I continue to sing the praises of the Little Lambs for their enthusiasm, reverence and overall participation at our Masses. They are more confident in singing whatever parts are assigned to us, and they are becoming more and more responsible - particularly in the Response of the Psalm and the Verse of the Gospel Acclamation. While we may only learn one verse of one hymn, for the other verses they are given the option to sing along on ooh and for those who are very excited about the printed word, the Mass Program really assists them in being more fully present. Thank you parents for singing as a family at home. 
 
Though Nine Lessons and Carols seems long ago, I must again commend them. They were watchful, sang their hearts out and filed back to their assigned pews like professionals. The Ave Maria chant is a favorite of theirs so they were eager to sing along. Additionally having familiarity with some of the congregational hymns also helped to keep them as focused as possible given that some were almost falling asleep on their feet.  As the celebrants processed back in at the end of the service, Bishop McGrattan stopped and shook my hand; he was obviously impressed with the entire evening.

A note about ongoing work to be done at home:
Please check your child's progress on the Pater Noster and the Bach/ Gounod Ave Maria. Both of these handouts make reference to the videos that I have chosen as models. A gentle reminder that they may need some help to access each video.

Soon Miss Lisa will be coming in periodically to assist me with choreography. Singing and moving simultaneously is an important goal of any early childhood music program. While our games assist with this for a good portion of the schola year - moving at the Year End Concert also has a place; it frees the singing voice, and allows singers to be storytellers in a bigger than life way - with fun and authenticity.  As some have inquired who this special person is who shares the director space with me at our year end concerts - hopefully this clarifies things. Miss Lisa and I go back decades and I am delighted that she is able to fit us into her very busy schedule. She is amazing at what she does and has the perfect combination of a work ethic which is mindful of the need of a child centered approach. 

We are also excited to share in a reach out with the Junior Choir on February 6th in Strathmore - this venture is a first for both of our choirs. 

A very appreciative,
Miss Katheryne   

To the Parents of the Little Lambs

Mid November onwards was busy. The first trimester was being wrapped up and at the time of reading this newsletter marks and comments should be in your hands. I love the opportunity to connect with you and your Little Lamb more individually at the end of each trimester. Choir is a collective activity, however, it is not just the most innately gifted singers who make a choir. It is each member's contributions that give a choir its heart and the Little Lambs certainly shine here. They possess an eagerness, a joy of singing and as they make more sense of the rudimentary building blocks - the language of music - they are becoming budding musicians.     

We welcomed Advent at the end of November - a time to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ with the many themes of waiting, hope, peace, joy and love. These themes are evident in the hearts and minds of the Little Lambs yet for many Santa's arrival is perhaps even more exciting. Ah, for the wonder of childhood!  

I would like to share with you our Nine Lessons and Carols hymn entitled, "A Maiden Most Tender". Both the text and the accompaniment capture the gentleness and tenderness of the mother of Jesus, of Jesus' long awaited birth and the Archangel Gabriel's foretelling. The Little Lamb's seem to connect with this hymn not only due to their child-like voices but the singing of this text seems to come authentically from their hearts. The accompaniment is not as supportive as in many other selections we have done in previous years, but they have enjoyed the hard work needed to make this hymn work.

December is always exciting. The Little Lambs have had a number of opportunities to sing outside of class time - at our first showcase of the year, our December Mass/ Rehearsal for Nine Lessons and Carols, and at the BVCC Senior's Luncheon where over half of our Little Lambs participated.  A sincere thank you to all families who were able to make this work at a time of year which is already very busy.  Being observed is a learned behaviour and the more we sing in a variety of settings the more comfortable we become. 

A few highlights from the above:

Little Lamb Showcase - Thank you to our audience for your heartfelt smiles, encouraging clapping and participation - particularly in the games Engine, Engine and Jingle Bells. You were such great sports. The kid in all of us is certainly alive and well. I am so proud of the Little Lambs - particularly in being 'bigger than life' storytellers, having fun with choreography, and their sensitivity in singing, "A Maiden Most Gentle", I also applaud them for their courage to do sol-fa hand signs with their eyes closed, for the way they entertained and for their attentiveness, smiles and enthusiasm throughout the showcase.

Nine Lessons Rehearsal/Class and Mass - December 2nd was a huge day; challenging yet also productive. They are even more excited knowing that they will be front and centre for NLC and singing in the cathedral is always very special. I feel so blessed that we also had class time on site at the cathedral; it was crucial for the day and for events later in the month. With each additional First Friday Mass it is obvious that we are getting better at all the tasks assigned to us - though we had to be mindful of the busyness of the day and how energies may wane - as they did. 

Bow Valley Christmas Luncheon - This is always a win-win situation. The Seniors literally love the Little Lambs and the Little Lambs were captured by the performance bug and got even more comfortable in front of an audience. They adapted nicely to being on a small stage and sang their hearts out. I am so proud of them. 

I feel so blessed to be on this journey with your child.

Blessings and a Very Merry Christmas to All.  

Love Miss Katheryne     

To the Parents of the Little Lamb Choir, 

Already the year seems to be flying by. By the time you read this newsletter approximately 1/3 of our classes will have been completed. Much has been accomplished and yet there is still so much to learn. 

This is an important musical journey and your involvement and support is instrumental.  It guides your child and provides another level on which to connect in a meaningful way. Personalizing binders, singing favourite songs, and finding stickers has great kid appeal. However, it may be time to review the Letter to Parents which was handed out in the first week of classes. I would love to challenge you,  your child and older siblings to sing 5 minutes every day. This need not take away from what you do as a family - new habits develop in only 21 days. Singing is food for our hearts: it increases endorphins, serotonin and dopamine - all the 'happy' chemicals that make us feel good about ourselves but the act of singing accomplishes so much more. Singing for singing's sake is a worthwhile goal in itself but with a developmentally, sequenced based program we learn to make sense of the basics of music. Already the Little Lambs have some of the rudimentary skills on which to build - towards the goal of becoming musically literate.     

Soon we'll be singing again at another first Friday Mass and this singing greatly aids the equally important goal of instilling in the Little Lambs their love of congregational singing. Certainly, your modelling of this in your own home churches and at our First Friday Masses pays dividends as we together work towards this goal. So please know that I am truly thankful to you for doing this so well as we gather to praise and pray together at these Masses.

November and December are big months at the schola.  Some of the events have the potential of your young singer being bitten by the performance bug. While we do a great deal of repetition in class, please provide some time at home for memorization and check your child's progress periodically. 

Here are the highlights: 

1.  Our November Mass has already been mentioned. The finals for the Poetry Slam which is very dear to my heart will also happen on November 7th. Congratulations to all who participated in both the qualifying and final rounds. The way that every participant commits to their poem and personifies it in a meaningful way is what keeps this art form alive. 
2.  Our First Showcase of this year is on Wednesday, December 3rd. It is always great to see extended families coming out to support these young singers. The enthusiasm shown by our audience really helps to let these young singers shine. Being observed is a learned behaviour.   
3.  December 5th is a BIG day. A Nine Lessons rehearsal and class followed by our First Friday Mass. We will all need to work hard to ensure success while being mindful of their needs. It will be a tiring day.   
4.  December 6th - Nine of our singers have committed to sing at the Bow Valley Seniors' Luncheon. I know that they will sing their hearts out; love their audience and the audience in turn will love them. A win-win situation. Again this is a relatively short commitment and specific details will follow in an email from the administration office.  Thank you so much for committing to this non-mandated event. 
5.  December 14th - Nine Lessons and Carols - another big day. The Little Lambs find this a tiring event. If some downtime can be a part of their day or even a nap - they may more easily participate to their fullest. I know that you will find that our selection entitled, "A Maiden Most Gentle" captures their angelic voices. They are already excited by the unique accompaniment. 

I love the journey that I am on with each of your children. Thank you for this privilege.

Love Miss Katheryne     

I feel very blessed to be on this musical journey with your child. Even with over half of the Little Lambs being new to the program, the virtue of orderliness has truly helped us work towards being a musical team.  I genuinely feel that our hourly time twice a week is productive. Cooperation, enthusiasm, participation, and a willingness to try their best - all have us already internalizing many skills and concepts. A sincere thank you to each of my Little Lambs.  

I understand that many are singing and sharing their binders at home. Some have even added colour to their handouts which personalizes them in a special way and may even be reason enough for the binder contents to be kept as a childhood souvenir at the end of this year.  With the limited class time that we have spent on the Ave Maria Chant in D, it is evident that quite a number of you are assisting your child to find the video(s) that I have recommended on all of the Latin repertoire that is part of the curriculum. Thank you - parents for aiding your child in this. This immersion method is proven to be a very productive learning tool. Soon I will introduce the Pater Noster and Bach-Gounod's Ave Maria will follow. A HOMEWORK assignment of sorts which is ongoing.  At our Parent Meeting, I promised that I would  keep you in the loop on this. 

We have our first First Friday Mass under our belts: the second one as well depending on when you read this newsletter.  Mass Preparation has been a challenge. In all my previous years at the schola, it has been a very gradual project  - paced throughout the year. However, all sung parts of the Merbecke Mass are already known. Please know that this will come more easily to all of the Little Lambs as the year progresses. We have already had some success. They aced the Psalm Response at our first Mass - the role of congregational singing is already becoming dear to their hearts. 

Please also be watching for a special email about the upcoming Bow Valley Seniors' Luncheon and respond as soon as you are able.  I have outlined the many reasons why I support the Little Lamb's inclusion in this non-mandated event. It is my hope that enough will be able to participate. 

Finally, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am thankful for each Little Lamb entrusted to me on this exciting journey. In their binder there is a Thanksgiving Song which would be lovely for them to share as your grace for whatever Thanksgiving table around which you may be sitting. 

With great thanks,

Miss Katheryne      

Another year has flown by even more quickly than previous years at the schola. 

The Spring Showcase on May 7th was a huge success! It was an opportunity to walk the audience through some processes, and share our successes and growth since our last showcase. It certainly put the Little Lambs on a high which will get them peaking at the exact right moment for the Year End Concert while also locking in our year’s work. It is evident that they need an audience to get them excited about performing and this is probably true for all of our schola singers. The Little Lambs and I delighted in the participation of our audience - particularly in the game “Billy, Billy” which revealed that we are all kids at heart. 

I am so proud of each Little Lamb and highlight the following:

1. Singing on the air with full-throated ease which allows them to sound older than they are. 
2. Their enthusiasm and pure joy of singing. 
3. Their persistence with the more challenging concepts and skills of the program which has meant embracing mistakes and not relying on the group collective.
4. Their growth in becoming congregational singers and their excitement for singing in Latin. 

This is also the time of year to say goodbye to those who are moving up to the Junior program. It is with heartfelt interest that I will continue to watch their musical and personal growth. Thank you for the memories that I will hold dear.  To those returning, I am already looking forward to our next year together.  I know that those singers will continue in their refreshing enthusiasm and will grow into leadership roles; some already have shown evidence of this. This is the beauty of multi-aged classes. 

I wish you all a safe and joyous summer where daily blessings abound.

Love Miss Katheryne

What a productive period of time it has been - a time of breaking down increasingly complex skills, persistent, focused practice, relating new information to prior knowledge and being patient as we try to put it altogether. We are singing in two parts more and while this proves to be a challenge - particularly for those who are still working so hard to find their in-tune voices - they are all delving in and I can literally see their excitement as they get better. 

Choreography has started with Miss Lisa and all who know her from last year were very excited to have her return. Choreography allows the Little Lambs to have even more fun with storytelling, relating to their audience in a bigger than life way with an authenticity which lets their personalities shine through. Yet it is precise and concentrated work which would benefit greatly from practising at home in front of a mirror. I realize that many may wish to keep choreography a surprise so please be patient If they periodically monopolize the mirror space in your home. 

I am very excited that the Little Lambs are more consistently singing on the air which makes singing an effortless activity and allows them to enjoy a bigger more mature sound. Quite a feat for Grades 1/2 but well within their capabilities. 

Here are some things you may focus on at home:

1. "Loving Shepherd Of Thy Sheep" - all verses should be known. Our rehearsal for Tenebrae Is APRIL 4th but please keep this current as we will continue with it to build additional skills.  

2. “May The Lord Bless You and Keep You” has been chosen for our joint piece which will be done at the Mass in Canmore and at our Year End concert. This piece has been a mainstay of the Senior Choir. However, the majority of the Little Lambs have siblings in either the Junior and/or Senior Choirs and this would be an excellent opportunity for them to work towards a common goal. 

3. Tracking text and notes is one of our curricular goals. For those who are excited about reading, this activity both expands their reading vocabulary, significantly aids the learning process and has them depending less on me. Please read the following longer songs with your child - “There Once Was A Tortoise”, “Whisper” and “This Is It”. This latter one you may know if you were ever a Bugs Bunny fan! 

4. Ave Maria - both the chant and Bach/Gounod’s version will be done at the Mass in Canmore in May. We will sing the first one with the congregation and the second one will be sung as the Communion Motet by the Little Lambs.

While this list is long, and we are well on our way with all of the above, singing each day even for a few minutes truly feeds us. 

At the time of the circulation of this newsletter, we will have less than two months left in this schola year. While we have accomplished so much, it is important that we stay focussed and energised even if our concentration wanes at times. That’s all part of both learning to internalize skills and being a performer. I am so proud of the accomplishments of each of the Little Lambs. Individually and collectively they have grown so much. I feel so blessed to be a part of their musical journeys.

Miss Katheryne

​The New Year is always an exciting time. With the building blocks acquired to date we are now merrily rolling along - musically speaking.

Our year is busy, so I wanted to keep you in the loop and provide you with some guidance on how you may help your Little Lamb on their musical journey. I know that together we may allow them to be the best that they may be.

I know that many of the Little Lambs are singing at home - probably the songs that they love. While this is great news, and I hope that this continues, the meat and potatoes of the curriculum requires repetition, and great concentration. Our music time together provides opportunities in each class to practise and rehearse so that what was once difficult becomes easier. However, a few minutes a day will pay dividends as we move forward. This is particularly true in the following areas:

1. Making more sense of Sol-fa - While there is still a tendency to rely on the group collective, some students are making very productive use of class time and testing how much they truly know. Closing their eyes when practising these skills focuses  both the ears and brains more. This could also be done at home to get these skills more internalized. This extra time will give them more confidence.

2. Learning our diverse and ambitious repertoire - While much of the music is taught either by rote (I sing, you sing) or immersion learning (I sing, you join in) actual sheet music will be appearing in your child’s binder early in February. I am aware of the diverse reading skills that exist. The enthusiastic reader will enjoy having the music in front of them and will quickly discover what a great tool it is to track words and music - making more sense of what is on the printed page. Others would benefit greatly from having the text read to them at home as they point to each word. Again, frequent short sessions work better than a one shot.

3. Our Tenebrae Hymn is "Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep". I know that the Little Lambs will sing this hymn beautifully with a child-like sincerity. This hymn’s simplistic melody has a text that has required some explanation. The first two verses should already be confidently memorized with the third verse already started. There are four verses in this hymn so periodic checking of memorization would be helpful. As is sometimes the case with our Tenebrae selection we will be doing the third verse as a round. An exciting opportunity exists for those singers who wish to be featured in small group solo/soli for Verse I. Auditions will be held during class time. There seems to be a fair amount of enthusiasm to be in a small group.

4. The next challenge is to memorize our new Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod. Some of the details are already on the homework page with a link. Young singers have a great capacity to learn music via listening repetitively and singing along. Not unlike other challenges students will be awarded House League points up to a maximum of 50. All efforts will be acknowledged with some points. The due date is February 19th so that in class testing may be done before out next break.

Finally, congratulations to all of the Little Lambs for their hard work on learning the Merbecke Mass Setting. As of the First Friday Mass in February, we will have joyously sung all parts with the congregation with the exception of the Gloria which is not on our ’to do’ list. Overall, accomplishments on many fronts seem to take off at this time of the year. I am so proud of all of the Little Lambs!

With Appreciation,
Miss Katheryne

​What an exciting week we have had. Overall, I can say that the Little Lambs have been bitten by the performance bug!

The Showcase was a huge success. Being in the auditorium made this event very special as did our audience - extended families and the many classes that also came out. The unconditional support was truly felt and the Little Lambs shared their unique personalities in all that we did but particularly in our games and movement activities. Even the ‘rhythm erase’ example was fun though it taxed their memories - more so under the scrutiny of an audience. As always, the first Showcase each year, provides a wonderful opportunity to allow families to see their child in action but also to gain a better understanding and appreciation for what we do. 

Friday was a huge day with a schedule that was challenging. The Little Lambs took this in their stride for the most part. They had a lot to contribute to the mass following our Nine Lessons and Carols rehearsal but it was obvious that they were getting tired. We are still working towards consistent appropriate mass behaviours, I know that this will come; it was just a much bigger day than usual. 

A big thank you goes out to those families who committed to the Seniors’ Luncheon. It was such a win/win situation for all. Fourteen of our Little Lambs truly sang their hearts out, and entertained our audience authentically and musically. Our audience warmed to us instantly. So many came up and commented on their performance and the cookies at the end were a nice perk. The Little Lambs were sat in prime seats to see the Senior Choir perform and were seemingly mesmerised by that experience.  While this was not a mandatory event, its inclusion as part of our outreach reaps so many benefits.

Experiencing the performance bug with this week’s events was truly magical. 

We will look forward to seeing you all at Nine Lessons and Carols - another big day which will take the Little Lambs past their bedtimes.  

Wishing you and yours a very Blessed Christmas season.

With appreciative,
Miss Katheryne 

Since the last newsletter, report cards have been completed, and this, as always, is an opportunity to tangibly revisit each Little Lamb's progress since the beginning of the year. I am so proud of each of them for their different strengths and accomplishments. I have suggested to a number of you that a meeting would be advantageous to further your child’s musical development. I am confident that we may find a mutually agreeable time to meet. For any parent, wishing to meet with me for any reason, please reach out. My email address is: [email protected]

The time before Christmas break is a happy whirlwind. We are so excited about the Showcase on December 4th. I love the first showcase of the year as you will see some of the process/activities that happen in a typical class, thus gaining an appreciation of the hard work that your child is doing. The busyness of that week continues with our First Friday Mass where the Little Lambs will have the chance to sing, “The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came” as the Communion Motet. Having the chance to do their Nine Lessons and Carols selection before that event is so advantageous. They work so hard on many things and to have the chance to sing repertoire more than once is such a perk. The Nine Lessons and Carols rehearsal on that same Friday, may be a challenging day for some; however, we are all very mindful of that and have taken care to orchestrate the day so that it may be a positive experience for them. The following day, December 7th - over half of the choir will participate in the BVCC Seniors’ Luncheon. I know that our 10 minute program will allow the Little Lambs to shine and will delight their audience. Thank you again to those families who have chosen to let their child participate in this non-mandated event.

Nine Lessons and Carols has become a most valued event for the Schola. It is such a beautiful way to prepare for the Christmas season. Please refer to all of the information circulated and do what you can to ensure that your child is able to fully participate and shine - even though this event takes them past their bedtimes. 

 Miss Katheryne

Hello to the Parents of the Little Lamb Choir,

By the time that this newsletter is circulated, we will be approaching our third first Friday Mass with more of the Merbecke Mass setting under our belts. Certainly the mass in October was a great indication of the potential that exists in raising our voices together in praise - students, families and members of the congregations that come to join us for our first Friday masses. Thank you for being such great role models and helping to keep your child on track with learning this new mass setting. For the Mass in December we will be adding the Agnus Dei. As some of the Little Lambs have communicated that they already are familiar with this setting as it is one that they are singing in their own parishes, I am hoping that the Gloria will be learned via osmosis. Overall, I am very excited as to how - even within the space of this schola year, they have grown in becoming more active participants in our first Friday Masses.   

Congratulations to the Little Lambs for the progress that they have made on the Ave Maria chant. This is well on its way for most. From there we will move onto the Bach/Gounod version. As young singers learn best via listening, here is a YouTube version that may be helpful - 'A Capella in a Chapel’ by Margaret Cross.   

A sincere thank you to families who have committed to the BVCC Senior’s Luncheon event on December 7th. I know that those in attendance will sing their hearts out. If you have not as yet responded, and would like your child to participate, they will be most welcome. Just reach out to me in advance.

Since our last newsletter, there have been many exciting ‘light bulb' moments for returning and new students alike. The beauty of having multi-aged classes at the schola reaps such benefits. This is, however, the first year that more than one student has communicated the extra fun they are having because they know more than the previous year. Out of the mouths of babes!! To see so many young musicians excited about doing hand signs and expanding their musical vocabulary - is part of the reason that I feel so blessed to be at the schola. Music for music’s sake truly uplifts our hearts. 

With all of the above, and as a heads up, I am already very excited about our Show Case on December 4 at 2:45 pm.  Please invite family members early.  It is a wonderful opportunity to see some of the process that happens in a typical class.

With sincere appreciation, 
 
Miss Katheryne