Music Ministry News
2018.09.04
We’re so excited to once again share a diverse program of music featuring our parish musicians; this Sunday is our third monthly musical Sunday Salon at the Serra Center. Featured musicians are parish cantor Tammie Weyker-Adkins, soprano, parish choir member Steven Yacuta, baritone, parish violinist Matt Mazzei, accompanied by parish pianist Rod Henczel. There will be a surprise choral finale you won’t want to miss! The Sunday salons are free admission and will be held monthly at 3pm. Our next Salon, October 14, will feature Matt Mazzei on violin, Trent Barry on piano and guest musicians on viola and cello performing the Schumann Piano Quartet and a dynamic Piano Trio written by our own parish cantor/pianist Daniel Townsend, who majored in musical composition at Fresno State.
(for a preview of this month’s amazing salon program, please see the end of this article)
At this time of year, we can begin to sense the liturgical momentum toward the culmination of the season, the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This Sunday as we celebrate the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, our core choir will intone the Jacques Berthier (Taizé) setting of Nada Te Turbe written (in Spanish, originally) by St. Theresa of
Avila, here translated into English:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHTS:
TAMMIE WEYKER-ADKINS
Ms. Weyker-Adkins began singing with the adult choir at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Sturtevant, Wisconsin at age 11. From there, she was involved in the Mastersinger’s Choir at J.I. Case high school in Racine.
Tammie took six years of classical vocal instruction from Dr. Terence Kelly at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, where she was involved in several choirs and musicals, including the lead role in the “Robber Bridegroom.” In 1997 she auditioned and was hired as one of the five cantors at St. Joseph the Workman’s Cathedral in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and was a part of the Cathedral Gallery Singers under the direction of Brian Luckner, DMA, MM, Director of Music and Organist (www.cathedralsjworkman.org) (-1999).
Tammie was accepted into the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Chorale and shortly thereafter was recruited to the Celebrant Singers, with whom she traveled to five countries and 48 states singing their repertoire. She then accepted a position in their offices in Visalia, California, where she recruited and trained vocalists until 2004.She continued her foray into the musical theater realm with “Nunsense” as Mother Superior in Visalia (2006).
Tammie participated in and led contemporary worship teams (2002-2007), taught vocal lessons, and was finally hired as the Director of Arts (2006-2007) at Visalia First Assembly. Shortly thereafter, Tammie made the life-altering decision to step down and make the journey “home” to her Catholic roots in 2007 to St. Mary’s Catholic Church {now Good Shepherd Catholic Parish} where she met Charles and Wendy Culbreth and was subsequently invited to become a part of St. Mary’s music ministry.
Tammie became the cantor at the Saturday 4:00 p.m. and participated in the Schola choir and the more contemporary 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning choirs regularly, as well as being one of the cantors for those masses. For the last several years, Tammie has been the regular cantor at St. Charles for the 10:00 a.m. mass.
Presently, Ms. Weyker-Adkins sings with the new core choir featured most often at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday mass at St. Mary’s, is a part of the newly forming youth praise effort, and cantors mass at various Good Shepherd parishes weekly.
ROD HENCZEL
Rod Henczel grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada and began piano studies at age 5, and violin at age 6. He was a founding member of the Surrey Youth Orchestra and was concert master for 5 of his 10 years with them. At the age of nine, he began serving his church on organ and piano.
He graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia and has performed in 27 countries around the world. He has been living in Visalia for the last 17 years and is currently the collaborative pianist for the El Diamante High School Choir Department and the Tulare County Office of Education Theatre Department.
We are continually in the process of renewing our ministry! If you are interested in joining a choir or have instrumental music experience, please contact Trent Barry via email at trentsbarry@gmail.com to inquire about opportunities.
SUNDAY SALON AT THE SERRA CENTER PROGRAM PREVIEW:
L’esule (The Exile) for voice, violin, and piano by Gaetano Braga; Steven Yacuta, baritone
Sonata for Piano and Violin no. 5 ‘Spring’ by Ludwig van Beethoven: Matt Mazzei,violin, Rod Henczel, piano
O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen - arranged for violin and piano; Tammie Weyker-Adkins, soprano
Violons dans le soir (Violins in the Evening) for voice, violin, and piano by Camille Saint-Saens ; Tammie Weyker-Adkins, soprano
Preludio from Partita no. 3 for solo violin by J. S. Bach; Matt Mazzei, violin
Vocalise arranged for violin and piano by Sergei Rachmaninoff; Mattt Mazzei, violin, Rod Henczel, piano
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