Concert masses often end with the movement “Agnus Dei” (“Lamb of God”), however, I have been looking over the Latin words for the “Benedictus” and they seem to offer some opportunities for a strong, joyous rhythmic punch for the end. I will start playing around with this text within a Caribbean rhythmic environment.

I mentioned in an earlier posting that this project has opened up some new connections between the members of the choir and members of the Haitian community in Quebec. I just experienced the same thing here in New York. Last year, I met some wonderful musicians on my trip to Haiti and I learned much…

The “Kyrie” is often the first movement in a concert mass. Unlike the rest of the mass written in Latin, this text is Greek. Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison (“Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy”). Greek was the lingua franca of the Mediterranean at the time Jesus was born. Furthermore, the…

Louise and I traveled to Tiphaine Legrand’s house in Montreal today to meet with her and Ralph Telemacque. Tiphaine is the conductor of the Choeur classique de l’Outaouais. Her husband is also a composer and teaches at the University of Montreal. Ralph serves as a Tiphaine’s accompanist. He is also is a top-notch jazz pianist…

A light kiss on the right cheek, and then the left. This is how my friends in France and Italy greet me. But haven’t crossed the ocean, just the border. While most of the border, from Vancouver to Ottawa, defines English-speaking Canada, we in New York State also share a border with French-speaking Canada. Even…