Thanks to the generous documentation of Manami Mizumoto, the weekly cantatas I’ve been writing for St. Mary’s church on Grand St. are all available for viewing. Even though the recording quality is just that of an iphone, the gift of being able to review this material is incalculable. I have removed the readings and other non-cantata parts of the service, and labelled the movements as they occur. All other information (rosters, texts, liturgical readings which the cantatas frame) can be found in the document in this folder.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ffjt4GtUtRFpJGwHt8-rrUDW10rz1DZi?usp=sharing
It is very lucky to have an opportunity, during the pandemic, to make music in a safe way. St. Mary’s is an enormous church, and the choir loft is itself enormous. The congregation, far below us, is masked and distanced, as we are also in the loft. More to the point, we regular musicians consider ourselves a “pod”, and each week’s guest is distanced as much as can be allowed.
This project has changed my life, and I vacillate between extreme gratitude for the opportunity to compose and “perform” every week, and distinct disquiet, or even embarrassment, that I am perhaps imposing my creative voice on a population, or just taking too seriously an opportunity to offer music to a worshipping community. But I guess I am who I am, and while I can try to improve myself I can’t escape myself. Please be indulgent with both the compositions and the performances.
And thank you to Fr. Andrew O’Connor, who issued the invitation and makes everything possible. He is the lynchpin of this musical monastery we have founded.
All my love, Doug
