... love to write ... especially in the early mornings ... as I was just telling my better-half, Maria ... I felt inspired to write about the great blessings of music ... especially what I'm blessed to do at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Baton Rouge ... sorely miss still not being able to attend Mass ... and striving to keep making "Spiritual Communions" with the Lord and all ... here's some fun past and current reflections about my involvements in Afrocentric experiences in the Holy Sacrifice of the Lord ....
Pics: (Left in Montage – Keith, Back Row, 2nd from right; Right in Montage – Keith, Back Row, Center)
After completing a year of volunteer work for the elderly per the Jesuit Volunteer (JV) Corps: Southwest in the San Joaquin area of California in 1981, I was looking for a church community to join in San Diego, where I was enrolled in Graduate Social Work at SDSU with an emphasis in Gerontology.
I found out about an Afrocentric Mass that was held at Christ The King Church, so I felt the Holy Spirit was pulling me to see about trying to join that choir after a church leadership music background then mostly in contemporary Catholic music like the Dameans, the St. Louis Jesuits and Carey Landry.
When I arrived at the first practice, I was anxious to begin learning some new styles, as well as making some new friends. While I was one of the few non-traditional members, I was warmly accepted - even though the others certainly had trouble keeping me in rhythm as we swayed with the songs. The other tenors did their best to keep me in line!
Randy, our choir director, was a strict disciplinary guy but knew how to lighten things up. Thus, after I'd done about a month's participation with the group, he surely knew how to humble me with humor.
After we all had done a great job with completing the closing song, "Come and Go With Me To My Father's House," at Mass, he told me that I "stood out in the choir that day!" As pride settled in on me and I wanted to know what I'd done well, this was his response to my questioning: "Look at your skin!"
So fast forward to a few years ago to another time that I felt called to an Afrocentric type Mass after again having done more great “Glory & Praise Hymnal” type Catholic music for awhile at St. Jude Catholic Church in Baton Rouge.
I've been blessed to be a member of the Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church 8 a.m. Sunday choir, and of course, we have been sadly unable to meet lately for you know why – the COVID-19 situation … ongoing prayers for all affected, especially those whom have died … and for their families and friends … we will get through this with God's help …
We usually have practices on Wednesday nights where our Musician and Choir Director, Keith Thierry and Kenny Williams, the 8 A Choir Leader, guide us on songs to sing God's praise on Sundays … one of my favorites is “I Give Myself Away” by William McDowell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dwB29pYR40) done by James (Right Pic in Montage - second from the right, front row).
At the end of Mass, the Rev. Edward Chiffriller, S.S.J., Pastor, will usually ask if any of the congregants has a birthday around that time, so we'll sing the regular happy birthday song, but then after the first traditional verse, we'll do a very lively gospel clapping version - accentuating "Hap -- py Birth-day To You" a few times ... that always brings many smiles!
Another neat thing they do at St. Francis Xavier for every Mass is the will initiate inviting “the last to be first” folks seated in church up for Holy Communion and then gradually leading to those seated in the front pews to receive the Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ!
As you can see again on the Right Montage Pic, I "stand out" (back row center) in the choir ... not because it my singing skills ... LOL!
It was funny once, I was the only one in the choir who could get the clapping rhythm right for a gospel song we were doing, and I was asked by Kenny Williams to actually lead the group in that manner ... someone had a great jest that I loved: "Clap that funky music white boy!" ***
Let me end on a serious note … the Baton Rouge Diocesan Prayer for Racial Harmony … which we usually read at every Mass at St. Francis Xavier at the end of the Prayers of Petition:
“God our Father, You call us to love one another as You have loved us. We pray for the conversion of hearts in our Diocese of Baton Rouge to bring about racial harmony rooted in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, strip us of our pride, mistrust and prejudices, so that we may be able to dialogue with one another to build communities where justice, peace and love flourish. We ask these blessings trusting in the infinite mercy of Jesus and the intercession of Mary our Mother. Amen.”
*** “Play That Funky Music" is a song written by Rob Parissi and recorded by the band ”Wild Cherry:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZsNksbw2Q
Keith John Paul Horcasitas, LCSW, MHA, 1133 Knollhaven Drive, BRLA 70810, khorcasitas.yahoo.com, April 18, 2020.
Your love of music shows through in everything that you write. In this case about joining "nontraditional choirs, something that few have ventured.
Except in school, I never joined a choir. But I am familiar with working in a nontraditional setting for 33 years. I always enjoyed going to weddings and funerals where the choirs in the small churches would sing like professional level gospel singers. A joy to listen to.
My uncle was already famous for singing, when as a small child, I attended a high school program where he sang solo, "Old Man River," with a baritone that was as good as the Broadway and movie versions. He joined the Rochester Men's Choir (Minnesota) and for many years drove 80 miles twice a week from his home in north central Wisconsin to sing with the choir.
Pics: (Left in Montage – Keith, Back Row, 2nd from right; Right in Montage – Keith, Back Row, Center)
