BEGINNING JUNE 13/14 THROUGH SEPTEMBER:

 the Psalm and Gospel Acclamation will be Respond and Acclaim, FOR ALL MASSES

for the 4pm and 9:30am: the Glory to God is from Spirit and Grace .

1. Be sure practice gestures  at home to encourage congregational singing.

2. Remember not to add extra words to the announcements, ex: "Our Offertory hymn is...."  "The second communion song is..."

***Updated June schedule as of 6/29/26.  CHANGES IN RED 

I needed to respond to work schedule changes and subs needed. Please let me know if you see a conflict with your schedule. Thank you!

Saturday, August 15th, 2026, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

In accord with the complementary norm to canon 1246 ⸹ 2 confirmed for the dioceses of the United States of America, because it is a Saturday, this year the obligation to attend Mass on this date is abrogated.  Masses celebrated after 4:00PM on August 15th, are for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

HYMN BOARD FOR Queen of Peace Weekends click here

Click here for a melody only version of the Glory to God Spirit and Grace  used for Ordinary Time.

Click here for the Chant Gloria - sung at the 11:30AM Mass

List of hymns and songs for funerals - click here.

What can be found on the playlist:

In Paridisum (Latin), 

I Know That My Redeemer Lives, 

Song of Farewell (May the Choirs of Angels) 

Psalm 27 (I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord) 

How to sing the Ave Maria - this vocal teacher uses G major, great tips on how to approach the Latin, where to breath, dynamics etc. Worth watching even if you have sung the Ave a million times.

various Ave recordings - no image of her singing, but please listen for exacting pitch, tone, approach to "Ah" in "ave," vibrato control, pronunciation (including rolled "r's",) dynamics: 

1. Maggie Renée - mezzo soprano; in G major; listen for tone clarity, pronunciation, phrasing, vowel shaping, dynamics: 

2. Katarzyna Jaracz - Bb major - beautiful pure vowels, clear tone, vibrato control on starting phrases, she moves the phrases along,

3. Aida Garifulina in Bb - watch how she shapes her vowels;  

4. Elisabeth Kulman - also Bb, watch her vowel shaping as well as dynamic movement on notes and compare with Aida)

5. Guilia Medicina - mezzo soprano -  in F Major - amateur video (taken with a phone?) UNBELIEVABLE resonance, watch how she creates a cavity in her mouth that seems connected to her face and chest - her whole body is resonating, breath control is super. Tone is even, so consistent in her sound.

CANTOR Preparation

• updated 9/13/25

• A COPY OF THE SIMPLE GRADUAL,  RESPOND AND ACCLAIM, and MUSIC ISSSUE 2025 IS ALWAYS IN THE MUSIC CLOSET, on the immediate left shelf under the organ key hook AS YOU WALK INTO THE CLOSET. Should you need it, feel free to use during Mass then return to the closet so it is available for the next cantor.

• PREPARE BEFORE SATURDAY/SUNDAY:

  1. Phrasing (breathing where it makes grammatical sense, marking up the music to ensure best practice) See especially the last section of the Heritage Glory to God, "For you alone are the Holy One...."

  2. Diction (marking music to ensure that ending "d" especially in "Lord" "h"  and "p"  as in "hope" are clearing sung.)

  3. Vibrato is controlled and not overly present as to blur the pitch. There are some fine Youtube videos that help learn to do this.

  4. Back Away from the Microphone on songs the congregation knows well, espeically Mass parts. They need to hear their voice instead of the vocals through the speakers. If you perceive that the congregation is not singing, see #5.

  5. Engaging the congregation: Practice strong, clear gestures in front of a mirror to ensure positive engagement of congregation. Know when to gesture and when gesturing is no longer needed. Perhaps eye contact and obvious breath is enough. Observe other cantors and their effectiveness in engaging the congregation to help improve your own skills.

  6. Be aware of how one's voice is coming through the microphone, This can only happen if cantors are very familiar with the music they are singing. Where possible, practice the psalm and Gospel acclamation to the point of memorization. Be able to look up from the music and engage the congregation. Help each other - offer feedback in a positive way to help each of us be aware of how we are coming across to the congregation and improve our effectiveness.

  7. Practice spoken announcements to be clear and commanding over the microphone. (see cantor announcement page below). In this Parish, please stay with the script on the announcer sheet. The minimum amount of words is preferred. Always use use the format " Blue/Tan Hymnal, Number, Title, Number" for hymns. DOUBLE CHECK THE ACCURACY OF THE HYMNAL 3's as I may make an error on the announcer sheet and not catch it. Thank you for the proof reading. :)

  8. RECORD some of your practice at home and review it to see that you are satisfied with the above. This is so helpful to self critique and gaining confidence.

  9. LISTEN TO YOUR LIVESTREAM: often the 9:30 or 11:30AM Masses are on the Queen of Peace Youtube channel. Listen to your singing to help celebrate the good things you are doing as cantor and the skills that could use improvement.

  10. Please let me know if you'd like to meet for a rehearsal during the week to help support your singing, practice with the church sound system, help with phrasing, diction, etc.

  11. We are all life-long learners. Consider taking voice-lessons to brush up vocal skills or to work on challenges. A voice coach, even in 4 lessons, can offer methods to open up the voice, improve breathing, and work on vibrato or diction issues. YouTube videos are also immensely helpful for learning how to increase range, improve phrasing and dynamics with breath control, etc.

A diocesan  (click here) guideline of the role of cantor, psalmist, leader of song from the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire.

What do you think of this particular guideline?

Click here to read a provacative article on cantoring well 

Guidelines for Cantors from the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan  - for your reflection

Readings for Church Musicians

10 simple vocal warm-ups

How to prepare to sing at an early morning Mass