. Gardner in the fall of 1981. He had finished his DMA at the University of Texas-Austin, where his doctoral work included study of a piece for gamelan and male choir (or so I heard). He was only 27, and it was exciting to work with him from the get-go. Gone were so many of the Duey pop and light classical arrangements. In their place were actual pieces originally written for male chorus.  He got us in the habit of really studying the lyrics and finding out what we were singing about.  The pieces weren't always loud or boisterous or rich in harmony.  Some, like Song of Peace by Persichetti and Halsey Steven's setting of Christina Rossetti's Remember Me, were by comparison skeletal, their harmonies and melodies deceptively simple (but NEVER simplistic).  Wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but I thrived on it.

Fast forward about 30 years. I go to hear Measure for Measure at the IMC conference at Rutgers (which I did and thoroughly enjoyed) but before I left, I had the great pleasure of hearing an excellent high school male chorus from Pennsylvania.  They performed not only music from the western canon, but from non-western sources as well.  It was their last piece, an extended work on the subject of Nelson Mandela, with which I took issue, and what will be the heart of the second half of this post.

I've noticed a trend over the last ten years--it may be longer--of choral composers writing music for texts that are decidedly activist in nature. To wit:

1) a composition for male chorus called "Seven Last Words of the Unarmed". Movement titles include "Officers, why are you pointing your guns at me?", "I can't breathe", and "What are you following me for?", This piece was presumably meant to honor black men who were killed by police officers.

2) a composition for male chorus purportedly in honor of Nelson Mandela, the last movement of which includes singers holding signs and chanting for rights for various groups. The performance of this piece that I attended had the conductor encourage the audience to stand and sing along (to music wholly unfamiliar to us)

3) A composition by a world-renowned composer who, in his program notes, noted his disdain for former president George W. Bush

In all three cases these were school-related groups. I have to wonder if the students were given the opportunity to freely express their dissent on the content of these pieces to the extent of being able to opt out of performing these texts. Given what I know of these groups, I'm inclined to think that there was considerable pressure on any who dared express a minority opinion, be they students, parents, or others in the academic community.

The UMMGC, some years after I graduated, adopted a slogan--"Tradition, Camaraderie, and Musical Excellence". When I was in the club, we frankly nailed the first two, and the third, well, if it happened, it happened (the year with Dr. Gardner notwithstanding--he was a strong personality and an excellent conductor). We rested on our laurels way too much, and I feel like the music suffered as a result. If it were up to me, I'd reverse the order on those three attributes and let the last two appear as a result of the first--but that's just me.

plus ca change...

So why did I name this post "Hello Goodbye"?

Because at this point in my life I'm not certain that I want to continue my association with the UMMGC. That would shock several people I know to their foundation, but I need to know. Is this obsession with the current political correctness, progressive attitude, and social activism in choral music going to continue, where we engage in a pissing contest over who can be the most "daring"?
The mind reels.

Lennon and McCartney for the Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour, 1967

Double Talkin' Baby*

Welcome to my readers in India and Singapore! We're now in 39 countries.  Remember to write and comment on what you read!

Those of us from previous generations no doubt remember a California-based talk radio host by the name of Dr. Laura Schlessinger, who dispensed advice and commented on the news, among other things. While she had legions of fans who hung on her every word, she also had detractors who found her often caustic, dismissive manner off-putting.

She took phone calls from people supposedly seeking advice, and while she was blunt and direct, she saved her real venom for people who would add multiple caveats after she gave her initial answer. As an example, she would get a call from someone whose child was living with their significant other outside of marriage.

When Dr. Laura would tell her (no nasty letters, her callers were overwhelmingly female) it's a bad idea, she'd add, something along the lines of "well, it's in our house"/"they don't pay rent"/"the significant other doesn't work/eats our food/ ties up the phone for hours at a time"etc., thinking that she would change her mind--which would only steel Dr. Laura's resolve. Nothing drove her nuts faster than these "gotchas".

Me too. To wit:

I belong to two particular threads on Facebook that are related to my vocation and avocation. One person came on asking for assistance in obtaining a PDF copy of a published, in-print, work of music--a clear violation of US copyright laws. When I called him on it, he became indignant and tried to explain himself away, but no soap. The moderator of the thread sided with me, removed the post, and came up with new terms of use for the thread.

The other asked what we thought was a fair price to pay high school students to be ringers in a church choir in suburban Chicago, I responded that there were, in addition to an abundance of professional church musicians, as well as college students willing and able to tackle the position. Only then did she say, well, we have to use high school students because it's in the terms of the grant we received, etc., significantly changing her question.

PEOPLE, a little sanity check please.

Are you saying exactly what you intend, what you mean? Jesus' admonition in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:37) would come in handy. "Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no". Clear enough?

Plain language doesn't have to mean simple-minded. Leave no doubt as to your intent.

*Danny Wolfe, c. 1956. Rockabilly standard with many covers

Where Everybody Knows Your Name*

1) Welcome to my readers in Taiwan and Switzerland, the 36th and 37th countries to log into my blog!  Found them this morning on the way around my sites.  Please feel free to respond to what I've written.

I'm becoming resigned to the fact that not everyone loves me and my work in the library world.  I'm officially on the outside looking in to what is proving to be a very small, parochial, insular community which looks upon outsiders and newbies who don't fit their preconceived notions of what a library professional is with suspicion, derision, and dismissiveness. Here's hoping my next interview goes better.  I'll let you know.

*--Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo for the TV show, Cheers (1980-91)

Waltzing Matilda* and what makes ME squeal (with displeasure)

Just a quick shout-out to "the land down under"--Australia! Welcome!!! I can't believe this is the first time in three years of doing this blog.

The adventure goes on, and as one wise man said, "When God closes one door, he opens a window".  More details when I have them, but it's a good sign.

On a totally UNrelated subject--I used my KitchenAid food grinder attachment to make a few pounds of breakfast sausage.  I had a good solid starter recipe, and obtained pork scraps from a local butcher to add to the cheap pork loin I bought at Shop-Rite. Tasty and fresh.  I think I'll get some chuck steak or sirloin to grind for hamburgers in the near future.

The negative in this post has to do with customer service. I went to the local upscale grocer in search of the aforementioned pork fat to make sausage. I went to the meat counter and asked where I could find a couple of pounds of pork fat.

"We don't have that...we have bacon down the aisle there (points in the general direction of the display case)"
"Would you know what store I could go to to get (pork fat)?"
"No"
(and this is where I began to lose faith in that store)
"I wouldn't even know what number to sell it under"

Which tells me a) she's not a butcher, b) she couldn't be bothered with such a piddling request, and c) the much-vaunted customer service at this store has a few yawning gaps that should be rectified.  If you've seen the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" (the good one, not the modern one), you remember that the "us or nothing" model of retailing went out with mechanical cash registers. I would regularly tell customers where they could find what we didn't have, especially if it involved a local business. If the item was requested on a regular basis, and it fit in our merchandise profile, I'd either start inquiring up to management or if I was in a position to do so, place the orders myself.  I'm not going to give the name of the store for the simple reason is that it's the first such experience I've had there. Won't tell on IM or private message, either...

More later. Cheers!

*--Lyrics by Banjo Patterson; March music by James Barr, 1818.

One Step Up*

The job front comes forward today.  I've had several nibbles lately.  Mansfield U, as I suspected, no-hired their 2nd semester temporary job and will post again for a fall semester start. U-Scranton gave me a phone interview for a Cataloging assistant position. No word on that one--the silence is deafening. This particular song title from the Boss seemed apropos.

As for new postings, I've seen humble and great postings crossing my desk and piquing my interest.  I'll let you know if anything comes of my applications. Cheers.

*--Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel of Love, 1987

PS: welcome to my readers in the Dominican Republic! Country #34 heard from. Please leave opinions and comments as you feel moved to.

Changes, opus II

Plus ca change!
The more things change, the more things stay the same.

You've read previously about my travails and issues with the Norristown (PA) Area School District and their mishandling of various things, from too few seats at the newly constructed stadium, to the attempted dismantling of the performing and visual arts departments, to the ineptness and bumbling of the superintendent, the human resources department, and school board. I point to the recent posting for an extra-curricular marching band director (http://www.nasd.k12.pa.us/Page/116 for those playing along at home), and offer Dr. Samuels, Mr. Smith (NAHS principal) and anyone within earshot the following questions for consideration:

1) While the job description does state "...(the successful candidate) will function as a team member of the NAHS Music Department" it goes on to say that the successful candidate "will report to the NAHS Principal or designee".  Who is that designee?
2) "Lead staff preparation and pedagogical employment of a technique program for wind and percussion instruments". Can we assume that this is done in cooperation with existing NAHS instrumental music staff?  A common terminology when dealing with students across ensembles is desirable, and anyone who joins the staff should assimilate. 
3) "Order, organize, and maintain all equipment and supplies". Is this a line item in the existing instrumental music program's budget or will this be independent of that budget? What is the funding source?
4) "Select appropriate competitive circuit(s) and complete all necessary paperwork for chosen circuit(s)". Wow. This leaves a lot unsaid.

For those who aren't familiar with the various high school marching band "competitive circuits", here's a brief (and I hope accurate) list of organizations. Typically, high schools and colleges host competitions with classifications based on band size and school enrollment.

h    http://www.pimba.org/pimba/site/main/ Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association

      http://www.njatob.org/                            Tournament of Bands

      http://www.musicforall.org/who-we-are/bands-of-america Bands of America

      

      Corps-style marching is the predominant style in these organizations.

     

      In my limited research, I only know of one state--Texas--which has a competitive division for show-style bands. There may be others--North Carolina for one, and Illinois has been considering it--but the style first popularized in HBCUs has made its way down to the high schools, and there are those who will at some point organize a competitive circuit for show bands here in the Northeast.

      5) "Work with Music Boosters to establish a student quota"

      Please elaborate.

      6) "Attend monthly Music Boosters meeting...Attempt to contact the family and redirect all communication to the Music Booster officers in instances where financial contributions have not been received from students"

      Again, I have to ask--what is the funding source? If this is referring to fundraising by the students and their families, how much is expected?

      7)  "Date Posted: July 30, 2015". Really? Posted where? It's not on PAREAP, and it hasn't been on the district website until now. What does the PA Department of Education require regarding job postings?

      I really hate to be Debbie Downer here, but we expect better of our district administration.

 Onward and upward--I hope.

*--David Bowie, Hunky Dory, 1971.