VESPERS IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL

Friday 8 November 2019 
Vatican City, Rome

                        

The academic presentations continued on Friday but this evening a very special event was scheduled: Vespers sung by the Sistine Choir in the Sistine Chapel. Let that sink in for a minute. We were in the sacred space where the College of Cardinals gather in conclave to elect a new Pope; the same sacred space whose walls and ceilings were ornately painted by Michelangelo with the iconic images of the Creation, the Life of Christ, and the Last Judgment. This very chapel is one of the great artistic masterpieces in the history of civilization. And we delegates of the Third International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Culture would celebrate Solemn Vespers here! 

Anyone who has been to Rome knows that photography is not allowed in the Sistine Chapel. In fact, when I last visited in 2013, a young man was brusquely removed by the Vatican guards when he dared to defy the No Photos ban. Yet tonight, here we were, happily snapping away on our smartphone cameras as we took our seats. How did we rate this rare privilege? We were certainly grateful. 

Before I go on, please allow me a quick explanation for casual readers of my blog. Vespers is Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, the Catholic Church’s official daily prayer that is celebrated by priests and sisters, religious communities and seminaries, and lay people who desire to pray with the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours utilizes a different format than the Mass. In fact, the Eucharist isn’t even involved with the Hours, which designates prayer at certain times of the day: Morning (Lauds), Daytime Prayer, Evening (Vespers), and Night (Compline). There is also an Office of Readings (formerly Matins) that can be prayed at any hour of the day and focuses on readings from the Bible and the writings of the ancient Church Fathers. The idea of the Liturgy of the Hours is to make each day holy. Those who pray the Hours are obliged to pray for the Church, which means that at every hour of the day, someone in the world is praying for YOU. 

The Psalms are the primary prayer of each hour. For Vespers, we pray two psalms and a hymn or canticle from the New Testament, followed by a brief biblical reading and reflection, Mary’s Magnificat, and Intercessions. Vespers concludes with the Lord’s Prayer. Liturgy of the Hours is normally recited if prayed individually or in a small group. A religious community might choose to sing portions of the hour. Since our celebration of Vespers was in the Sistine Chapel, everything would be sung. We were in the Vatican, after all, and the people would alternate the singing of the chants and hymns with the renowned Sistine Choir. 

Solemn Vespers are presided by a priest, and our presider tonight was Monsignor Guido Marini. I admit I did not give much notice to that name when I saw it on the cover of the printed worship aid. But when we stood in the assembly to begin the liturgy, I was pleasantly shocked to see that our presider was none other than Pope Francis’ Master of Ceremonies for all major papal liturgies in Rome and around the world. Oh, THAT Monsignor Marini. Wow! 

And so we began this amazing celebration of Vespers. “Deus, in adiutorium meum intende,” (God, come to my assistance) Monsignor Marini intoned. “Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina,” (Lord, make haste to help me) we responded. This celebration was bilingual, alternating between Latin and Italian. The psalms and New Testament canticle were a melodious dialogue between people and choir, whose harmonies previewed heaven. After the reading from James 1:2-4, Monsignor Marini shared a brief homily. I could not understand his Italian but his warm tone and heartfelt delivery spoke volumes. My knowledge of Latin helped me discern an emerging theme: love, faith, and the call to holiness through our ministry. 

All too quickly, Vespers was over. But the Sistine Choir, who had been hidden in a choir loft, suddenly walked down the aisle. To our delight, the Choir was going to treat us to a post-liturgy concert from the sanctuary steps. They were dressed in traditional red cassock and white surplice, and I was surprised to see that their number included two rows of boys. That explained the high notes we heard from the loft. As they sang through their choral revue, my heart was filled with gratitude. 

Seeing those kids reminded me of how I used to sing in the CCD Children’s Choir at my home parish when I was their age and the Mass was still in Latin. I teared up emotionally when I realized that the Church has always been there for me and my family ever since I was a young child. Sure, I’ve had my ups and downs over the years with the Church, which certainly has had to deal with its own faults and imperfections. But my relationship with Jesus Christ has been a constant positive force in my life, nurtured consistently by the ministry of the Catholic Church. As I sat in the breathtaking Sistine Chapel, soaking in the soaring choral music here at the worldwide headquarters of this ancient Church, I could only pray, “Deo, Gratias.” 

The concert over, we all reverted into tourists, posing for selfies and group shots in front of Michelangelo’s magnificent frescoes. After all, when would we ever have this opportunity again? And then Virgil Funk tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Let me take a photo of you and Monsignor Marini.” I turned and noticed that I was standing just a few feet away from him in the sanctuary. Virgil snapped several photos as he introduced me. 

“This is Ken Canedo, an American liturgical composer from Portland, Oregon.” I smiled and shook Monsignor’s hand. 

“It’s an honor to meet you, Monsignor. Thank you for your homily and for the beautiful Vespers.” 

He smiled back and said gently, “God bless your good work.” 

Next blog: Meeting Pope Francis

CHURCH, MUSIC, INTERPRETERS: REFLECTIONS ON THE CONFERENCE

Thursday 7 November 2019

Vatican City, Rome

This conference is sponsored by the Pontifical Council on Culture and the theme focus is “Church, Music, Interpreters: a Necessary Dialogue.” The lectures and workshops are split between Italian and English speakers, with United Nations-style simultaneous translation. This is my first experience with the process, and it has been challenging. 

First, there is an equipment challenge. The earpiece is designed to fit over the left ear but because I wear hearing aids I have to hold the piece to my left aid during the whole lecture, resulting in arm fatigue. Second, there’s the phenomenon of hearing two languages simultaneously. A professional interpreter has the seemingly magical ability to hear one language and repeat it in another language almost simultaneously, but this is a jarring juxtaposition for the listener. Eventually, the ear can be trained to discriminate and hear only the translation while blocking out the original language, but this is difficult because the speaker’s voice is so loud over an auditorium’s sound system. My hearing-impairment actually works in my favor because I can turn off my right hearing aid and hear only the translator in my left ear. 

According to my colleagues, the lectures are given in European style, which essentially means  the professor is reading his or her paper straight, word for word, in a dry presentation. The content is certainly well researched and organized but there is none of the interactive engagement that American audiences are accustomed to on the higher education or industry conference level. This is an international peer-to-peer gathering of professional musicologists, liturgists and ecclesiastics that has been opened up to parish musicians who have the means and desire to raise the bar in the knowledge of their craft. 

That said, the conference presentations are vital and interesting. Presenters are an impressive worldwide Who’s Who, addressing and expanding on the theme: Church (Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council on Culture and eminent Old Testament scholar); Music (Father Theo Flurry, OSB, titular organist at Einsiedeln Abbey who gave an impassioned and inspiring demonstration on the spiritual dimensions of improvisation on the pipe organ); Interpreter (Dr. Pawel Lukaszewski, Vice-Rector and head of composition at Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw). 

Dr. Lukaszewski’s presentation on “The Language of the Composer” really spoke to me since we share a common ministry as composer. Although his focus is on contemporary classical music and mine is contemporary popular, his points are applicable to both disciplines: Knowledge of music and mastery of the craft of composition are important, but they are only the means, not the end. The true goal of liturgical composition is the sacred, which begins when the compositional craft ends. This is because an excessive concentration on technical matters prevents a composer from reaching into the deeper level of music. PRAYER is the key that will lead text, emotions, tempo, dynamics, melody and other musical language to sacrum, truth, beauty, God. Dr. Lukaszewski cites Pope Pius X: “Sacred music should . . . possess in the highest degree the quantities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality.” The professor played recordings of his own works that were stunning examples of his craft. 

There was a very interesting presentation on polyphony by Giovanni Acciai, who is professor of Musical Paleography at the Conservatory of Milan. He posited that polyphony thrived as the next direction for sacred music after Gregorian chant because of the influence and changes brought about by humanistic ideas in the fields of poetry, music, science and astronomy. Palestrina and his contemporaries were expressing their times by dressing poetic sacred texts in an over-layered compositional form, utilizing vocal techniques that went beyond the relatively straightforward approach of chant. 

Intercultural perspectives were discussed in presentations on music and dance in the Mediterranean area (Pino di Lucia, SJ, PhD); Church music in Colombia (Egberto Bermudez); and a stirring performance on Cuban baroque music by Ancient Music Ensemble Ars Longa of Havana. There were many more presentations by world renowned experts too numerous for me to mention in this short summary. 

This Third International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Culture was truly rich and enlightening. As Pope Francis expressed in his closing remarks to our group, “I hope that the work accomplished in these days may prove to be for everyone a stimulating experience of the Gospel, of liturgical life, and of service to the Church and culture.” 

Next Blog: Vespers in the Sistine Chapel

THE ETERNAL CITY

Wednesday 6 November / Thursday 7 November 2019
Vatican City, Rome

While still recovering from jet lag, my companions and I got together in the hotel lobby of the Residenza Paulo VI to discuss our plans for the evening. The sacred music conference didn't begin until Thursday, so we essentially had a free evening in Rome. There certainly would not be a lack of things to do and see here in the Eternal City. I’m traveling with a delegation from my parish: Virgil Funk, Chris and Teresa Gniewosz, and Carol Lowry. Such a great group, and Virgil is the perfect tour guide because of his knowledge of history and his many experiences at the Vatican. 

One thing that struck me immediately as we walked the narrow cobblestone streets is the warmth and welcome of the locals. Romans are famous for their hospitality and, as visitors, we are very reassured by the kindness of strangers who are more than happy to give directions and restaurant recommendations. Our dinner at Da Carla Pizzeria was amazing, from the friendly staff and the complimentary appetizers, to the stunning main dishes. I had the Linguini Vongole e Funghi Porcini. Five Star dinner, for sure. 

I wrote extensively on the various iconic sites of Rome in my blogs of 2013. My focus on this visit is on the conference but I certainly will look forward to seeing many of the great churches again. 

On Wednesday we visited two sacred sites that share a common Roman heritage — the Pantheon, a former temple, now a Catholic church, that was originally completed by Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD; and the Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone, a 17th century Baroque church on the Piazza Navona where St. Agnes was martyred in the ancient Stadium of Domitian. 

Thursday morning, before the start of the conference, we did a quick tour of the Castel Sant’Angelo, which started out as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and his family, and was later used as a fortress and castle by Popes Nicholas III, Clement VII, Leo X, and Paul III in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was here that the popes hid from public view during a period of great instability as the papacy transitioned rather violently from its status as a temporal power. 

This is why Rome is called the Eternal City. There is a palpable sense of history here that is unmatched in Western Civilization, extending from the glory days of the Roman Empire through the Catholic Church’s medieval heyday, and onward through the rise and fall of the Papal States to Vatican City’s current status as the world’s smallest country, with 1.2 billion “citizens,” i.e., the worldwide membership of the Catholic Church. 

When I walk the streets of Rome, I am overwhelmed by the stunning contrast between ancient history and modern hospitality. The locals know their heritage and take great pride in it. It’s the reason I will try and come back to visit the Eternal City as often as I can. 

Next Blog: The Conference Itself

TIME ZONES / TIME BANDIT

Tuesday 5 November / Wednesday 6 November 2019 

Up in the Sky, just breaking free of North America as we cross the Atlantic 

Reporter: How did you find America? 

John Lennon: Turn left at Greenland. 

As I type this, it is 6:30pm on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. However, it’s 3:30am on Wednesday in Amsterdam, our first stop. It’s a nine hour flight, surely an endurance test on biorhythms and posture. I am trying to force myself into the European time zone, and after a delicious early dinner at 3:00pm (thank you, Delta), I did fall asleep for a few hours, no doubt due to generous complimentary wine and cocktails (thank you, Delta!). But here I am, wide awake in the wee hours, Amsterdam time. 

As a regular traveler throughout the United States, I’m used to time zone jumping. I utilize a Zen approach: “Be in the zone, no matter what time zone!” But international traveling gets me every time, and I always forget that I might gain or lose a day, depending on which continent I’m heading toward. When I flew to Manila in 2015, I left Portland on Tuesday, arrived at midnight, and thanked God that I had a whole day to sleep in because my first meeting was on Thursday. So I was rudely shocked when I received a phone call in my hotel room from Fr. Ricky Manalo. “Ken, where are you? The meeting has already started and we’re waiting for you!” 

I looked at my calendar in a daze. “But I thought the meeting is tomorrow.” 

“Ken, it IS tomorrow!” said Ricky. “You lost a day when you flew to Manila!” 

Yikes! How embarrassing. I jumped out of bed, got showered and dressed, and ran to my meeting. And the same thing just happened on this trip to Rome. I made hotel reservations for Tuesday night at the  Residenza Paulo VI, right across the plaza from the Vatican. But my first night is really on Wednesday. I would have lost big money on a wasted night if not for an alert travel agent, who graciously corrected my mistake. 

So what day is this? What time is it? Please don’t ask me such silly questions until I touch down in Europe. 

SACRED MUSIC CONFERENCE, VATICAN CITY 2019

Tuesday 5 November 2019

Portland International Airport 

My flight departed Portland at 12:30pm. Such a blessed relief! When I fly to the East Coast my departure time is usually at 6:00am or other such ghastly hour. Today’s flight on Tuesday gets me to Amsterdam at 9:12am on Wednesday. From there, we travel to Rome at 11:55am. 

I was invited to attend a sacred music conference at the Vatican sponsored by the Pontifical Council of Culture. The theme is “Church, Music, Interpreters” and there will be many choir directors, composers and musicians from around the world, soaking in the wisdom of renowned international speakers. This will be my second visit to Rome and my third encounter with Pope Francis. In 2013, I was in the Eternal City with Father Paul Wicker and friends from Holy Apostles Parish in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where I led a Lenten mission in 2010. We participated in the Pope’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square with tens of thousands of other pilgrims on a chilly but sunny October morning. It was a thrill to see the Holy Father’s smiling face up close as he drove past us and blessed us from the Popemobile. 

My second encounter with Francis was in Manila when he visited the Philippines in January 2015. My buddy Jesse Manibusan and I were part of the music program in a pre-Papal event at the University of Santo Tomas. It was certainly one of the most exciting gigs that Jesse and I ever did together, and from that experience we hatched the beginnings of our FISH WITH ME album that was 
released by OCP in 2016. Pope Francis was his usual charismatic self, charming  the multitude with his mastery of simple gestures that bring such a personal touch to his Papal Visits. Most memorable was his unannounced visit to a downtown orphanage after the conclusion of a prayer service in the cathedral. 

This conference includes a special Vespers service on Friday evening led by the Sistine Choir in the Sistine Chapel. And on Saturday we conference participants will have a private audience with the Holy Father in the Apostolic Palace.  I suspect these three days will be a highlight of my life and career as a liturgical composer. God is good! 

Off the Grid

I was in the Bay Area a couple of weeks ago to housesit for my friends Kevin and Siena, to spend quality time with their pets who are also my buddies, George the Dog and Steve the Cat, and to do research for my next book at Graduate Theological Library in Berkeley. Unfortunately, this was during the time of Northern California’s power blackout, as mandated by PG&E out of concern for fire danger. They refer to this policy as PSPS: “Public Safety Power Shutoff.” Yeah, right. 

PG&E is afraid that strong gusty winds will knock down the power lines and set trees on fire. This is apparently what set off the disastrous fire that destroyed the small town of Paradise last year (2018), and the utility company actually declared bankruptcy because of homeowner and civic lawsuits resulting from that debacle. So out of an overabundance of caution, the old parochial school policy now applies: If one kid is bad, the whole class gets punished. 

But I’m not going to touch the whole issue of PG&E still using antiquated grid equipment in the 21^st century. And I won’t mention how PG&E did not take care to anticipate this problem back in the 1990s when they could have worked on upgrading their systems during a time when infrastructure costs were relatively less expensive than they are today. Other pundits and commentators are much more eloquent and qualified to address these California issues than me, an Oregonian. 

I will say that as much as it was a hardship for many, many people in Northern California to live in the dark without power, I did enjoy one unexpected outcome: the power outage forced me off the grid! I was offline and unable to keep up with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media. Suddenly, I had nothing better to do than play with the dog and the cat, do some writing with pen and paper, and basically enjoy life without Facebook’s incessant pull. Ah, blessed relief! 

In the past couple of years, I have grown weary of the negativity that runs rampant on social media, especially on Facebook and Twitter. Opinions are expressed with no sense of dialogue or civility. Everyone’s mind seems to be already made up, and there seems to be no room for openness or to hear other viewpoints. In the comments section, Facebook users feel empowered to state their disagreements vehemently, in no uncertain terms, and often with colorful words that would make grandmothers blush. Volatile topics include politics, parenting, the church and, sadly, the sacred liturgy. The way some people carry on, you’d think that singing contemporary music at Mass is a greater sin than poverty in the inner cities, or the removal of basic rights from immigrant people who are forced out of their homelands because of violence or other reasons too complex to digest in just 140 characters. 

If someone is going to use Facebook or Twitter to go on political and liturgical diatribes, they might as well be doing it in a crowded restaurant, shouting their invectives at total strangers while standing on their dining room table. Just my humble opinion. That’s why my Facebook posts have lately been nothing more than innocuous puns and jokes, plus the sharing of my favorite off-the-wall abstract art. I just don’t want to participate in today’s negative vibes. 

The other thing that irks me about Facebook is the apparent need to share what’s on your mind and what you are doing at every moment of the day. Who the hell cares about what I am doing or thinking? I am just a small, insignificant cog in this immensely overwhelming wheel we call civilization. Does it really matter that I am making deviled eggs for dinner tonight? 

I am an intensely private introvert by nature. I can count on one hand the people I feel free to be myself with, and with whom I share my ideas and opinions – political, ecclesial, or otherwise. I’m not going to throw all that on the general public. I have no right to burden total strangers with my woes and joys. But I do thank God for the friends I have, with whom I can openly share my life. 

So goodbye, Facebook! I will keep my personal page because that is the only way I can maintain my professional Composer/Author page. I may occasionally share posts of interest on my ministry and travels, such as my upcoming trip to Rome. But I see no reason to waste my time and the time of other people with the vagaries of my warped mind.

Having said all that, I am a writer by trade. I will continue to write well researched articles and books on the liturgy and other topics. And I will continue to blog. Thanks for reading. 

The Return: Believe It or Not, It’s Just Me

And I’m back! I’ve been offline for about five weeks because my personal computer died. Took about two weeks for a diagnostic. I’ve had the old clunker for nearly a decade, and when we finally got the lab results there was nothing else to do except to call a priest from the Church of High Tech and give it a proper burial. 

I eventually bought a spiffy new MacBook Pro with 13-inch screen that is smaller than my old Mac’s 15-inch but more affordable. But it took at least ten days for my dealer to upload the files from my old Mac to my new machine. So I’ve been unable to do basic things like blog, update my website, pay bills, write and arrange music on Finale, lurk, and other fancy stuff. My smartphone and iPads allowed me to keep up with email, Instagram and (groan) Facebook. I also have a computer at work, but that’s only for official business. 

I’ve been with Mac since the 1990s. All my blogs, my articles, the research for my books, and my books’ manuscripts were done on Mac, not to mention Finale music files and iTunes. I do my podcasts on GarageBand. And I like the connectivity with my iPhone and iPads. So I’m pretty much locked into Apple as a surfing serf. They got me for life! 

I’m excited to have a brand-new MacBook Pro to play with but the transitional stuff is annoying: re-entering passwords into all my accounts; updating software (often with hefty fees); and getting used to the feel of the keyboard and trackpad. I’m a fast typist but my touch is too heavy for this keyboard and, especially, for Apple’s new-fangled trackpad. I’m having trouble adjusting to the lighter touch needed for the trackpad, and it has too many options! Double-clicking is especially bothersome. Why does Apple insist on making these “improvements” that nobody asked for? At least, I didn’t ask for them.

Most insidiously, there is no instruction book! I am learning by doing, which is not conducive for someone who is essentially helpless when it comes to new technology. I feel like the main character in the 1985 television series, The Greatest American Hero. He received a superhero costume from some visiting aliens but no instructional manual. So our hapless hero was always landing awkwardly after flying, and crashing through walls because he didn’t know how to step on the brakes when he was going at super-speed. That’s me and new tech! Believe it or not, I’m NOT walking on air!

But I’ll get it eventually. Just writing this blog has been a useful exercise in getting to know my new machine. Now to see if I can remember how to upload this into my blogsite, and then link it on my website. 

More to come!