The past summer was filled with music, family and
friends. Some of this music was in other
cities and some was right at home. The
last two weeks of August featured special duet organ concerts at St. John’s:
August 21 featured Jacques Boucher with Sophie Poulin de
Courval, saxophone, from Montreal, Canada.
August 28 featured Kevin Birch with Anatole Wieck, violin,
from Bangor, Maine. We are so fortunate
to have these wonderful organ concerts in Bangor on the historic E. & G. G.
Hook organ, Opus 288. The duets add
another dimension to the concerts.
I took private voice lessons from Tina Burns this past
summer and learned a lot from her. I
improved my breath control and singing posture.
I also realized that I have a lot more to learn, so I decided to register
for voice lessons through school this semester.
To graduate, I need to pass the piano proficiency
requirement. I learned the material for
this over the summer, and I passed the last requirement on September 11. This requirement includes 12 parts:
Major scales
Minor scales
Sight reading of a four-part chorale
Sight reading of a simple piano solo
Playing a prepared piano solo
Playing a short excerpt using a C clef and an instrument
transposition
A short figured bass realization
A vocal or instrumental accompaniment, performed with a
soloist
I – IV6/4 – I – V6/5 – I in every major and minor key
Harmonization of a simple melody
Transposition of that melody and harmonization
Harmonization of a lead sheet.
Classes at the University of Maine started September 3. This semester I am taking 14 credits:
Advanced Harmony I
Advanced Sight Singing/Ear Training I
The Art of Listening to Music
Basic Conducting
Applied Music Lessons - Organ
Applied Music Lessons - Piano
Applied Music Lessons - Voice
Oratorio Society, a choral group made up of both students
and community members. This semester, we
are singing Handel’s “Dominus Dixit” and “Zadak the Priest” Coronation Anthem. We will be accompanied by the University
Orchestra. The performance will be on
Sunday, November 16, at 2 pm in Minsky Hall.
Mark your calendar!
I am learning something different from each of these
courses. I like the metaphor that
learning music is like creating a sphere, and all the facets that I am learning
help fill in that sphere. There are
many, many interconnections.
I continue learning to play for Catholic liturgy. I led the music and played the organ for the
Masses at St. John’s and St. Teresa’s the weekend of September 6 and 7, and I will
be playing for two of the Masses the weekend of September 20 and 21.
