Sacred-music lovers flock to Holy Ghost for events A two-day weekend gathering and a Chant Camp for children draw dozens of participants
By Dan McWilliams
DAN MCWILLIAMS
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overs of sacred music, especially Gregorian chant, of all ages attended two special events at Holy Ghost Church in recent weeks. The North Knoxville parish hosted the seventh Southeastern Sacred Music Weekend on July 29 and 30 and a Chant Camp for youth May 23-25. The Sacred Music Weekend drew about 70 participants and eight presenters, with attendees coming from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and from as far away as Indiana, New York state, and Minnesota. The Chant Camp attendance was about 30. The Sacred Music Weekend has been held in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee over the years, including at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga in 2016. The event is co-sponsored each year by the hosting parish and Southeastern Sacred Music, a chapter of the Church Music Association of America. “The workshop was designed to accommodate anyone interested in Gregorian chant and the sacred music tradition of the Catholic Church,” said Mary C. Weaver, director of music ministry at Holy Ghost. “Most attendees were singers; many were choir directors; and several were organists. One priest [Father David Carter, rector of the basilica] and two seminarians were participants. Some attendees don’t think of themselves as singers but were simply interested in learning more. There are typically three tracks to this event: one for absolute beginners who don’t yet know anything about Gregorian chant, one for intermediates, and one for advanced singers.” Each of the three groups rehearsed with a specific director each day. “During the rehearsals, partici-
In full voice The intermediate choir at the Southeastern Sacred Music Weekend was directed by Mary Jane Ballou, the director of Cantorae, a women’s a cappella ensemble in St. Augustine, Fla. Bridget Scott, director of liturgical music at St. Monica Parish in Duluth, Ga., worked with the novice singers. pants learn more about chant and also prepare the music to be sung for the culminating Mass on Saturday evening,” Mrs. Weaver said. “There are also ‘tutti’ rehearsals in which everyone participates and focuses on learning the Mass ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) that will be sung on Saturday. On Friday evening the entire group also chanted Vespers for the Memorial of St. Martha.” In addition, participants were able to choose from various “breakout sessions”—hourlong workshops on topics of interest to clergy, organists, music directors, and singers. Breakout session topics included “What Did Vatican II Really Teach About Sacred Music?”, “Free and
Low-Cost Sacred Music Resources,” “From Blah to Brilliant: Strategies for Getting the Most Out of the Volunteer Choir,” and “Planning Worthy Music for Mass: Best Practices and Resources.” A number of skills were taught or refined in the workshop, depending on the level of experience of the participants. “Those who had no experience with Gregorian chant were able to learn how to read/sing the square notes and the four-line musical staff used in chant,” Mrs. Weaver said. “The chants sung at Mass ranged from extremely simple English chants for the beginners to the complex and ancient chants found in the Graduale Romanum (or Roman
Gradual, the official choir book of the Catholic Church). All the choral conductors were capable, experienced teachers who also worked with attendees to improve the beauty and fluidity of their chant singing. “The conductors of the intermediate and advanced groups also helped their singers prepare polyphonic (multi-voice) music for Saturday’s Mass, including an English motet by Orlando Gibbons (15831625) and Latin motets by Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) and by contemporary composer Mariano Garau.” Mrs. Weaver explained what sacred music is. “Many people think that the term Sacred music continued on page B2
KCHS sees four generations of Connor family attend Helen Mabry Connor, 96, attends a gathering at the school with her children and grandchildren
By Dan McWilliams
PAM RHOADES
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n the first full day of school Aug. 9, Knoxville Catholic High School began its 90th year with a gathering of four generations of the Connor family, all of whom came through KCHS or are attending there now. The event took place in the Mike and Carol Connor Lobby of the school’s new St. Gregory the Great Auditorium. Ninety-six-year-old Helen Marie Mabry Connor of the Knoxville Catholic High class of 1945 is the matriarch of the family. She calls the presence of four generations of her family at KCHS “overwhelming.” “It’s great. I love it,” she said. Mrs. Connor remembers playing basketball at Knoxville Catholic. “It was wonderful. We had a really good time,” she said. “Sister Marie David was my homeroom teacher. She taught Spanish and French and geometry. She was really smart.” Mrs. Connor attended KCHS on its former Magnolia Avenue campus. The Ashe house served as the school during her days there. The house was torn down eventually as more modern buildings were added to the campus. Mrs. Connor said it’s “wonderful” how KCHS is “built up” today. “I went to school all during the war. If the boys didn’t register by the time they were 18 years old, they got drafted. When I graduated,
Generations gather The four generations of the Connor family at Knoxville Catholic High School include (from left) Patton Watkins (class of 2023), Christy Connor Watkins (’89), Helen Marie Mabry Connor (’45), Mike Connor (’69), Mandy Connor Welch (’98), and Connor Welch (’26). I think there were 16 girls and six boys,” she said. KCHS has grown from 11 seniors in its first graduating class in 1933 to 143 receiving diplomas in 2022. The wartime years were “kind of tough with rationing and all that
stuff, but we made it,” Mrs. Connor said. And what is her secret to staying young? “I walk every day a mile or two. We have long halls where I live, and I walk up and down the halls. There
are four floors, and I walk all of them,” she said. Mrs. Connor’s great-grandson, Connor Welch of the class of 2026, attended the gathering. “It’s kind of crazy to think about, Connor family continued on page B3