On Friday, August 9, 2019, the Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul, in Lewiston, ME, will host the first Annual Maine Sacred Music Conference. Join Catholic musicians, religious, and lay people dedicated to the revival of the centuries-old commitment to beauty and reverence in Catholic liturgy as they explore the liturgical forms and practices that have long formed the foundation of Catholic worship.
The keynote speaker for the day will be Dr. Jennifer Donelson, director of the Schola Cantorum of St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in New York, and the Metropolitan Catholic Chorale. Ms. Donelson is an associate professor and the director of sacred music at St. Joseph’s Seminary, where she also teaches sacred music courses in the St. Cecilia Academy for Pastoral Musicians. She is the President of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, serves on the board of the Church Music Association of America, and is the managing editor of the CMAA’s journal Sacred Music. She has published extensively on Gregorian chant, the sacred liturgy, and the music of Olivier Messiaen and Charles Tournemire, and has served as the organizer for numerous conferences on these and related topics, including the 2015 Sacra Liturgia conference in New York.
Morning lecture topics will include an introduction to the Catholic liturgical tradition and the spirituality of Gregorian Chant, while afternoon workshops will be dedicated to the practical, teaching and learning Gregorian chant and introducing it to parishes. The day will end with a traditional Latin Mass celebrated in the Basilica’s Upper Church.
For more information about registration and schedule, contact Scott Vaillancourt at scott.vaillancourt@portlanddiocese.org
