Monks backing Collegium

Two weeks ago, Collegium sang at the St. Louis Abbey in Creve Coeur, Missouri.  This was my first real-life experience with Monks.

The rest of my group caravaned from Kansas City, but I went with Kevin and Jake so I showed up at the Monastery by myself.  I walked into the cathedral– only to find a herd of monks singing.  I backpedaled out the door, found another door, and accidentally walked into the same hall– only this time even closer to them. 

Not exactly how I’d pictured them– wearing the brown robes with the little rope tied about the waist; instead, this order wears long black robes. 

And they weren’t having choir practice; they were observing part of an office of daily Mass.  It’s Lent– which is the most somber season of the church year, and they were singing chant in Latin that I didn’t recognize.

In my life, I have sung countless Requiems, Masses, Te Deums, Magnificats, and the like.  The smaller portions of daily matins are songs I’m completely unfamiliar with.  While I knew I needed to find my fellow singers– I found it was hard to tear myself away from the beautiful strains coming from the men kneeling in the next room.

The attendance at the concert was somewhat small, but a large portion of our listeners were the monks. 

Some were still in robes, some were wearing black from head to toe, and all of them crowded into the last row. 

When we were done singing, one of my colleagues told me that this monastery is paying our way to Picolo Spoleto this summer.

I think it’s sad that neither cathedral in Kansas City has embraced our group.  We sing early music (which is all sacred) and we are all volunteers.  (Granted, we’re professional musicians by trade.) None of us is paid to be in the group, but we sing together because sharing our voices with one another makes music fit for angels. 

It costs a couple thousand dollars to rent either cathedral here in town for a concert, and we simply do not have the budget for that.  Thankfully, Visiation Catholic Church (built in the old Mission style) is giving us a deep discount, and we’ll be singing there in a couple of weeks.

If you are in town, come hear us.

April 3, 2008

7:30

Visitation Catholic Church (5141 Main, KC MO)

We’re singing Tallis, Victoria, Gombert, Gorecki, Verdi, and a piece by James Eakin.

I want to send a big THANK YOU to the Brothers at the St. Louis Abbey and everyone at St. Anselm that helped make our performance there possible.