Desire

does anyone share the desire for beauty? This is the beauty that wraps around you and restores your soul, not the kind that's like candy- appeals to the eye, but never gets under your skin.  When I was small my parents took me to concerts, ballets, and shows in NYC.  I fell in love with dancing first.  My parents were somewhat surprised when I piped up in my little voice that I wanted to be a ballerina.  I remember the conversation well. 
Whatever they said worked.  While I never became a dancer (especially in public!) I always retained the desire for beauty.  The word beauty is the closest word I can find, Jon Bon Jovi calls it a moment of perfection.  Some people call it inspiration, but whatever the word, if you are at all distracted you will miss it.  To have moments like this are rare because of that or if the performer is distracted by either a technical mark they want to hit or a personal problem, you can walk away from a two hour performance and not feel a thing. Almost worse is a perfect moment that is only technical. Then you can lose someone from the art because they know it was good and felt...nothing.
Even though I am talking about dancing, the same applies to whatever Art form that is used. Music of any kind, dance, theater, even a marching band. This is what we aspire to.

New Endorsment

"I am an ardent fan of Gloriae Dei Cantores! The Chants of Mary, by the Gloriae Dei Cantores Men's Schola is a wonderful and faithful recording of ancient chants that still speak volumes today. Chant has a timeless and universal quality, though it was developed in a specific era of the western church. Likewise, a proper understanding of Mary's role in salvation history, and her modeling of life in the church is making her popular again among all Christians. This recording captures the best of this reality!"

    

John Michael Talbot

Founder, Minister General, and Spiritual Father

The Brothers and Sisters of Charity

Unsolved Mysteries

There is a mystery I have been trying to solve.  It seems uncanny how when a singer or performer has an intent in their heart the listener can frequently just "know".

Is this from when we are young and have to understand all the unspoken words when listening to the spoken? Or is it always there in us? Do we all have different levels of "knowing" when we listen, or is there a common knowledge of what is right to your ear?

I wrote in a previous posting about Savage Beauty, this is what caught my muse! What may be Savage to some could be innocent to others, or do we all share a grounding place, somehow knowing what should be and what isn't ?

Art for the sake of beauty

The dictionary identifies the word beauty as " the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit".

when I first started thinking about the word I imagine things that have a definable color and shape that is pleasing to me. As I have gotten older I realize that beauty can me many things, and that there is a place for savage beauty. Some of the music that we sing qualifies as a savage beauty. The human condition makes it necessary. While we are an advanced species there are times when something visceral can connect with us in a way that is more satisfying than a gentle well turned phrase.

Beautiful music

I am sitting here writing while listening to a new recording that is coming in soon.  Its called Chants of Mary and its beautiful.  Really it is captivating...the voices of the men all blend together to sound like one voice with many colors.  There is something about having men sing about her that blesses me. You can either click here or look on Paraclete Press website.  I hear the recording should be in house on Monday the 30th of July. We have presold a record amount so be quick ! 

Christmas in July!

As is often the case when working in the Arts, we spent our rehearsal time today in a beautiful air-conditioned room singing new works for Advent Lessons and Carols !  What a change of direction that is on a hot day in July...We have some challenging pieces and some more simple pieces (which can actually be more difficult to pull off).  But as is our usual, the programming is varying in style, but cohesive in concept.

So, a Merry Christmas to all !!

So cool

Got our all music for next quarter!!! The services, the tour music, and the Advent Lesson and Carols music. We are also getting ready to celebrate our 25th year of GDC...so that's a concert every month- Cant wait to get started !