BUS INFO:

Students riding from YHS and HMS:
 take the GRAY LINE

drop off is at Sacred Heart /317 Main
at approx. 2:45 pm

Students riding from YES and ROWE:
take the GRAY LINE

drop off is at Sacred Heart/317 Main
at approx. 3:45 pm
Just be sure to include a BUS NOTE
on Schola DAY!
If you are driving your child :  Please make every effort to get your child to rehearsal on time.  Much learning and foundation building occurs during the warm-up period!

Music for Mass 

JUBILATE DEO Version 1/slow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnjeRpyoEOU

JUBILATE DEO Version 2/fast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKMEvHhdHX8

MISSA DE ANGELIS (Kyrie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZb5UnOSe4

PUER NATUS CHANT #25

https://musicasacra.com/music-pedagogy-for-children/wings/

“If you want to make something beautiful for God, it involves the effort
of all your mind, heart, soul and strength.”  - Mary Ann Carr-Wilson


At Parish of the Holy Eucharist, our Children's Choirs are becoming a vital and vibrant part of our parish-wide music program.  It is at this level that the music ministers of tomorrow receive their initial musical, liturgical, and spiritual formation.  Our young singers (known as choristers) are not simply the future faces of our Church's music ministry - they offer songs of praise to God and joyfully serve our parish community in the present!

If you attend mass at any one of our four churches, your children are able to enroll in our youth choirs program!  All it takes is a willingness to commit to weekly rehearsals (Oct-May) and Mass at Sacred Heart (where the choristers sing accompanied by the grand Jardine Organ) approximately 6 times throughout the year.  Your child's musical and spiritual formation will blossom!

Below, you will find information about the choirs in our Children's Choir program, along with links to our 2019-2020 online registration forms. 
  
Children’s Choirs at Parish of the Holy Eucharist
Cherub Schola (Gr. 1-3)
Jubilate Schola (Gr. 4-6)
Youth Schola (Gr. 7-12)

Youth Choirs (Schola & Jubilate) rehearse after school once a week,
and before the 11 AM Mass at Sacred Heart, once a month, October-May

Cherub will rehearse for six-week seesions before Christmas and Palm Sunday. 
Exact rehearsal schedule TBD.

FMI contact Director of Music Ministries, Jennifer Runge
  pothe@portlanddiocese.org 

TUESDAYS at Sacred Heart, after school
Grades 4-6 Jubilate Schola Choristers

WEDNESDAYS  at Sacred Heart, after school
Grades 7- high school* Youth Schola Choristers

Two six-week sessions at Sacred Heart, time TBD
Basic vocal technique,  music fundamentals, and rehearsals for
Christmas/Epiphany
and Palm Sunday/Easter
1-3 Cherub Schola Choristers
 

*HIGH SCHOOL SINGERS:   Small Scholas by gender or mixed voices of high school age (younger with permission of Director) may be formed as well.   
High School choristers may join any of the adult Church Choirs with permission of the Director....
Teen Cantor training always available for teens!

PROVIDED MATERIALS 
Black binder and pencils
Words with Wings (Student Edition Chant Workbook)
Chant for Church and School book
Devotions book
Robes (Grades 4 and up for special occasions)

OPTIONAL MATERIALS (highly recommended for home!)
Sing with the World CD 
Chant for Kids CD and/or DVD 

We are members of the Federation for Catholic Youth Choirs known as
PUERI CANTORES!!!

Next Pueri Cantores Festival Trip to Cathedral in Boston, MA for Youth and Jubilate Scholas
on Saturday, March 21, 2020


 

WHY so we call our Children's Choirs a SCHOLA?

Well, schola in Latin means "school," so, a school of singers is a Schola Cantorum (sko'-la kan-to'-room).  This tradition goes all the way back to Pope Saint "Gregory the Great" who desired to have chant sung as perfectly and beautifully, as possible. (If you want to know more about Pope Gregory I, check out the link at the bottom right.)  It was he who is credited with the final verison of how sung church music, or Gregorian chant, looks on the page.
(see image at right. Beautiful isn't it?)

Our reasons for singing in Church are to more fully experience our Catholic tradition, develop our singing ability, express our love for God, and share our treasure with the congregation and community. Have any of you ever said Mass is boring?  Well, if you don't know your "lines" it can be a very nerve-wracking experience!  We, as Catholics, young and old, are called to participate as fully and actively as can be, and the parts we've been given are plentiful!  If Saint Augustine is known for saying, "He who sings, prays twice," then it stands to reason that if we sing all our responses at Church with an open and joyful heart then God will be pleased and we will have had a beautiful experience at Mass.

WHY SHOULD MY CHILD JOIN the Scholas @ POTHE?
(based on recommendations of The Choristers of St. Adelaide's, Peabody, MA)

Reason #1:  Learn the Mass
Choristers will learn first and foremost about the structure of the Mass and their lines within it, leading to full, active and conscious participation of the liturgy through song.
Reason #2: Faith Formation
Choristers will prepare music for liturgy but will also rehearse virtues of the Christian/Catholic life (justice, peace, devotion and service) at each and every rehearsal.
Reason #3: Free Music Lessons
Do you pay yearly for private music lessons at 317 Music School, Portland Conservatory, at your home or elsewhere? Do you belong to a community children's choir where there is a yearly tuition?  Good for you!  These are valuable experiences for sure, so consider the free music education the choristers receive in solfege, music reading, chant, proper diction, vocal technique and theory right here in your own Parish at virtually no cost!
Reason #4: Foreign Languages
Latin is the official language of the church and the choristers will learn how to sing all the basic parts of the mass (the Ordinary) in both English and Latin.  Technology has made access to other countries and cultures as close as the screen on your device, so the importance of being fluent in other languages has never been more relevant.  In addition to Latin, choristers will sing in a host of other languages - Greek, French, Spanish, even Swahili - truly experiencing the music of the Universal Church!
Reason #5: Major Seasons & Feasts: Advent/Christmas, Lent/Palm Sunday, Eastertide/May Crowning/Pentecost
The music of Christmas and the many beautiful descants you hear on the radio and tv during that Season is definintely something this year's Choristers will learn.  But in addition they will learn music specific to Advent, Lent, Palm Sunday, Eastertide, May Crowing and Pentecost.  The musical landscape of the church year is vast, varied, and richly spiritual.  Choristers will journey through all these landscapes and grow both musically and spiritually.
Reason #6: Pueri Cantores
The Parish of the Holy Eucharist Youth Music Ministry joined Pueri Cantores in 2018.  Pueri Cantores is the official international organization of Roman Ctholic youth choirs, under the Vatican Dicastery of the Laity, Family, and Life.  I am excited for us to join this amazing musical organization which is rich with resources and travel opportunity. 

In March, 2020 our Jubilate and Youth Scholas (Grades 4 and up) will attend the New England Pueri Cantores Festival at Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, MA. The Festival will conclude with Mass at the Cathedral where our Choristers will join with other Catholic choirs from all over New England. 
Reason #7: Concert Series and collaborations with other Youth Choirs
Throughout the year the Scholas will be invited to participate in various outreach singing opportunities as well as join forces with local church and community children's choirs.  In May/June (exact date TBD) we hope to present an evening of our finest work with all the POTHE choirs as part of our new Parish of the Holy Eucharist Concert Series.

Parish of the Holy Eucharist Youth Schola has been a member of "Pueri Cantores", the American Federation of Catholic Youth Choirs since 2018.
https://www.pcchoirs.org/history
https://www.pcchoirs.org/about-us
https://www.pcchoirs.org/2020-new-england-festival