Christmas concert success and other achievements

What with marathon confessions at local Korean church all last week, I have been remiss in posting about our Christmas concert last Friday which was an overwhelming success on many levels.

It debuted Mr. Chris Reilly as our new music director. Since September he did a masterful job getting us prepared. He seemed quite at home and at ease before the packed house.

One regrettable note is a bad cold prevented Father Mike Duggan from singing the solo number he had prepared.

Thanks to Mike Virgintino for advertising the event and we once again performed to an overflow crowd, with the Lady Chapel and Sanctuary accommodating late arrivals. Unlike last year, the choir did not have to surrender our chairs!)

Refreshments and two Santas greeted the people after the one hour+ concert.

The next day was the Lay Missioner and Sisters Sending Ceremony, which, being on a Saturday, I did not attend. On the following Monday we mercifully and masterfully drew our Centennial celebrations to a close.

At 7 p.m., after super, we reassembled at the back of our main chapel and, with glow sticks (for merriment as well as safety) about 100+ Maryknollers and friends processed into the darkness singing Christmas carols. We stopped briefly outside St. Teresa's, sand a song, and then, with two patrol cars from Ossining Police with lights blazing and blocking Route 133, crossed the road to the Sisters'. At midspan, Superior General Ed Dougherty handed over the Processional Cross to Congregation President Janice McLaughlin.

A brief prayer service followed in their chapel, followed by a HUGE sigh of relief from the Fathers & Brothers that our year-long festivities are at last over.

MEPD National Meeting

Every Maryknoll mission promoter, educator, and assistant from around the country has been involved in a series of all-day meetings that started yesterday and continue till Friday.

The wonderful result is that we have a full house of energetic and creative mission promoters who are talking about things other than recent ball games and medical procedures (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

The priests and deacons among them are taking turns presiding and preaching at our daily 11:30 liturgies. (Although, truth be told, Koreans attending the English Masses offered at the church in Queens seem to have adapted to the new translation of the Missal better than our guys.) Despite having cards with the new words, you still hear guys making the wrong response, or trying to finesse it into the new response. Thus, "Lord God of posts" combines power and hosts.

In other news...

Since December 1, the Spellman Room has had an exhibit of all the artifacts, gifts and programs that have come in from around the Maryknolll world to commemorate our Centenary. Of special note is a small book on a stand in the middle of the room inviting everyone to write a "message to the future." This book of greetings, prayers and good wishes will then go into the NEW time capsule that will be reset into our cornerstone to be opened circa 2061. (When, presumably, the Chinese Buffet and Casino that will occupy this place will struggle to find someone who can translate from the dead language of English into Mandarin.)

Btw, the contents of the first time capsule from 1953 that Fr. Dougherty opened last month have been put on display in the Founders Shrine in the middle of the First Floor M Wing.

Things are looking great for our Christmas Concert this Fruday, Mission Sending Ceremony on Saturday, Centennial Closing Liturgy next Monday (Dec. 12), employees Christmas party on Tuesday the 13th and Advent Day of Reflection on Wednesday, Dec. 14, with Capuchin Father Jack Ratschmidt (of MST fame) offering us his thought.

Phew.

More news from the Knoll

On this great and glorious feast of St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower) and one of Maryknoll's patron saints, I have some news to report.

First, the case of the mysterious motion-activated camera down in our lower woods seems to have been solved. Apparently one of the six outsiders who have special permission to hunt here with bow and arrow each fall set up that camera without the permission or knowledge of either Fr. Dick Callahan or Fr. John Hudert, who attend to our property. The camera is now gone.

But I heard from another Maryknoller that PETA has been known to raid our woods and destroy the aluminum ladders the hunters affix to the trees to better view their prey. Seems like everywhere's a battleground around here.

"Knollstock", the 60s-themed picnic for MK employees and members, (postponed twice already) has been postponed again till this coming Tuesday. We have been asked to dress in our best Hippie outfits, find long hair and sing protest songs. An e-mail also invited us to bring "themed desserts." The mind reels at the possibilities, but I guess that's the point.

Finally I am happy to announce we have finally hired a new music director. Mr. Chris Reilly will direct our Christmas concert, as well as lead music here on Sundays, for funerals, ordinations, jubilees etc. even as Ms. Lucille Naughton wraps up her remarkable career with us spanning four decades. Her last official duties are directing the music for our Centenary Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on October 30, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. and our Centennial Closing liturgy at Maryknoll, NY, on December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Best of luck to both Chris and Lucille!

Christmas Concert Blockbuster!

Maryknoll's annual Christmas concert tonight drew a record, overflow crowd of 600+ people. The chapel starting filling fully one hour before the 8:00 "curtain". With Standing Room Only crowds in the back of the chapel, Mario Cerdas and Theresa Rodrigueez, from housekeeping, sprang into action and set up extra chairs in the back, in the center aisle and even in the sanctuary.

The Christmas Concert was the official musical opening of Maryknoll's Centennary celebrations. The return of long-time Maryknoll music director Ms. Lucille Naughton (she directed the choir when I was ordained in 1978) was surely the reason behind this record-breaking crowd. Kudos to Security and Physical Plant that dealt with parking and traffic issues. Br. Tony Lopez also assembled a hospitality crew to hand out programs and carol booklets.

Songs included "Non nobis, Domine" (from the movie Henry V), "Veni, Veni Emmanuel" "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "Gesu Bambino."
Maryknollers were acknowledged and then all joined in singing the Maryknoll hymn. A children's Choir supplied the "Aw!" factor with "Little Drummer Boy", "Silent Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". There was time for audience participation with traditional favorites such as "O Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Angels We Have Heard On High".

Lucille also previewed three songs from the Maryknoll Centenary Missa ad Gentes, by Michael Joncas: "Lord, Have Mercy" ,"Gospel Acclamation" and "Lamb of God". She also invited those present to attend the special rehearsal of the entire Mass, with timpani, trumpet, flute, piano and organ, on Sunday, January 23 at 3:00 p.m. (We might have to set up the Spellman Room and Lady Chapel if the crowd is anything like tonight's!)

One departure from tradition. The choir and assembly sang "Happy Birthday" to Maryknoll to end the concert and adjourned to the Spellman Room for birthday cake, coffee and tea. Santa's helper (Fr. Joe La Mar) passed out candy to children of all ages.

Our Centennary is off to a great start!

Mozart's Requiem

Members of the Westchester Choral Society and Orchestra rehearse in the main chapel for two performances of Mozart's Requiem and other works.

The concert is tonight at 8:00 p.m. and again tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $15 for students. Maryknollers may still get one of 25 complimentary tickets available for today's performance. Tomorrow's have already been given out.

Christmas concert meltdown

SORRY about the hiatus, folks. Between recuperation from the singing marathon (Fr. Dan Schneider's wake on Thursday night & funeral on Friday morning & two hours rehearsal just prior to the one-hour Christmas concert) and giving talks and confessions at the Korean church in Queens yesterday and doing Mass and class today, I was pooped.

Now having slept most of this rainy Sunday afternoon, I can pick gingerly through the wreckage of the Christmas concert.

It was our worst. (And that's being diplomatic.) Oh, people had a good time and were Christian in their evaluation, but I am under no such etiquettitudinal restraints. (I just made up that word. Feel free to use it.) They certainly got what they paid for.

But let me begin with some positive feedback.

You know how you feel after hearing a flawless performance of Händel's Messiah? Well, it wasn't anything like that.

The new risers did allow the choir to be sitting higher up, so we had a better view of the audience. Unfortunately, that worked both ways.

The solos were exceptional: Fr. Mike Duggan's Mille Cherubini and Ms. Judy Abel (director)'s O Holy Night.

The quasi duet of Sr. Ann Hayden and Fr. Ed Szendrey was most excellent. Ms. Betsey Guest also shone as descant soloist.

The women more than held up their end of the voice ranges.

As for the men, well, we had nine (count'em—9!) men's voices. Yup, there were nine! Well, not always singing the right notes in the right key or at the right time or at all, but I definitely counted nine. All in a row.

The five-piece orchestra was very talented and professional. They saved the evening by covering a multitude of our musical sins. Nothing like a harp, piano, organ, flute and cello to distract people's attention from our many dissonant faux pas.

We could have vastly improved the ending of the concert—by moving it closer to the beginning.

To be balanced, the refreshments were a big hit, as was our perennial Santa Claus (Br. Kevin Dargan) passing out candy so the evening ended on a sweet note.

(But I will forever wonder how I might have written this had I not had a good nap this afternoon.)

Some funeral tidbits

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY DOLAN came to St. Teresa's Residence yesterday afternoon to pay respects at the first wake for Fr. Dan Schneider. Dolan and Schneider have been friends for many decades when Dolan was first ordained and assigned to a parish in St. Louis where Schneider served while on development.

The archbishop was most gracious and spent time with the men at St. T's but he saved special conversations for all the Maryknollers from St. Louis.

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Apparently there is some brouhaha brewing because the kitchen staff locked the door to the dining room at 1:28 to begin breaking down the set-up. To their credit they did a yeoman's job accommodating the 130 extra guests— family and friends of Fr. Dan at the funeral today. According to Fr. John Moran, some Maryknollers and guests could not get to their anticipated ice cream. The removal of the handle from the frozen yogurt machine also gave an unfavorably inhospitable impression. This is what the news people call a "developing story" and I'm sure any misunderstanding will soon be ironed out. Besides this, the kitchen staff did a wonderful job, as mentioned above, serving this sudden influx of many guests.

The funeral was a wonderful tribute and beautiful send-off for Father Dan. He has a HUGE family, all of whom seemed very much at home in a Catholic church. Those who spoke were very articulate, humorous, and heartfelt. Three came forward after Communion to give their eulogies.

We started the funeral a half hour earlier than normal (10:30 instead of 11:00) to accommodate the physical plant people who have only a few hours to set up the risers and chairs in the main chapel in time for the final dress rehearsal before tonight's Christmas concert.

Christmas concert rehearsals

AS IF yesterday's first rehearsal for the annual Christmas concert (scheduled for Friday, December 11), wasn't enough to get us into the holiday spirit, today we had our first snowfall at Maryknoll—the opening salvo of a four-day Nor'Easter blowing through till Sunday.

Under the direction of Ms. Judy Abel, the choir will gather together every Wednesday afternoon from 4:15 till 5:30 with special rehearsals for the struggling men's parts every Friday at 1:15. As usual, we sorely need male voices with only three tenors and two basses making it to the first rehearsal.

The men held their own against 20 women's voices. But since it is widely acknowledged that tenors, as a rule, rock, it is only Basses who are in desperate need of reinforcement.

Sixteen songs are planned—a record, I believe—and making the concert fully an hour and a half long. As usual, congregational participation with such standard fair as "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Joy to the World" will be interspersed amid old stand-bys such as "O Holy Night" and the de riguer solo by Fr. Mike Duggan, "Mille Cherubini" along with a lot of new stuff.