Musician Guidelines

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Download TV Mass Filming Schedule 2021 (MASTER) (PDF) updated 11/21/2019

This production is an excellent opportunity to model good liturgy. It is very important that you plan carefully and select appropriate music for the Sunday you are scheduled to sing. Please complete this form for your preparations and submit it to the Office of Worship.

How many people can we bring?
Up to 20 choir members. Small groups, even one cantor & accompanist, can be sufficient for the TV Mass. Please be sure also to bring a lector.
What should we wear?
Solid colors work best, except for bright white or solid black clothing, which tends to “glow” or “float” on camera. If your choir has robes, please bring and wear them. If not, wear your “Sunday best.”
When do you need us there?
Please plan to arrive at the Pastoral Center Chapel in St. Cloud (305 No. 7th Ave. – (google map) no later than 5:30 p.m. to allow time for rehearsal, sound check and instructions, with the first Mass recording at 6:00.
Where do we go?
Go to the chapel in the Pastoral Center – 305 N. 7th Avenue in Saint Cloud (google map). Enter the door on the northern side of the building, which faces Cathedral High School. You can park in the parking lot on the north end of the Pastoral Center.

Thank you! The TV Mass could not continue without the generous music ministry of choirs and groups like yours from throughout the Diocese of Saint Cloud. We sincerely appreciate your time, generosity and contribution to our TV Mass ministry for the homebound!

Music for the TV Mass:

We have 29:30 for the entire Mass. This limits the amount and length of music. However, we want your group to sing as much as possible. We ask that you refer to the Musicians Information Worksheet (above) when you create your song list. The music ought to always be chosen in continuity with the liturgy of the day, so please take time to prepare.

Overall, we aim for quality over quantity in music. Please sing music your group knows well. Also remember that the audience of this Mass is usually homebound – traditional or familiar songs will be comforting.

Please complete the “TV Mass Musicians Information Worksheet” and submit it to the Office of Worship a week before the taping for which you are scheduled. Please fill out the worksheet completely, particularly the timings for each piece of music (including intros) as that helps the technicians in the booth to direct the cameras.

Three Important Notes:

  1. We do not have an assembly present for these liturgies, so your choir or group must participate clearly in all spoken responses (“Amen” “And with your spirit” “Thanks be to God” etc.).
  2. Singers and musicians should look up, smile and relax as much as possible. This will come across to our viewers at home, making the celebration of the Mass more participatory to them.
  3. Your choir or group should prepare to sing the psalm of the day or an appropriate psalm for the season that fits with the First Reading for that Sunday. (Please do not read or alternate with the lector.) Typically, there is only time for 2 verses with refrains.

The Lector:

We ask that your group bring with you one of your parish lectors. The lector should be one who lectors regularly in your parish. The lector needs to proclaim the Word in a sure and steady voice, looking up to give good eye contact with cameras during the Liturgy of the Word. If you are unable to bring a lector, please contact the Office of Worship and someone will be scheduled through the office.

The lector proclaims the following readings/prayers during the liturgy:

First Reading
The lector should thoroughly prepare the First Reading from the Lectionary for the Sunday you are scheduled. Because of the limited 30-minute broadcast, only the first reading is used.
Universal Prayer/Intercessions
The general intercessions will be provided to the lector. The lector should take some time to look over the intercessions before the TV Mass. There will be four intercessions for the lector to read following the Creed during the Mass.

In the Event of an Emergency:

If weather or another emergency prevents you from arriving at the Pastoral Center in St. Cloud by 5:30 p.m., please call the Office of Worship by 3:00 p.m., (320) 255-9068.