News

Explore music for liturgy

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

	Diocese gathers What: The Gathering of the Church of Green Bay featuring more than 130 sectional presenters. When: Oct. 6-7 Where: St. Norbert College Why: To come together with Catholics from around the diocese for intellectual, spiritual and fellowship enrichment. Registration: For more information, call (920)437-7531 or 1-877-500-3580, ext. 3, or go to www.gbdioc.org.
	Concert What: Janèt (pronounced Janette) Sullivan Whitaker in concert When: 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7 Where: Ss. Edward & Isidore Parish, Flintville Admission: Free will offering at the door.

Janèt Sullivan Whitaker will be busy at the Gathering of the Church of Green Bay, Oct. 6-7 at St. Norbert College in De Pere.

Whitaker, a composer with Oregon Catholic Press and director of music and liturgy at Corpus Christi Church in Piedmont, Calif., will not only be a featured presenter at the annual event, but will also lead the music at the opening celebration of Eucharist in Schuldes Sports Center.

"The workshops are more challenging for me than the music, but I enjoy it," she said. "It's good for me to express verbally some of the things I've learned through my ministry, and it's enriching to interact with the people of the diocese."

The Gathering marks a return visit to the area. In 2003, Whitaker presented a concert and workshop in Green Bay.

"I was able to go to Door County the last time I was there," she said. "I love Door County. I'm taking classes at this time, so I have to get back. I'm working on my Master's at the Jesuit School of Theology (Berkeley), so I will have my books with me. I will probably be studying between workshops."

"I was born and raised in California," she added. "The opportunity to visit the Midwest is a pleasure for me. It's a whole different way of life than where I'm from."

Whitaker will present four workshops at the Gathering, including "Weaving Diversity into Music," in which she encourages parish music directors and musicians to take risks.

"It is so easy to be lulled into what is safe," she said. "You can take the music that you own and take another look at it. Take 'Amazing Grace, for example. Take away the organ. Replace it with other instruments or just concentrate on the vocals. It takes you to the Celtic roots, the gospel roots of the song. You hear the bare essence of that melody. I don't have anything against the organ, but when we strip songs down to their distilled form, we do these songs in a foundational folk style that enhances their beauty."

Whitaker not only encourages musicians to explore different ethnic types of music, but also different styles.

"In this nation, we have a multitude of musical dialects," she said. "Gregorian chant, blues, jazz, rock, hip-hop are all ways we can broaden music in the Catholic tradition."

Whitaker's musical roots trace back to her parents, who were both musicians.

"I come from a family of 11 children and music was an important part of our lives," she said. "I'm 48, so some of my formative years were during Vatican II reform. When English reached our church, my father was the first one there with the chainsaw renovating the altar and bringing in the guitars. I grew up doing music in church."

"I'm a classically trained pianist, which I consider my background," she added. "I'm also a percussionist, which is my foreground, my second wave of musical training. I like to use percussion to incorporate rock and blues into church music."

Whitaker, who will present a concert at Ss. Edward & Isidore Parish in Flintville following the Gathering on Oct. 7 (see box), first became a composer out of necessity.

"In the late '80s, early '90s, I was working at a church that didn't have money to buy music, so I began writing the music," she said. "I then began submitting it for publication."

Musicians and vocalists from the diocese will join Whitaker, who has released two CDs from Oregon Catholic Press, for the opening celebration. She rarely performs solo in large venues.

"I always try to arrange to have several choirs or maybe pull in some guitars," she said. "I like to plug myself into the music of the diocese. It's a lot less passive on my behalf to work with a group. It's an honor to meet and work with the people of the diocese. I'm looking forward to it."