It's been nearly ten years since I performed for this feast day, back when I played guitar in Coro Ángel based in Cape Charles on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Back then, we went on two separate years to play at St. Gregory the Great in Virginia Beach. We'd process from the gym of the school down a long hallway as we played instruments including a requinta (a smaller guitar tuned at a fifth above), and a six-string acoustic bass with a gourd-like body. People in festive outfits would clap and sing as we made our way into the vestibule, then the sanctuary.
The evening Mass was followed by a reception of about 500 people back in the gymnasium, replete with the chocolaty-spicy mole sauce, among other special tastes from Mexico.
This year was my first occasion to celebrate the feast day as an organist, and largely in English, though I did sing the bilingual hymn "Pan de Vida." I also composed the setting for the responsorial Psalm - in this case a short reading from Judith - as there is little in the way of published music for the English-language verses. Quite proud to have played my part.
The evening Mass was followed by a reception of about 500 people back in the gymnasium, replete with the chocolaty-spicy mole sauce, among other special tastes from Mexico.
This year was my first occasion to celebrate the feast day as an organist, and largely in English, though I did sing the bilingual hymn "Pan de Vida." I also composed the setting for the responsorial Psalm - in this case a short reading from Judith - as there is little in the way of published music for the English-language verses. Quite proud to have played my part.
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