UB Distinguished Alumni Concert - March 3, 2017 A letter from the performer, Dr. Jim Kosnik

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1 The Church Musician ~ The Quilisma The Bulletin of the Church Musicians Guild of Buffalo A Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians February 2017 UB Distinguished Alumni Concert - March 3, 2017 A letter from the performer, Dr. Jim Kosnik I am both honored and thrilled to return to my hometown, Buffalo, to perform on the Distinguished Alumni Concert Series at UB on Friday, March 3, 2017 at 7:30 PM in Slee Concert Hall on the magnificent Fisk organ. 50 years ago (!!) in 1967 I began my Bachelor s degree in Piano & Organ Performance at UB after having attended St. Joseph s Collegiate Institute (where I have established the Walter & Stella Kosnik Fine Arts Scholarship in memory of my parents). During my SJCI high school years I was the organist at my parish, Assumption Church in Black Rock from 1963 to Father Louis Dolinic introduced and guided me on the Wurlitzer pipe organ at Assumption, including the aspect of double touch keyboard action. In 1965, I joined the CMG and became friends with Ed Witul, Bob Winkler, Msgr. Kowalec, Msgr. Eberz, Cecilia Roy Kenny, Regina Doherty, Ernestine Otis and so many other wonderful musicians and lifelong friends. I was so excited to be a college music major at UB that I enrolled in courses in summer 1967 so that I could get acclimated to university life. I remember taking a course in Anthropology 101 and a Rudiments of Music class with wonderful music professor and flautist Robert Mols, to be prepared for the fall 1967 semester. My piano teacher was August Martin, and my organ teacher was Squire Haskin. In 1970, Squire recommended me to Sister Emiliette and Sister Martinelle at Villa Maria College and Music Institute, where I remained on the faculty until my departure for Old Dominion University in In 1979 I joined the faculty at Christ the King Seminary as an adjunct, and in 1980 I became Music Director at St. Joseph s Cathedral on the acclaimed Hook & Hastings organ. My UB program will include the Music of Tunder, Froberger (my Eastman dissertation topic), DeGrigny, J.S. Bach, Vierne, and the organ music of my Old Dominion colleague, Eminent Professor of Music, Adolphus Hailstork. Buffalo s renowned musician, Frank Scinta will conduct the Schola for the chant selections on my UB program. In addition, I will be performing the organ premiere of Three Sea Nocturnes, by UB doctoral candidate, Nathan Kelly. UB for me has always represented the cutting edge of avant garde music; I attended numerous concerts by Lukas Foss, Lejaren Hiller, John Cage, etc. I thought it fitting and necessary to reconnect with that glorious tradition 50 years later.

2 CMG February 2017, page 2 Lorem Ipsum CHURCH MUSCIANS' GUILD CHILDEN'S CHOIR FESTIVAL 2017 By Gail Shepherd Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Williamsville will be the setting for this delightful event on Sunday, March 26 at 5:00. Heather Lovelace will conduct four Diocesan school choirs. Heather has extensive experience in children's choir music as she is a music teacher and conductor of various community choirs. She is also director of Music at St. Katharine Drexel Parish, and a member of our CMG board. The Choirs include children from Notre Dame Academy directed by Laura Lawless, Our Lady of Victory directed by Kathryn Schultz, St. Gregory the Great directed by Deborah Lombardo, and Ss. Peter and Paul directed by Gail Shepherd. We hope to have 100 children from 2nd through 8th grade singing their hearts out to you. The program includes music from traditional Latin to a traditional folk song along with contemporary liturgical and choral music. Each choir prepares the music that has been chosen by the directors. We come together that afternoon to rehearse. The singers take a break for some refreshment, then return to the church to present this impressive program. Other instrumentalists will round out the program that will be about an hour long, so very friendly to children and seniors to attend. It is so exciting to work with such capable and dedicated directors. I am convinced that church music in the Diocese of Buffalo is in good hands and has a bright future. Don't miss this concert, and bring family and friends. Heather Lovelace, Conductor NPM NAMES NEW PRESIDENT by Bill Fay It was announced in December that the new president of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians is Stephen Petrunak. Our new administrator hails from the Detroit area where he has been the director of music at Saint Blasé Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan for more than twenty years. Steve served as guitarist, composer, and conductor and has recorded several albums of liturgical music. He has a BA in business administration from Wayne State University and worked in management in the steel industry for 15 years. As a studio musician, he has taught guitar at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit as well as the NPM Guitar Schools. I hope to have the opportunity to meet him in Cincinnati this summer at our annual convention. Petrunak published the book Managing Music Ministry: Beyond Notes and Chords in The book was a joint effort with his pastor, Rev. Randall Phillips. You may purchase the book from GIA Publications for $ The book is reviewed in greater detail on page 3 of this volume. Other publications included Beyond Strumming, which is a liturgical guitar method book series that was co -written with former Buffalonian, Kathy Felong. It is published in three volumes. Steve s business experience, skills in development and fund raising, knowledge of NPM and experience as a pastoral musician make him an ideal president for NPM.

3 Managing Music Ministry: Beyond Notes and Chords A Review of Petrunak s Book by Bill Fay CMG February 2017, page 3 I was interested in this book specifically because the author will now serve as the NPM president. Petrunak worked at St Blasé for over 40 years, first as a volunteer and later a full time music minister. What is unique about the book is the co-authorship by two men. Petrunak wrote about music ministry from the artistic point of view and his pastor, Randall Phillips, wrote about the spiritual aspects of music ministry. The book is divided into ten chapters on the following topics: managing a music program, effective communication, conflict resolution, managing people, motivating volunteers, servant leadership, directing the ensemble, time management, teaching music, the singing assembly, planning music for liturgy, working with youth, spirituality for musicians, recruiting new members, and creating a music budget. I believe Petrunak knows what he is talking about. The book is rich with personal examples from his own leadership in music ministry. The book will be appealing for those who work in contemporary music and for those who have minimal training as a musician. For instance, in one chapter he discusses the standard beat patterns that all conductors use. The benefit of this book is the topics that one is not taught in a standard music degree program. He speaks of triangulation, wherein one person speaks about another person to a third person. The author talks of the necessity of the musician knowing his music well to the point of being memorized before he may direct others while playing an instrument. All topics then receive a response from the pastor who puts a spiritual spin on the topic. The author quotes research in management practice. Msgr. Kawalec Organ Scholarship By Bill Fay It is not too early to apply for the organ scholarship auditions to be held at Monday, May 8th at St Benedict s Church. Applicants will have the opportunity to play on the Steinway grand piano and the Schlicker pipe organ. Joanne Jasinski and Jeanne Suski are chairpersons. Please contact Bill Fay for an application at musicman08@verizon.net. You will need to submit a resume and two letters of recommendation. The audition consists of two parts: the interview and the audition. The committee would like to hear the auditionee play a hymn and a selection of literature for the organ. If you do not have significant training on the organ, you may play a composition on the piano. Only musicians who intend to work for a church in the diocese of Buffalo are invited to apply. An award of $500 will be given. Sometimes more than one award is given. All who play for the committee will receive a complimentary membership in the guild. WANTED: STUDENT INTERN Our new by-laws provide for the involvement of a student intern on our board. We are looking for a young person who would like to participate on the board for one year at a time. The student needs to be at least 18 years old and does not need to be formally enrolled in a college program. We view this as an opportunity to hear what young adults have to say about music ministry and give them an opportunity to represent young people s interests. Involvement is for a minimal amount of time, but can be renewed. If you know someone who would be a good candidate, please contact Bill at musicman08@verizon.net.

4 CMG February 2017, page 4 Two musical performances remain in Blessed Trinity s concert season. On Sunday, February 12 at 3pm, the church s ensemble-in-residence, the Buffalo Brass Choir, will present "A Requiem in Our Time." This liturgically themed program will feature the title piece by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaar, as well as Pablo Casals' "O Vos Omnes," Bach's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring," and works by three living American composers: John Cheetham, Anthony Plog, and Brian Balmage. This powerful and uplifting program is a perfect prelude to the Lent and Easter seasons. Trinity Concert Series By Margaret Dick The season concludes on Friday, June 9, with a 7:30pm recital by William Maddox, organist and music director at Toronto s Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Active as a recitalist, he has been heard in recital in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil, as well as on the CBC. Mr. Maddox will perform Romantic French works and orchestral transcriptions to showcase various colors of Blessed Trinity s Tellers-Kent pipe organ, built in Proceeds of this recital benefit Under This Roof, a sustaining fund created in 2002 for the preservation and restoration of the church edifice, which is an architectural landmark. William Maddox Located at 317 Leroy Avenue in Buffalo, Blessed Trinity is wheelchair accessible with secured off-street parking. Information may be found at or FOR SALE A parishioner from West Seneca has an Estey reed organ for sale. This is free for the taking. The organ has 10 ranks and dates from the early 1900 s. It was previously for sale for $1500. Please contact Dick or Barbara anytime in the afternoon at Opening for Director of Music Blessed Trinity Parish, a diverse and welcoming faith community at home in a Landmark edifice on Leroy Ave. in Buffalo, NY, is still accepting applications from motivated musicians familiar with the Roman Catholic Liturgy to serve part-time as Director of Music. For position requirements and instructions on how to apply, visit

5 CMG February 2017, page 5 "Only if we are aware of our calling, as Reflection by Fr. John Mack individuals and as a community, to be part of God's family as his sons and daughters, will we be able to generate a new vision and muster new energy in the service of a truly integral humanism. The greatest service to development, then, is a Christian humanism that enkindles charity and takes its lead from truth, accepting both as a lasting gift from God. Openness to God makes us open towards our brothers and sisters and towards an understanding of life as a joyful task to be accomplished in a spirit of solidarity." --- Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate #78 We don't often associate this papal teaching with our liturgical ministry including preparation for and presentation of sacred rites through our music-making. I would suggest that these words can serve as both reminder and challenge, that our worship and service are interrelated, within sacred space and sacraments, and through a faithful, gracious response as a baptized body of believers in Christ by way of daily Christian living. Christian humanism and a God-gifted spirit of solidarity are needed more than ever as especially grounded in the Eucharist as our "source and summit." This summer's 40th annual NPM convention in Cincinnati, "Formed as One: Union of Voices, Unity of Hearts," presents an opportunity for us to reflect on our calling, especially as a musical ministerial community, to facilitate "a new vision" and "new energy" in service of a "truly integral humanism" desperately needed in the midst of a chaotic, conflicted world. We cannot escape from the world into our music, or ministry, but must remain true to our calling to "enkindle charity" in truth, received as divine gifts, to be shared daily. This is part of the "joyful task" of Christian life, within the beauty of music, our "sound theology" that extends throughout our relationships of family, among friends, neighbors, and strangers alike. Save the Date for Upcoming Guild Events Friday, March 3 7:30pm-UB Distinguished Alumni Recital: Dr. James Kosnik, organ Slee Concert Hall, UB, admission $15 Sunday, March 19 3:00pm- Michael Serio, piano at Unity Church, Buffalo Sunday, March 26 5:00pm- Children s Choir Festival, Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Williamsville Friday, April 28 7:00pm- Krista Seddon, piano at St. John XXIII Parish, West Seneca Monday, May 8 7:00pm Organ Scholarship Auditions, St. Benedict Church, Eggertsville Thursday, June 1 7:00pm Mass, Awards, and Annual Meeting, St. Philip the Apostle, Cheektowaga

6 CMG February 2017, page 6 New Music Review - Mass of a Joyful Heart (Revised) by Peter Gonciarz As we begin a new calendar year as well as a new liturgical year, I know many of you will be faced with the joyous task of selecting and teaching a new mass setting for your parish. For this month's review, I would like to share some thoughts and observations on Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek's Mass of a Joyful Heart; a favorite of the contemporary ensemble at my parish. Since I arrived at my parish, this setting has been regularly rotated, usually during Ordinary Time at the 10 am mass during which the contemporary ensemble provides musical leadership. Like most of Angrisano and Tomaszek's music, the style of this setting is very mainstream contemporary and "praise and worship-y." I think for those who prefer that style, this setting will come off as very attractive; however, I would strongly urge you to avoid using this one! The issue with this setting is that much of it is simply not sing-able for the average person in the congregation, mostly in the refrain of the Glory to God and the entire Holy. The problem with the Holy is everything. When singing it, there are virtually no places to breathe because of the fast paced flow of the text. To make matters worse, the melody leaps up and down like a roller coaster and many words fall on one fast eighth note. The reality in performance is that you try so hard to accurately enunciate the text, the melody becomes a blur and pitches are sung incorrectly. How does the congregation respond to this acclamation? They just stand there. I will say that the memorial acclamations are far more approachable to the congregation, as is the Lamb of God, which can be very prayerful if performed properly. Moving backwards, the gospel acclamation is simply too long. There were Sundays where the singing of the gospel acclamation was longer than the reading of the Gospel itself. The repetitive quarter-note triplets in the verses of the Glory to God are over-kill and you will hear them in your sleep. I have absolutely no issues with the Lord Have Mercy, quite nice and approachable for anyone in the congregation. At my parish, the Lord Have Mercy is never sung as it's our custom for one of our three deacons to recite it, so unfortunately I have never observed that part of this mass setting function in a liturgy. To wrap this up, there are some well-written parts of this setting, and as to be expected many of the melodies appear in multiple acclamations. I feel the deal breaker is the Holy because it is simply a disaster for anyone, even the music ministers, to sing. It's also important to know that this would not be considered to be a "versatile" setting, and I'm sure it wasn't intended to be. I know that as music ministers, we want to love the mass setting were using since we have to perform it week after week, but we definitely need to be sensitive to the congregation so that they can sing and pray together with us! There are definitely better and more versatile mass settings out there that will allow the congregation to sing as well as fulfill the desire for a "contemporary" sound.