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ST. MAX CHILDREN'S CHOIR

This liturgical children's choir is open to students in grades 3-8.  No singing experience is required - just a willingness to learn and to serve our parish community at prayer.  The children's choir will sing at Sunday Mass once a month, rotating through all four times according to a published schedule.  The children's choir will also minister for Christmas and Easter.  The choir will rehearse on Tuesday nights, Sept-May, from 5:15-6p in the church.  You can find more details, including dates for singing at Mass, more info on rehearsals, and a registration by clicking here. For more information, please contact director Mary Ella Wielgos or pastoral associate Jeremy Helmes.

MUSIC MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

Music ministers lead the worshipping assembly in sung prayer. Various opportunities exist for involvement:

• Adult Choir (open to high school aged and older, sings at 10a Mass during the school year, rehearses Wednesday nights from 7:30p-9p; no audition or experience required)   Schedule here!

• Ensemble (sings at 8a Mass throughout the year; rehearses Thursday nights from 7:30p-9p; audition/interview required)

• Psalmists/Cantors (proclaim the responsorial psalm and Gospel verse, and may lead other singing; audition required)

• Children's choir (open to grades 3-8, sings at Sunday Mass once a month, rotating among the 4 times, rehearses Tuesday nights from 5:15p-6p; no audition required) Schedule here!

• Instrumentalists (accompany the music at various Masses as players are available and willing; audition required)

• Handbell ringers

Different groups have different expectations, rehearsal schedule, and require different levels of musical ability and experience. Contact Pastoral Associate for Liturgy & Music Jeremy Helmes in the parish office for more details and with questions.

HELP NEEDED: ENHANCING OUR LITURGIES!

Do you have some free time during the week once a month to offer our parish? We are in need of people to help collate and staple our weekend worship aid programs on Thursday or Friday before the weekend. Training is provided. This is a great job for a family to take on together, or a group of friends to do over coffee! Ideally, there would be teams of a few people each, so that each team was responsible only once a month. If you would be willing to give of your time to this effort, please contact Kathy in the parish office.

WHAT’S A “PSALMIST’?
HOW CAN I BECOME ONE?

According to the U.S. Bishops' recent document on liturgical music, Sing to the Lord, the psalmist is one who proclaims the verses of the Responsorial Psalm and leads the assembly in singing its response. The psalmist may also (as is the case here at St. Max) proclaim the Gospel Verse and lead the singing of other acclamations and litanies during the liturgy (in addition to or in the absence of a choir or ensemble.) The bishops go on to teach that the psalmist should possess “the ability for singing and a facility in correct pronunciation and diction. As one who proclaims the Word, the psalmist should be able to proclaim the text of the Psalm with clarity, conviction, and sensitivity to the text, the musical setting, and those who are listening."
We are in need of more psalmists for our Sunday liturgies.  You will be able to minister at the liturgy you regularly attend and on the weekends you're available. Rehearsal is mostly on your own time, so it's not a huge time commitment outside of Mass (and Jeremy will provide you with everything you need, including time to go through things with him!) 
If you have experience as a singer and would be willing to join our group of already excellent psalmists, please contact Jeremy Helmes in the parish office (jhelmes@saint-max.org) for more information.