Seven Days of Musical Heaven

Registration is closed for this event.

You are invited to sing with and experience the Sacred Music Colloquium, the largest and most in-depth teaching conference and retreat on sacred music in the world.

Gregorian Chant has been called the most beautiful music this side of Heaven. But as Pope Benedict XVI and the Second Vatican Council have emphasized, it is also integral to Catholic liturgical life and should be heard and experienced with wide participation in every parish. The Church Music Association of America is working to bring about this ideal with its Sacred Music Colloquium.

The primary focus of the Colloquium is instruction and experience in chant and the Catholic sacred music tradition, participation in chant and polyphonic choirs, nightly lectures and performances and daily celebrations of liturgies in both English and Latin. You are there not merely as an attendee but as a singer in some of the greatest choirs you will ever experience, singing music that will touch your heart and thrill your artistic imagination — music that is integral to the Catholic faith.

Attendance is open to anyone interested in improving the quality of music in Catholic worship. Professional musicians will appreciate the rigor, while enthusiastic volunteer singers and beginners new to the chant tradition will enjoy the opportunity to study under an expert faculty.

SACRED, BEAUTIFUL, & UNIVERSAL: Colloquium XIX from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

SOME COLLOQUIUM HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Extensive training in Gregorian chant and the sacred choral tradition under a world-class faculty;
  • Choices of a chant class for beginners, and intermediate and and advanced chant classes;
  • Choral experience with one of four large choirs singing sacred music of the masters such as Palestrina, Isaac, Bruckner, Victoria, Byrd, Schubert, Tallis, Josquin, and many others;
  • Daily liturgy with careful attention to officially prescribed musical settings;
  • Experience in singing at liturgy as a choir member assigned particular Mass settings, motets, chants, and responses;
  • Residency in dormitories or optional hotels;
  • Catered breakfasts, lunches, dinners and receptions;
  • Training in vocal production and technique;
  • Conducting practicum;
  • Training for Priests in the sung Mass;
  • Pedagogy demonstrations;
  • Composers’ Forum;
  • Seminars on parish music management, integrating sung parts of the liturgy, polyphonic repertoire for beginning and more established choirs;
  • All music, including prepared packets of chant and polyphony, as part of registration.

LOCATION

Duquesne University, the world’s only Spiritan university, is one of America’s leading Catholic universities, with a worldwide reputation of excellence in liberal and music education. Duquesne was founded on Oct. 1, 1878, by the Rev. Joseph Strub and the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (the Spiritans). Its beautiful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, campus is centrally located on the river with easy access from the airport, along with a large number of practice rooms and ballrooms for the Colloquium, and right next door to the Church of the Epiphany, where all Colloquium Masses will be celebrated.

THE CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY

Built in 1902 as the temporary cathedral, with a cornerstone blessed by the Bishop Phelan, the Church of the Epiphany has played a central role in this city’s history. The parish, which has marvelous acoustics (probably the best in the whole of the diocese) and stunning beauty throughout, has graciously opened its doors to the Church Music Association of America for its liturgical schedule. The building is a red brick Romanesque structure with Byzantine details. Edward Stolz was the architect. Taber Sears painted the images of Christ and the apostles in the sanctuary. George Sotter designed and installed the remarkable stained glass between 1902 and 1919. The marble canopy over the main altar, ordered an cut in Pietrasanta, Italy, contains the extraordinary Venetian mosaic tympanum of the Visit of the Magi, and on the upper arch the enameled mosaic of the Lamb of God. The outside statuary, larger then life, came from the original cathedral. The organ was original built by Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1903, and was restored in 2007.

GRADUATE CREDIT

The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University will be extending the option of two hours of graduate credit to interested Colloquium participants. Dr. Ann Labounsky, chair of Sacred Music at Duquesne University and internationally known organist, will be your faculty adviser. Registration and payment information for graduate credit is provided by Duquesne Universtiy and payable to Duquesne University. Click here for more detailed information and necessary registration forms.  Also, please see Sacred Music Colloquium XX_syllabus and credit requirements

Note that registering for graduate credit at Duquesne is supplemental to registering for the program with the CMAA through the registration process outlined below. Any questions concerning Duquesne’s policies should be directed to Mr. Chris Bromley at 1.800.934.0159 or <http://www.privatedaddy.com?q=YQ41K14VdCRZFX4-2FdyFXf3QOLVAyaDU-3D_50>

A FEW COMMENTS FROM HUNDREDS:

See the sound files from 2007-2009.

  • “I still can’t get over the unforgettable experience of attending the Colloquium. It was a real eye-opener and has enriched me musically, spiritually and intellectually. The instructors were excellent! The food and entertainment were great! The Masses were heavenly! I am already looking forward to the next one and hope I could bring along more people to help in restoring the Church’s musical and liturgical treasures.” Edwin Fernandez
  • “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful work you all put into the Colloquium. This was my second year attending and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The information was great, the conducting was amazing and the organization was fabulous. I had tears in my eyes several times during the Masses… I attended the colloquium last year as a volunteer musician at our parish and this year I attended as music director for our parish. I was hired three months ago and since then we have completely revamped our 11:30 Mass. Our pastor and I did a ton of education through bulletin inserts and preaching. I immediately formed a schola….”
  • “It was a wonderful experience for me, truly six days of heaven, and I will never forget it. I particularly enjoyed the conducting class, and the polyphony rehearsals, the lectures and organ performances and improvisations, all the Masses, of course. In short, everything that I attended. I know that this success did not come without a tremendous amount of work on everyone’s part…” Dove Pierce
  • “The CMAA Colloquium has now indisputably claimed a place among prestigious and well-run music conferences. You will certainly want to attend next year’s event – this was my first time, and the experience was overwhelmingly positive!” Gary Penkala, Cantica Nova Publications

SCHOLARSHIPS:

The CMAA is an all volunteer organization, and completely dependent on donations for scholarships. If you are interested in sponsoring a musician, priest, or seminarian’s attendance, please write to us at <http://www.privatedaddy.com?q=Ygk3IUkGdCJqEWgMejdHInAJKjNHCGUwUDJoNQ-3D-3D_50>. If you are registering yourself and would like to give a little extra toward scholarships, you can add that amount to your own fees, and indicate as much on the online or mail in registration form. No amount is to small. All donations are applied directly to scholarships.

REGISTRATION FEES:

UPDATE: MAY 28, 2010. REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT

  • Tuition: $325 (Includes $75 nonrefundable deposit, all sessions, materials, receptions, and Monday through Friday dinner/lectures)
  • Housing on campus in single room (bath shared with one other single room): $290
  • Housing on campus in double room (bath shared with one other double room): $250
  • Full meal plan (includes all catered meals and receptions in Duquesne’s lovely Power Center Ballroom and Shepperson Suite: $145

HOTEL OPTION

Special arrangements have been made at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, located just across the street from the Duquesne campus and the Church of the Epiphany. Click on the hotel link to make your reservation at the special conference rate of $109 plus tax per night, single or double room. A limited number of rooms have been reserved for our group.

NEW MUSIC READING SESSION

The Colloquium will feature a new music reading session on Saturday, June 26. If you have a piece of music you would like to submit for possible performance by the group at large at the session, please send it to <http://www.privatedaddy.com?q=fB4vK04UcDJqEWgMejdHInAJKjNHCGUwUDJoNQ-3D-3D_50> in PDF format (limited to 15 pages) by June 4 2010. Your submission will be published in the New Music Session 2010 packet. You must be a registered participant of the Colloquium in order to make a submission. There is a $20 submission fee, paid through paypal or by check to our programs office (address in the footer of this page).

MAP AND TRANSPORTATION TO DUQUESNE

Duquesne’s campus is found in the center of downtown Pittsburgh. For a map and directions to campus, click here. A cab ride from the airport costs around $37, one way.

Public transportation is available from the Pittsburgh International airport. The Airport Flyer (route number 28X) runs every 20 minutes between the Airport and various sites including Duquesne University, and the cost is $2.75. Click here for updated schedule and price information.

The Airport Super Shuttle runs from the airport to the Pittsburgh Marriott and other downtown hotels and back. The number to call for reservations from the airport is 1-800-BLUE-VAN and the cost is $19 each way.

PARKING AT DUQUESNE

Parking will be in the Forbes Avenue garage. You may pull in from Forbes Avenue and park when you arrive. No need for payment when you pull in; payment is always collected upon exiting the garage. Your parking pass, however, must be purchased at the Parking and Traffic Management office located next to the Locust Street Garage. Here’s a map. This little office is on Locust Avenue, and easily seen directly across from the Student Union and College Hall. You can purchase your pass any time before you move your car out of the Forbes Avenue garage. We recommend you purchase it on the first afternoon on campus. The office is open from 8:30am-4:30pm. (So if you have purchased your pass, all you will have to do is show it upon exiting the garage any time during the week. You will be able to come and go as you like. BUT if you exit Forbes Avenue garage before you have purchased your pass, you will have to pay for the time you were in the garage.)

CHECK-IN FOR THE DORMS

Check-in for those staying in the dorms will be in Vickroy Hall between 2:00-5:00pm on Monday, June 21st.  If you are arriving later in the evening, checking in should be no problem.  The desk is manned 24 hours a day.  We suggest all Colloquium attendees staying on campus park in the Forbe Street parking garage (see above), proceed to dorm check-in, deposit your luggage in your room, and then proceed to general check-in in the Power Center.

GENERAL CHECK-IN

All Colloquium attendees (those living on campus on those staying elsewhere) will need to check in with the CMAA.  General check-in will be in the Power Center Shepperson Suite between 2:00-5:00pm on Monday, June 21st.  Here you will receive all materials, including your name badge, map of campus, music packet, and other goodies.   You may also begin browsing the book sale and meet other participants.  If you arrive early enough in the afternoon, we suggest walking around campus a bit in order to become familiar with all locations.

DORMS AND CAMPUS AMENITIES

All dorm residents will be staying in Vickroy Hall. The dorms are secure (No one can get in without swiping a key) and the front desk is manned 24/7.

As for your dorm room, Duquesne will provide you with linens (blanket, flat and fitted sheets, pillow case and pillow; two towels and two washcloths). There are no clothes hangers in dorm room closets, nor are there irons. Please bring your own, and anything else you might need to make your stay comfortable. Paper towels and bathroom tissue are provided in the restrooms. There are laundry facilities on each floor at no charge to guests. Laundry detergent is not provided.

Vickroy Hall features a fitness room on the 5th floor (two steppers, two treadmills, and two stationary bicycles). There is a small student lounge on each floor, and a multi-purpose lounge on the first floor. Attendees over the age of 21 are permitted to bring spirits into Vickroy Hall. No one under the age of 21 is allowed to bring in or consume alcohol in Vickroy or while at the Colloquium.

Computer access: There is no wireless access, nor wired access in the rooms. Computers with internet access will be available for conference attendees in the first floor lounge of Vickroy Hall. Wireless internet access is available in the Student Union building, and in both Starbucks located on campus. For information on how to connect to Duquesne’s wireless from these public spaces, click here. The group’s username is cma, and the password is music.

A note about Duquesne’s campus:  Distances are not great, but the campus is hilly. A pair of comfortable shoes will do the job for most of the week. You will have time after lunch to change into something more appropriate for Mass if you wish. For those who feel they may need assistance with mobility, however, motorized scooters are available through Wheelchair Exchange in Pittsburgh @ $165 per week. Call them around June 1 to reserve. 412-241-5121

Weather in Pittsburgh:  Average temperatures in June range from a low of 57 to a high of 79 degrees.  June can be a rainy month, so a rain poncho or umbrella is certainly in order.

Attire:  Comfortable/casual attire for classes and rehearsals is fine.  Consider modesty, but know that there is no need to be dressed to the nines at all times.   The days are long and you need to be comfortable.  Do, however, bring along appropriate attire for Masses and other liturgies.

Confessions: Confessions will be heard in the Church of the Epiphany on Tuesday – Friday from 11:15-11:45am, and on Saturday from 5:15-5:45pm

SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR PRIESTS

Information for priests and seminarians attending can be found here: 2010 Clergy Instructions

WHEN IN PITTSBURGH

Although the Colloquium will keep you busy from morning to night, you may be interested in looking into a few offerings in the Pittsburgh area.

The Organ Historical Society will be hosting its 2010 Convention in Pittsburgh the same week as the Colloquium. Special arrangements have been made between the OHS and the CMAA. All Colloquium participants wearing their CMAA name badges will be permitted to attend OHS Convention recitals at no additional charge. Donations at the door are encouraged. RecitalSchedule

The Gumberg Library at Duquesne University houses the choral library of Boys Town in its Sacred Music Collection on the first floor. Library hours posted here. Choir copies from Boys Town are housed in the choral room in the Mary Pappert School of Music.

LOCAL BUSINESS INFORMATION: Hospital, Drugstores, and more. Directions to Local Businesses

LOCAL RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Local Restaurants

FEES DEADLINE

The deadline for all tuition and fees due is May 15, 2010. Late registrations: add $15; subject to availability

You can also mail this registration form that includes your check or credit card number to: CMAA Colloquium Registration, 166 North Gay Street, Suite 21, Auburn, AL, 36830.

Please write us or call us at 334.444.5584 if you have further questions.

For those who feel they may need extra assistance, motorized scooters are available through Wheelchair Exchange in Pittsburgh @ $165 per week. Call them around June 1 to reserve. 412-241-5121
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