From the Rector: Music News

I am delighted to announce that James Kennerley will be interim organist & music director.  His first Sunday will be August 10.  He will play a recital before the Solemn Mass on Friday, August 15.  He is an outstanding young musician.  I could not be happier for all of us.

James has been serving at Christ Church, Greenwich, Connecticut, as associate director of music and director of the choir of men and boys since September 2006.  He’s British.  He was an organ scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge, and read music there.  After graduation he served under Malcolm Archer at Saint Paul’s Cathedral as organ scholar and then assistant organist before taking the position at Greenwich.  He is a singer as well as an organist.  While serving at Christ Church he has sung in the Greenwich Music Festival.  In Manhattan he sings with Rebel, an early music group, and the Clarion Music Society.

For his interview he brought an especially challenging piece by Julius Reubke and conducted the choir on a Herbert Howells piece that they had not sung before at Saint Mary’s.  He did very well indeed.  As soon as he finished, the two sextons on duty in the church said, “He’s the one.”  They were absolutely right.  I’m already very excited about the gifts and joy James is going to bring to the program this year.

This is making it just a little easier to say good-bye to Robert McCormick, whose last Sunday with us will be July 6, 2008.  There will be a special reception in Robert’s honor on July 6 following the Solemn Mass.  I am thankful Associate Organist Robert McDermitt is not leaving us.  He will be with us on Sundays in July and August to bridge the gap between Robert McCormick and James and to help James get started in this parish.  Again, knowing that Robert McDermitt and James are going to be with us is making it a little easier to say good-bye to Robert McCormick.

I want to thank our consultant, Christine Hoffman, and Ruth Cunningham, James Dennis and Mark Risinger who served on the search committee for the interim director.  Both Ruth and Mark are members of the choir and Jim is well-known to the parish community for so many things and especially for his love and support of music at Saint Mary’s.

Looking ahead, I hope to publish the job description for the permanent organist & music director position in early July, if not before.  As I’ve written, my goal is to have a new music director in place as of July 1, 2009.  Music at Saint Mary’s matters and, may I add, so does your special support for it.  We have inherited an extraordinary space and tradition at Saint Mary’s.  I’m very excited about the next part of the journey.  Stephen Gerth

PRAYER LIST . . . Jack, Gilbert, Gloria, William, Gert, Mary, Terry, Daisy, Doreen, Katherine, Alan, Ovidiu, Bill, Eugene, Marietta, Esther, Mike, Richard, Betty, Janine, Taylor, Connie, Anne, Rick, Charles, Samuel, Philip, priest and Carl, priest; and for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Christopher, Marc, Keith, Dennis, Terrance, Steven, Patrick, Andrew and Brendan . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . June 22: 1958 Rachel Reed Todd, 1967 Edith Kellock Brown; June 24: 1993 William Ray Kirby; June 26: 1985 Kenneth Mealy.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . Your prayers are asked for the repose of the soul of Brannon Hall- García who died on Friday, June 13, 2008.  Brannon had been a member at Saint Mary’s for the last thirty years.  His funeral was here on Tuesday, June 17, 2008.  Your prayers are also asked for his family and friends. 

THE ORDINARY FRIDAYS OF THE YEAR are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the crucifixion of the Lord.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Father Mead will hear confessions on Saturday, June 21.  Father Gerth will hear confessions on Saturday, June 28 . . . Tuesday, June 24, is the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  There will be a Sung Mass at 6:00 PM on Tuesday evening.  The Rector is celebrant and preacher . . . Sunday, June 29, is the Feast of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles. 

AROUND THE PARISH . . . We are thankful Esther Kamm continues to heal from a fall in which she fractured her ankle.  We hope she will be back at Saint Mary’s very soon . . . As we go to press, Philip Dean Parker is being discharged from New York University Langone Medical Center following his surgery there . . . Richard Theilmann also continues to heal at home following surgery . . . And Canon Carl Gerdau is out of the hospital! . . . Many thanks to Mary Robison for doing linens while the Sisters were away . . . Many thanks to José Vidal for doing the flowers on Sunday, June 15 . . . A special word of thanks also to Daniel Craig, Jed Fox, Julie Gillis, Robin Landis, Dick Leitsch and Sharon Singh for their help serving for Brannon Hall-García’s funeral . . . Attendance last Sunday 234.

SAINT MARY’S ON THE ROAD . . . On June 24, a group of Saint Marians will head to Central Park for the NY Philharmonic concert on the Great Lawn.  Admission is free, and we will be picnicking.  The outing will take place after the 6:00 PM Sung Mass for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  The concert program is Shostakovich: Festive Overture; Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Italian; Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Sousa: Selected Marches.  For more information or to make sure there’s room for you on the blanket, contact Grace Treiman.

RECEIVE THE ANGELUS BY E-MAIL  . . . The Angelus is a vital communication tool, keeping us in contact with our local and international members.  We don’t want to lose this opportunity to keep in touch, but postal rates continue to rise.  As of this reading it costs us $82.74 a week to mail the Angelus and approximately $4202.96 for the year.  In 2007 ten people contributed $378.32, and in 2008 two people contributed $71.32.  Please consider receiving the Angelus by e-mail at a cost of just pennies per e-mail.  Contact Sandra at sschubert@stmvnyc.org, or visit our website to subscribe online.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION THIS FALL  . . . “Opening the Good Book”: Reading & Interpreting the Bible (10:00 AM – 10:45 AM, Sundays, October 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2008).  “You’re going to Hell! It says it right here in the Bible!” “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  Why does it seems that every church argument gets “settled” by different groups walking away from each other confidently quoting the Bible in support of one or another side of an issue?  Who gets to interpret the Bible?  This four-session class aims at helping participants feel more confident and comfortable reading, interpreting and discussing the Bible.  We will offer solutions to some commonly asked questions about reading and interpreting the Bible: Who was Saint Paul and what did he actually say?  What ways can we read and understand the Old Testament?  Why do we care about writings that are between two and three thousand years old?  How can I read the Bible without giving into the literalism of the hard-Right or the skepticism of the hard-Left?  Participants are encouraged to ask questions and add to the discussion by offering their own experience of reading, hearing, interpreting, discussing and even being “hit over the head with” the Holy Scriptures . . . Outward & Visible Sign, Inward & Spiritual Grace: The Sacraments of the Church (10:00 AM – 10:45 AM, Sundays, November 2, 9, 16 & 23, 2008).  The life of the Church revolves around the Sacraments.  What are they?  How are they related?  Why do some people talk about seven Sacraments while others speak only of two?  This four-session class will examine the history, theology, practice and importance of the Sacraments in the church today.  Participants are encouraged to ask questions and offer their own experience of the Sacraments and sacramental rites.  What was it like getting married in the church?  How did Baptism change your life?  What does absolution feel like?  What happens at ordination? . . . Through the Smoke: What does it mean to be an Anglo-catholic? (10:00 AM – 10:45 AM, Sundays, December 7, 14 & 21, 2008).  Smells & bells?  High church?  The top of the candle?  Is it all just smoke and mirrors and fancy clothes or is there more to it?  This three-session class will discuss the history and practice of Anglo-Catholicism and its importance in the Church yesterday, today and tomorrow.  We will answer all of the “why do we do that?” questions you might have.  Most importantly we will answer the great big question: “What does it mean to be an Anglo-Catholic today?”  Participants are encouraged to ask questions and add to the discussion by offering their own experience of being part of (or feeling excluded by) Anglo-catholic churches.  Matthew Mead

NOTES ON MUSIC . . . This Sunday at the Solemn Mass, the prelude is Méditation from Première symphonie, Opus 13/1, by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937).  The postlude is Trumpet Tune in D by American composer David N. Johnson (1922-1987).  This charming piece is sometimes heard at weddings, and is perhaps best known as the theme music for the public radio program With Heart and Voice, hosted by Richard Gladwell.  Johnson composed a number of trumpet tunes, voluntaries, and other similar pieces in a rather “pastiche” manner, echoing the style of late seventeenth and early eighteenth century British music.  The cantor is Ms. Ruth Cunningham, soprano, and the music at Communion is her own setting of Ave maris Stella.  Robert McCormick

THE DAILY OFFICE . . . Every morning and evening Saint Mary’s offer’s the Daily Office.  Regularly attending one or both offices is a great way to read and get to know the Scripture.  This week we began reading about Samuel, Saul, David and the rulers of Judah and Israel.  Now is a great time to take up the Office.  Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30 AM, Sunday through Friday.  Evening Prayer is offered at 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays and at 6:00 PM Monday through Friday.

The Calendar of the Week

Sunday                The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Monday                     Weekday

                                    Eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist

Tuesday              The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Wednesday               Weekday

Thursday                  Weekday

Friday                        Weekday                                                                      Friday abstinence

Saturday                   Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, c.202

Eve of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles

Sunday: 8:30 AM Morning Prayer, 9:00 AM Sung Mass, 10:00 AM Said Mass, 11:00 AM Solemn Mass,

5:00 PM Evening Prayer, 5:20 PM Said Mass.

Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM Morning Prayer, 12:00 PM Noonday Office, 12:10 PM Mass,

6:00 PM Evening Prayer, 6:20 PM Mass.  (The 12:10 PM Mass on Wednesday is sung.)

Saturday: 11:30 AM Confessions, 12:00 PM Noonday Office, 12:10 PM Mass,

4:00 PM Confessions, 5:00 PM Evening Prayer, 5:20 PM Sunday Vigil Mass.