Video: Rise Agan

A wonderful song by a wonderful Christian artist, Dallas Holm.
Such a simple text, yet very moving when coupled with the music.
We have an outstanding soloist in Mr. Larry Rickman,
who will grace us with his version of this sacred song at the Choir Festival.

You don’t want to miss it.
Saturday, Oct. 27th.  
The event starts at noon and will last about 2 1/2 hours, followed by a coffee social.

The Choir Festival will take place at St. Andre Bessette Parish Center
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).
4250 W. Jefferson,     Ecorse, MI  48192

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted  to help defray the cost of hosting this event. 

Why St. Andre Bessette for a Choir Festival?

Several people 

have asked

why would I choose

St. Andre Bessette

(formally, St. Francis Xavier)

as the place

to hold this Choir Festival.

The reasons are many!

First and foremost,

I grew up there.

I made my First Communion there.

All three of my sons were baptized there.

My father’s funeral,

my grandmother’s funeral,

and my Uncle Roy’s funeral

were all  held there.

The church building

and the parish community

hold many dear memories for me.

Also,

it was the first parish

where I served as musician and choir director.

But even more. . .

... did you read that blog post I wrote

about the song “The Lord Is Risen?”

The first song I ever accompanied at a mass

was when I was in the sixth grade

and in the children’s choir. ..

. . .at St. Francis Xavier,

which, now, through the clustering process,

is the new parish St. Andre Bessette.

What better place to celebrate 30 years in music ministry

than the place where my ministry began?

But I have always loved the Parish Center building.

In all honesty,

it’s one of the very best church social halls

I have ever seen.

It’s large and very open.

Plus,

it also has small rooms

where choirs/ musicians

can tune up and warm-up

before they perform,

without disturbing the goings on

in the main hall.

The kitchen is large and wonderful.

And the parking lot

is huge and open,

with another small lot located in front.

Plus,

St. Andre Bessette is very easy to find.

It’s located on Outer Drive

at W. Jefferson,

right where Outer Driver ends.

Anyhow,

I really do love St. Andre Bessette

and I’m certain

you’ll have a great time at the Choir Festival!

Bring your maracas and your tambourine

and do plan on joining in

on the music making!!!!!

And remember,

children are welcome!

The children’s choir I currently direct

will be among those performing for this event,

so let the children come!

And if you have that tambourine,

do bring it with you
and let a child enjoy the music ministry!

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon and will last about 2 1/2 hours,
followed by a coffee social.

The Choir Festival will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).
4250 W. Jefferson
Ecorse, MI  48192

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted
 to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Video - Angeles de Dios

One of the groups participating in the Choir Festival
will be performing this song.
I have always loved this song.
It speaks of God's Angels. . .
being near and all around.. ..

.. .there are angels flying all over this place
amidst the people and near the altar
soaring up and down in every direction. ..
I don't know if the church was raised up
or heaven came down.
I only know that this place is filled with angels
and the Lord our God is here. . . .

I found this video on youtube.
But you won't want to miss The Youth Guitar Ensemble leading in song.
Young people praising God in Song.
How can the angels, and God Himself, not be with us???

Please Join us in song and be a part of this choir festival.
Saturday, Oct. 27th.  
The event starts at noon and will last about 2 1/2 hours, followed by a coffee social.

The Choir Festival will take place at St. Andre Bessette Parish Center
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).
4250 W. Jefferson,     Ecorse, MI  48192

There will be no charge for this event but a freewill offering

will be accepted  to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Photo - Wilson!!!

Here he is!
The one and only, Wilson!
Most of the children's choirs
that I have directed over the years
are pretty familiar with this little guy!

Wilson shows the kids
how to open your mouth when you sing.
Generally,
we have a two-finger rule:
if you can't put two fingers in your mouth
it isn't open wide enough.
Wilson helps to demonstrate that.

Wilson has been taking a break lately,
but promises to be there
for the choir festival.
In fact,
Wilson claims
that he will be bringing several family
and friends to the event!!!

You won't want to miss it!
Some of Wilson's people
might just get to go home
with some of the children
in attendance at the choir festival!!!

Yeah,
it's a choir festival
to celebrate my 30 years in the music ministry.
But it's also an event
for everyone to come together,
to make music together,
to sing and give thanks and praise together.

80% of people in who sing in choirs as adults
sang in a choir as a child.
And with this event
I also hope to encourage the children
to make a joyful noise. . . 
. . .even if it means
that I gotta get crafty with a few tennis balls. . . .

So, 
do come on down
and do, please,
do bring the children.

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon
and will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).
4250 W. Jefferson
Ecorse, MI  48192

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted
to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Photo - Mexico City 2002 #3

And yet another photo taken in Mexico City
with El Cántico de la Mujer Latina.

I guess the reason I'm posting so many Mexico City pics
is because I'll be traveling to Mexico in a couple of weeks
and will be visiting this place in particular.
This photo was taken on the grounds 
of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

This particular photo
was taken in front of the old basilica.
The newer one,
in my previous blog post,
was built in the 1970's.

I visit the Basilica of Our Lady
nearly ever year 
and this year's visit
will include prayers for my dear friend, Janie.
She is the 2nd from the right in black dress.
Janie entered eternal life earlier this year.
The Choir Festival in October
will also remember Janie,
and all choir members
who have gone on to heaven,
in a special way.
If you know a choir member who has died
you may wish to add their name
to our "In Memory" tab.
 
Anyhow,
the group in this photo,
El Cántico de la Mujer Latina,
will be among those performing
at the Choir Festival.

Do join us
for an afternoon of music,
praise, fun and fellowship!!!

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon
and will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).
4250 W. Jefferson
Ecorse, MI  48192

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted
to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Photo - Mexico City 2002 #2

Here's another photo of
the women's choir,
El Cántico de la Mujer Latina.

This photo was taken
just outside of the Basilica
of Our Lady of Guadalupe
in Mexico City.
We sang for the mass there that day,
August 14, 2002.
This photo was taken
by a Basilica Photographer.

This women's choir
will be among many
that will be performing
at the Choir Festival.

Do join us
for an afternoon of music,
praise, fun and fellowship!!!

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon
and will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).
4250 W. Jefferson
Ecorse, MI  48192

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted
to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Video - Si Se Puede

Here we have another video
of the St. Gabriel's Children Choir.
This video was taken at their concern of 2010,
I believe,
by a child who is a friend of one of the kids in the choir!
(that's why a little  shaky!)
Here they sing 
a song dedicated to the memory of Cesar Chavez. 
The text to this song can be found here.

"¡Si se puede! You Can Do It!" was composed by Jim Rule. 
 Mr. Jim Rule is an avid composer of children's music. 
You can find his CDs and sheet music at http://JimRule.com  
You can find the "Si Se Puede" song on his "Let It Shine" collection. 

The Children's Choir
will be peforming
at the Choir Festival.

Hope to see you there:

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon
and will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier). 

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted
to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Video - El Fuego Cae

In this video we have
the Children's Choir from St. Gabriel Parish in Detroit
singing, "El Fuego Cae, Cae,"
a song to the Holy Spirit.

This video was taken
at their concert in 2010.

This choir has changed somewhat over the years,
but has remained strong.
The St. Gabriel Children's Choir
is one of many groups
that will be performing at the Choir Festival.

Hope to see you there:

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon
and will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier). 

There will be no charge for this event
but a freewill offering will be accepted
to help defray the cost of hosting this event.

Photo - Zapopan Mass 2010

Here we are. . .
. . .friends making music together. . .
Friends from Ste. Anne de Detroit. . . Friends from St. Gabriel. . . friends from Cantico de la Mujer Latina.


. . .all making music together for a special mass with the visiting pilgrim statue of the Virgin of Zapopan.

I remember this as an extra special event. We all sang and made music together at Detroit's Historic Ste. Anne, where yours truly once served as music director.

Do join the folks in the photo above
as well as many others
at the Choir Fest in October.
. . .and bring your maracas and tambourines!!!

Hope to see you there:

Saturday, Oct. 27th.

The event starts at noon
and will take place
at St. Andre Bessette Parish
(formally, St. Francis Xavier).

The Lord Is Risen To Life

“The Lord is Risen to Life.
The Lord is Risen to life. . .”

I’ve been singing this song a lot
these past few days.
It’s an older song
and I don’t even remember who wrote it.
I couldn’t even remember all of the verses,
so I looked it up on youtube
hoping I would find it.
And sure enough, I did!

But this song is just on my mind. . . .

Anyone who knows me well
knows that I often cite a statistic.
I remember the statistic very well,
though I can’t remember
who said it
or where it came from,
who did the study to get said info.

Once upon a time,
a very long time ago,
I was a pastoral musician newbie.
My pastor at the time
sent me to an NPM conference
(National Association of Pastoral Musicians).
One of the speakers at that event
gave the following statistic:
“Eighty percent of people
who sing in choirs as adults
sang in a choir as a child.”

I was floored.
That lone little statement
was probably the only real, tangible thing
I took home from that conference
and I can’t even remember who said it.
Since then,
I have tried to make working with children
a top priority.

But
what does this have to do with
the song “The Lord Is Risen to Life???”

I am living proof of that statistic.
I sang in the choir,
the children’s choir more specifically,
at St. Francis Xavier Parish.
When I was in the sixth grade,
the music director at the time
even let me play the organ.
What song did I play?
“The Lord is Risen to life.
The Lord is Risen to life.
The Lord has conquered sin and death. .. .”

And so,
I'm organizing a choir festival
to celebrate my 30 years in the music ministry.
But the fact of the matter is,
the seed was planted many years before that,
many years before I officially became
a pastoral musician, choir director,
parish music director.

And,
if I am perfectly honest with myself,
the seed was planted
long before that sixth grader
sat behind the organ.
You see,
in order to be able to sit behind that organ
numerous music lessons had to take place.
Yeah,
we never know when
that little seed is being planted.

“Eighty percent of people
who sing in choirs as adults
sang in a choir as a child.”

.. .and one of those children
might just end up
as your parish music director!


I don't know the people in this video.
I just looked it up on youtube.
But, nonetheless,
this is the actual song
a sixth grader got to play on the church organ
a very long time ago!!!

Photo - St. Francis Xavier Children's Choir

An old photo I found in my piles and piles of stuff.
I don't know what year this was.
If anyone knows or remembers,
please comment below and let me know.

These children are all grown up now.
A few of them are my facebook friends!
One is now a professional singer.
Two of these children are my own sons.

. . .and take a good close look.
The child in front wearing white shirt and tie
was not a member of the children's choir.
I remember this clearly.
He saw all of the children lining up getting ready to sing
and just joined the crowd.
Notice the children all have green folders.
He is holding a coloring book,
and it's upside down!!!

Are you in this photo?
What do you remember about this event?
Why not come on down
and share your memories of the music making?!?!?

Do come join us 
as we celebrate 30 years in the music ministry!
Saturday, Oct. 27th 
starting at noon.
The place?
St. Andre Bessette (formally, St. Francis Xavier)
in the city of Ecorse. 

FYI,
the choirs and music makers for this event
will be performing
from the exact same place
in the exact same building
as in this photo!!
. . .sharing old memories
while making new ones!!!

Hope to see you there!!!

Photo - Advent by Candlelight 1994

 
This photo was taken at St. Francis Xavier
and the writing on the back states:
"Advent by Candlelight 1994."

Two of the people in this photo have gone home to The Lord.

One of the people in this photo is now a professional singer
with Orquesta La Inspiracion.

One of the people in this photo, I hear tell,
is going to be a soloist at the Choir Fest,
which is being held on
Saturday, Oct. 27th at noon
at St. Andre Bessette Parish in Ecorse.

Hope to see you all there!!

Are you in this photo?
What do you remember about this event?
Do you attend every year?
What do you remember
about performing for Advent by Candlelight?
Do come and join us
and share your memories
while creating new ones!!

. . . oh, I'm the photo, too!!! 
. . there I am, 2nd from the left,
green sweater and black jacket and skirt. ..

. . and you know,
I still use the zarape over the shoulder thingy. . .
. . the children's choir I currently direct uses them. . .
. . old habits die hard!!!

. . .see on Oct 27th!!!