Choristers are already singing the praises after two sessions of an initiative spearheaded by Dr. Richard Fitzgerald, the diocesan director of music, to make vocal training available to parish choral members.
The first diocesan-sponsored vocal workshops for parish choir singers were held in October at Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption and Marysville Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Dawn Beckman, a professional singer who is a member of the Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral’s schola and a cantor there, served as the instructor for the musicians, who attended from a variety of parishes.
Earlier this year, Fitzgerald announced plans to bring training programs to the parish level after Bishop Earl Fernandes appointed him diocesan director of music. Fitzgerald also serves in the same position at the cathedral and as the principal organist there.
Bishop Fernandes and Fitzgerald identified a need to guide and unify parish musicians, particularly in sacred music and Gregorian chant, and Fitzgerald chose Beckman to serve as the principal instructor based on her extensive experience as a professional performer and voice teacher.
“Richard felt that I would be able to help in the area of vocal training as far as the fundamentals of singing and the things that oftentimes people don’t have a chance to learn in the choral setting just because there simply isn’t time,” Beckman said.
“So, he wanted me to bring a training program for the vocal elements, but then he also was hoping that I would do some things as far as music literacy. I’m doing some teaching of sight singing and rhythm and learning how to read music.”
The first hour of the training was spent on vocal techniques such as posture, breathing, articulation, resonance, diction, expression and delivery to help singers produce a healthy sound. The second hour explored the fundamentals of reading music.
“The way it was received was overall very positive,” said Sharon Silleck, director of music at the basilica. “People enjoyed her thoughts on how to use your instrument, different exercises for breathing for vocal production, for blending and all the things that choir members do.”
There were 42 participants at the basilica. More than three-fourths of them came from outside the parish. Ages ranged from 12 to 71.
“It was wonderful,” Silleck said. “I sent Dawn a couple of comments people made about how much they appreciated her sharing her expertise and that she’s very good at what she does.”
“People are just very enthusiastic, and we had huge turnouts,” Beckman said. “I saw lots of big smiles, and that’s really fantastic. I’m continuing to get emails asking when’s the next training session.
“And I’ve had at least three music directors asking me to come to their church to provide a workshop. So, there’s an incredible amount of desire. It’s neat to bring people from so many different parishes together and see how they’re responding with the energy around music programs. Music is really a bonding experience.”
Considering most choir members are volunteers, experience levels range from beginners to more advanced. Just because someone likes to sing in the choir doesn’t necessarily mean a person can read music.
“I had people come up to me before the last session and say, ‘I don’t know how to read music, and I don’t know how to count,’” Beckman said. “He’s an absolute beginner. And then in the same session there’s a music director. A lot of times a beginner can learn from someone who’s more advanced. It’s great that they’re trying.”
Parish music programs also vary drastically depending on the size of the congregation and the types of repertoire incorporated into the Mass and liturgical events. The cathedral, Columbus St. Patrick Church, Columbus Holy Family Church and Columbus St. Leo the Great Oratory feature traditional sacred music and Gregorian chant. Other parishes blend sacred music with praise and worship, and some use contemporary hymns for Masses.
Beckman admitted that she didn’t know what to expect in the first training sessions but was pleasantly surprised at the receptivity to her guidance.
“Sometimes choir people can be very resistant, like, ‘This is too hard, and I can’t do it,’” she said. “But they already had some skills because maybe with the Catholic liturgy you do so much singing that it’s in their memory bank somewhere.”
Fitzgerald has accompanied Beckman to the sessions to get to know parish musicians. One of his primary goals is “teaching new repertoire like chant and providing more opportunities for music directors and church musicians to learn other music,” Beckman said.
“At the cathedral, we have a very high standard of music and a lot of professional singers, so this program is just getting more exposure to volunteer church musicians that haven’t had that kind of training.”
In conjunction with those efforts to bring liturgical music unity to the diocese, the second annual Gold Mass for musicians was celebrated on Friday, Nov. 17 at the cathedral with directors and musicians participating from diocesan parishes. Bishop Fernandes was the presider at the Gold Mass.
“The cathedral is the home church of the diocese, and I think it’s really establishing us as a driving force in the music department,” Beckman said. “And it’s nice to have a point person” with Fitzgerald.
“I’m glad people are coming up to me saying, ‘When can I come to your training? Or can you teach me more about this? Or can you give me a resource for that?’
“For me, being a professional singer, it’s really sharing what I know and providing an organized manner to do it. And I think it’s a really wonderful idea that Dr. Fitzgerald has.”
The next group session is tentatively scheduled for January at the cathedral. Fitzgerald and Beckman also hope the diocese can eventually offer instruction for cantors who solo at parishes.
“I’d like to see if we could do one group training a month now that we know there’s so much interest,” Beckman said. “We’ll have to see if we have the time and budget to do that.”