It’s almost here. We’re T-minus 24 hours until the Christmas Eve/Christmas Day marathon for so many of us. The instruments are tuned. The binders are prepared. The choirs have learned their music…for the most part. And the preludes & postludes have been practiced.
What’s left to do, except most possibly…everything?
Today we invite you to take a few minutes and listen to a great podcast episode as you write out Christmas cards for all of your pastoral musicians. Today on the podcast we have the privilege of interviewing John Romeri, Director of Music for Christ Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange, California.
He is the conductor of the newly formed Cathedral Choir, Vietnamese Cathedral Choir, Diocesan Children’s Choir and the Diocesan Adult Choir. He is also the host of the radio program, “Music from the Tower” featuring the very best in Sacred and Classical Music, available on the radio each Saturday evening or on the website, ChristCathedralMusic.org.
The Christ Cathedral organ is the fifth largest organ in the world and is being restored by the Ruffatti Pipe Organ Builders of Padova, Italy. The Diocese of Orange is the 8th largest diocese in the United States.
Before his time at Christ Cathedral, John was the Organist and Director of Music at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, as well as the Director of Music for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Today on the podcast, John speaks to us about the challenges he’s faced in establishing multi-lingual choirs, both in Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as the solutions he’s found to make the music program diverse, yet unified.
Lastly, John shares his connection to John Rutter’s “Candlelight Carol” and why John Rutter told him “no” the first time he asked to commission the piece! Listen on for the whole story, and enjoy.
SHOW NOTES
For more information about Christ Cathedral, check out their website.
You can also check out John’s weekly podcast, “Music from the Tower” by clicking here.
All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.