My last exam for the fall semester was on Thursday, December 17, and this was followed closely by Christmas. This was a very eventful semester for me with many “firsts” in both school and my church music internship. Some of the highlights were:
- Choral Conducting: I conducted three choirs in rehearsals and in multiple settings: the Collegiate Chorale in two pieces in the November 14 concert, and in one piece at the December 6 Yuletide concert; the St. John’s Youth Choir in two pieces in two concert performances and Christmas Eve Mass; and the St. John’s Adult Choir in one piece in the Christmas concert and in Christmas Mass. I learned a lot from these experiences and from my mentor for Collegiate Chorale, Francis Vogt, and my mentor for the St. John’s Choirs, Kevin Birch. I would also like to recognize Clayton Smith, the accompanist for Collegiate Chorale. Clayton mentored me in how to work with an accompanist. Conducting is learned by doing and I appreciate these opportunities.
At the end of the November 14 Collegiate Chorale concert
with some of my fellow student conductors:
Rob Gelinas, Morgen Campbell, and Shane Cloutier
With Fran Vogt after the November 14 Collegiate Chorale Concert
Conducting the joint choirs of St. John’s
at the December 20 Music Sacra Christmas Concert
Photo courtesy of Gayle Baber
- Service Playing: I played for Masses at St. Teresa’s Church twice a month. This gave me the opportunity to apply some of the music I was learning in my organ lessons in a liturgical setting, and to learn more hymns and other service music. One of the highlights was the November 23 feast of Christ the King. At this Mass, I was joined by Anthony Viselli on violin and Julia Alexander on flute. We played a Mozart trio as a prelude and a violin and organ duo of Hanff’s Ein feste Burg during the Mass.
- Choral Singing: I performed with the St. John’s Chamber Choir in our Advent concert on December 5 when we sang a Monteverdi Motet and Mass and the Vivaldi Magnificat. The choir was joined by Heidi Powell and Richard Hsu on violin, Marisa Solomon on cello, and Abraham Ross on organ. I feel blessed to be able to sing such beautiful music.
- Junior Standing: One of my requirements for graduation is to pass Junior Standing. This is my performing on the organ for a minimum of five faculty and their evaluation of my performance. I am happy to report that I passed! This is the program I played:
Prelude and Fugue in G Major (BWV 557)
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Attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
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Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
(A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)
with Anthony Viselli, violin
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Johann Nicolaus Hanff (1665-1711/12)
Arranged by Benjamin M. Culli for violin and organ
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Wondrous Love: Variations for Organ
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Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006)
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Vom Himmel Hoch da komm ich her
(From Heaven above to Earth I Come)
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Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
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Fanfare
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Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens (1823-1881)
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I also played the Hanff Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott with Anthony Viselli at Recital Lab on November 23. Here is a video of our performance:
- Organ Toccata: This semester I learned to play Fanfare by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens (1823-1881). This is a toccata that moves very quickly. When I first started to learn it I thought that I would never be able to play it up to tempo – there were so many notes! I finally had a breakthrough with this piece when I memorized the parts of it that were difficult for me. To memorize the piece I had to learn it more thoroughly, and with it memorized, I could watch my hands and my feet if needed. I feel like I have moved up a level in organ playing by being able to perform this challenging piece. In addition to playing Lemmens’ Fanfare for my Junior Standing, I played it as the postlude at the St. John’s Christmas Concert on December 20.
- Research skills: Two of my courses this past semester had research components. When I was an undergraduate for my first degree (BS Mathematics, 1973, University of Delaware), libraries still had card catalogs and were not yet computerized. It was very valuable for me to learn how to use the computer to access many of the resources of the extensive Folger Library at the University of Maine. I was part of a team with Hannah Babcock and Colin Graebert assigned to write a research paper on Music of the Spheres for our music history class. Music of the Spheres is a scientific and philosophical concept, first articulated by Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher of the 6th century B.C. Pythagoras believed that the universe has a mathematical root and that the proportions of the universe are related to the musical scale. Thus the laws of music rule the entire universe. Professor Stuart Marrs liked our paper so much that he requested to use it as an example for next year’s class.
With Hannah Babcock and Colin Graebert in the Student Union
working on our research paper on Music of the Spheres
I feel very blessed by the opportunity to be learning so much. I feel supported by my family, especially my husband, John, my friends, and my community as I learn the skills to become a church musician.
I am looking forward with excitement to the spring semester and my graduation in May! I will be preparing and performing my senior project. More on that later.
