Quigley Preparatory Seminary - La Petit Seminaire Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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One of the difficulties which the director meets in this worlc is that of producing a prayerful spirit with voices which have not yet Fully ma- tured. But with the patience and understanding of Fatherfvlroczltowskhvocal faults are corrected, the desirable tcne qualities of each man are de- veloped, until the entire group is so controlled that it sings in one, unified voice. But just as one group seems to have reached its heights of achievement, they are ready to be graduated and Father is faced with the taslc of perfecting another group. Of this year's senior class, twenty-eight have been selected for special chant training. This group formed the leading voices of chant choir. Any number of times during the year this group is called upon to sing for special occasions both at the cathedral and at the school chapel. For those students who have more than aver- age difficulties in grasping the lcnow-how of chant, Father lvlroczlcowslci has organized a sep- arate class which he conducts in his free time. Though this class is not compulsory, the men re- spond willingly, aware ofthe absolute necessity of their mastering chant in order to sing the Mass. Among some of the special occasions at which the Schola Cantorum participated in during the past year were: the fiftieth sacerdotal anniver- sary of Archbishop O'Brien, the Forty Hour De- votion at the Cathedral, when the schola chanted SATURDAY NIGHT RENDEZVOUSH S0 A LITTLE MUSICAL ADVICE the Litany of the Saints, and gave a four-part, a cappella rendition of Alblinger's Tantum Ergo, the Christmas Midnight Mass, and the Mass on Easter Sunday. It is also the schola's distinctive privilege to chant the Divine Office on Wednesday and Thursday of l'loly Week, as well as the Tenebrae Services on Good Friday. Theirs, too, is the honor of chanting the ancient liturgy of the l loly Weelc at the cathe- dral service. To observe fittingly the fiftieth anniversary of Blessed Pius X's Motu Proprion and for the consecration of Bishop Hillinger, the chanters of Quigley joined their voices with those of the Mundelein Seminary choir. These two occasions strengthened the bond of unity that always existed between the seminarians, whether they are in their first year at Quigley or their last year at Mundelein. Why the accent on training in plain chant? Because the seminary is ever mindful that one day her boys will stand before the altar of God, mediators between God and men, raising their voices in praise and petitions for those committed to their care. Hence, though concentration on plain chant and voice training began in fourth year, the principles of correct singing and chanting are introduced as early as first year. The administration believes that the longer a student is immersed in a subject the more sensitive will be his response to the knowledge of it.

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FR MROCZKOWSKI FRESH ATTACK' C mf Quigley welcomed Father oseph Mroczkow skr as chant drrector rn 1949 when he was ap pointed to replace Father Prrbyl Trained 1944 by the late Mother Stevens at the Prus X School of Gregorian Chant and prrvrleged to study rn 1947 wrth Father Frnn nationally known chorr director Father Mroczkowskr was adequately equrpped for hrs new appointment When after a years efforts to produce rnsprr atronal church musrc at the Cathedral Father was selected for further study of Gregorian musrc at Rome the reaction of the faculty and student body was one of mixed emotrons They were disappointed to lose so frne a director and yet they were happy that he had the opportunrty to round out to the full hrs knowledge of the art For three years Father made a detailed study of church musrc and developed a more complete knowledge and apprecratron of the classrcs Upon hrs return to Qurgley rn 1953 Father put hrs newly acqurred knowledge to work It was then that he clarrfred hrs theory concerning chant the student should understand chant not memorrze rt This attrtude toward church musrc grves the student more confidence rn hrs rendrtron of the srngrng One ofthe fundamentals whrch he stresses rs proper breathrng It rs Father s con vrctron that anyone hoprng to sing at all must frrst master resprratory control OF the musrcal organizations exrstrng at Qurg ley the Gregorian Chant Choir rs the oldest It provides all the plarn chant musrc requrred at the cathedral ceremonres Plain chant not only accentuates the drgnrty of drvrne worshrp but elevates the soul to srncere prayer Chant rs per formed wrthout organ accompanrment ln sprte of rts structural srmplrcrty rf rt rs performed prop erly chant rs capable of surpassrng even the most complex musrcal composrtron The fundamentals of chant that rs theory and applrcatron are taught to fourth year stu dents though the actual chanting for cathedral services rs done by those rn therr senror year If the proper of the Mass rs to be done wrth any amount of perfection rt rs achreved rn propor tron Realrzrng thrs the chorr group rn addrtron to therr regular rehearsals after school hours sac rrfrce a half hour of therr lunch perrod once a week whrch they add to the two 45 mrnute classes each week to perfect therr rendrtrons LEFT TO RIGHT DO RE 8t Ml .rr l . . , . , , I - , , , I - ll g : I -D ll I F . I . . . . - tion to the time sacrificed to master the composi- ' I I A I Q ' ' . ' in , I - , , I iv I I I F - . , , I Z' , Z I ll : I I I

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On the opposite pole of existence among the musical organizations at Quigley is the accor- dion band, newest oi the group. Originating in the minds oi Monsignor Meter and Father Mroczkowski, the job of directing it fell to the latter. When the band began its rehearsal sessions on Saturday afternoons, it was still to be proved whether or not this new group would carve its way into a permanent place in the school. But when in May, 1950, the curtain CHOIR LIBRARIANSU -'JIM HERMES AT THE ORGAN opened on the Annual Quigley Concert, the accordion band made its debut and won a spontaneous ovation of approval. With their position as a school institution established, the band has since then grown in prestige and pop- ularity among the students. During Father Mroczkowsl4i's stay in Rome, the band was directed by Father Wojcilf. ln its fifth year of existence, the musicians have gained a remarkable reputation among their more digni- fied conireres in the musical field. Now it is again under the direction ol Father Mrcczlrow- slci. The band prides itself on two outstanding members, ,lames Swaner and John Vlasny, who never fail to win the unanimous approval of their audiences with their solos. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DAY AFTER Only to the best should the training oi stu- dents ior the priesthood be entrusted, said Cardinal Bourne. This is also true in the teaching oi music. For as the Cure' D'Ars inspired his people by his devotion at the sacred functions of the priesthood, these instructors in church music inspire future priests. The priest must sing praises to God during the ceremonies. He must do this with great diligence and piety. These instructors, selected by the bishop, teach future priests with what devotion they must offer their hearts and their voices to God in the most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice, A SUNDAY MORNING CONCERT