Friday, August 1

I awoke this morning at 6:30 a.m., but did not get out of bed until 7:10 a.m. “Oh no,” I thought, “I’m going to be late for breakfast.” (I had spent the previous night talking with Jay Pontius from Holy Innocents, Como). We sat in the rockers until midnight talking about our music experiences in our respective parishes, and our relationship with the clergy. I shared with Jay my desire to resume private organ study, and he encouraged me to do so. The conversation ended around midnight and I got to bed about 1:00 a.m., after reading a chapter from the book, The Ceremonies of the Eucharist, by Howard Galley.

At breakfast, (yes, I made it); I sat and dined with the choristers from All Saints’, Tupelo. Among them were Dinetia Newman and Betty Lee Marshall. I had met them both at the 2007 Conference, which was my first time to attend. I remember them fondly because they both made me feel welcome as I was one of the new kids on the block.

After breakfast, I made my way to the chapel for Morning Prayer. Amanda Milam from St. Philip’s, Jackson, sang O Divine Redeemer beautifully in French. Afterwards, the morning session began. I was feeling as though I had not gotten enough sleep the night before. I could feel the tension in my eyes. That all changed after our morning physical exercise warm-up with Michael Kleinschmidt and vocal warm-up with Michael Messina.

Once rehearsal began, I could feel the energy as the group began to sing. We have few pieces that are in Latin. I remember thinking that I should’ve taken Latin in college instead of French, and that once I get home, I need to get a Latin pronunciation guide so that I’ll be better prepared in the future. It was a little overwhelming to be around so many people who were able to enunciate the Latin words as though it was their “first” language.

The morning session ended around noon, and I had lunch with Alexandra Zepeda, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. She asked me about my church, and we both talked about our experiences singing in our respective choirs. She shared with me her job description which I found fascinating. I learned from her that many dignitaries pre-plan their funerals for the Cathedral (bio, music, etc.).

The afternoon session was interesting. We were divided into groups and given a Proper. We were instructed to design the liturgy based upon the Proper. Each group had to present their liturgy. An interesting question arose from this exercise: “Are we worshipping the process?” asked Michael Kleinschmidt.

Next, I attended a session with Cliff Hill on unison and 2 and 3 part anthems. I found this to be very useful since I have a small choir. After the session, I went to visit Cliff’s display. I found a few anthems and books. I was thinking, “The church treasurer won’t faint when he gets the bill. It’s not that much.”

The Wine and Cheese Reception was wonderful. I sat on the patio with Amanda Milam, St. Philip’s, Jackson; Mignon Kolp, Christ Church, Bay St. Louis; James Martin, St. Philip’s, Jackson; and Marsha Reilly, Good Shepherd, Athens, OH. Mignon filled us in on her travels abroad. James and I discussed the possibility of our churches doing something together musically, and his coming to sing at Saint Mark’s. I would love that and can already envision it in my head.

At dinner, I continued my conversation with Mignon. She shared with me how her church is recovering after Hurricane Katrina, and I shared the history of my parish, St. Mark’s, Jackson, with her. We both talked about our choirs, and how we strive to make them better.

At the evening session, the Rev. Susan Anderson-Smith gave a presentation entitled, “Eucharist and Way of Life.” She posed a question to us. She asked, “If someone was to visit your parish, what would they see?” As I pondered the question, I thought, “They would see a formal church with nice people, but are we as welcoming as we could be?” Do our actions say “come back to see us again?”

The evening ended with Night Time Prayers. Zach Fellman, St. John’s, Ocean Springs, played a beautiful prelude on the piano which left me wishing that I had told my grandmother “yes” when she asked me if I wanted to take piano lessons as a child. As I sat in the worship area, I thought that the service was nice, but the prayer service that we had on last year was so moving that I, along with many others, were in tears. I hope that we can do something like that one again.

After checking my email, I chatted for a few minutes with Jay Pontius and decided that I should probably turn in early. I went to my room and looked through all of the music and books that I had purchased. Among them was the book, Rise, O Church, by Dr. Paul Westermeyer. I read the words of the hymn, Rise, O Church, and realized how powerful the words are.
I finally got in the bed about 12:07 a.m. The day has been a good one; for I have met new people, faced doubts and fears, and feel like I may have found my calling ….


Raphiell Ashford, Organist/Choirmaster
St. Mark’s, Jackson, Mississippi