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Some reflections on thirty-five years

Posted by sierracanon on November 25, 2019
Posted in: Uncategorized. 1 Comment

On Sunday, November 25, 1984, I played my first service as the newly minted Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento. I hadn’t actually planned to start that day… I had a couple of Sundays in-between the church situation which I was leaving, and the start of my tenure at Trinity. But I got a call from the Dean, the Saturday night before, asking what I was planning to do on Sunday morning. I mentioned that I planned to come to church and sit through the services to get a feel for things. He said “bring some organ music with you.” My predecessor had gotten in an accident that day, and would not be able to finish out her time. So I was on!

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Early 1980’s, ready for a new adventure

And so began a journey which has lasted much longer than I ever imagined. The job was quarter-time, and didn’t pay very well, so I thought I’d put in a few years, and then move on to something bigger and better funded, and better paying. But the program grew over the years, and became a full-time job, and the “fit” continues to be perfect.

During my early time at the Cathedral, I met other musicians from around the Diocese, who told me that they’d never been asked to join in anything at the Cathedral. So the idea of a Diocesan Choir Festival was formed, where singers from around the Diocese could come for a day of singing under the direction of a distinguished guest conductor, finishing with a service of Choral Evensong. Evensong was not widely done in the Diocese in those days, so I thought there was some benefit to that as well. The first festival was conducted by my friend Dr John Fenstermaker, who was Canon for Music at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The festival was a resounding success, and despite some financial challenges, continues to this day. We have welcomed some of the most distinguished Anglican musicians from around the world over the thirty-three years of the Festival.

When I had been at the Cathedral for a few years, and the choir was growing and sounding pretty good, I began to formulate the idea of taking them to England to sing in the great Cathedrals. In England, the regular choirs take some time off during the summer, and choirs from around the world are invited to sing the daily services in their absence. We recorded an audition tape and sent them off to various Cathedrals, and received invitations to sing at Wells, Chichester, and Salisbury Cathedrals.

This was a huge challenge for the choir. The sheer amount of repertoire needed to do two weeks of residency can be pretty overwhelming. But we spent two years planning and rehearsing and fund-raising, and in the summer of 1990, we made our first “choir pilgrimage.” It was extremely successful, and we received many invitations to return. We have been back to England four more times, in 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2003. We’ve sung in some of England’s finest Cathedrals including Winchester, Lincoln, Norwich, Truro, Southwark, Peterborough, Canterbury, York Minster, and Westminster Abbey. To sing in a church which has offered music and prayer for a dozen centuries, is a profound and  life changing experience.

With the Cathedral Choir at Westminster Abbey in 2003

It has been quite a while since our last visit, so we will be going again next summer, “in residence” at Beverley Minster and Durham Cathedral.

In the summer of 2004 I was able to take advantage of my first “sabbatical” leave. I wanted to do something really special, so spent the summer hiking in preparation for a climb of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. At a height of 19,340′, Kili is the highest mountain in Africa, and one of the world’s “Seven Summits.” It was physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I made it to the summit on July 19th, and then safely home. Mountain hiking continues to be one of my favorite passions, which feeds my soul away from the Cathedral.

By 2014, the Cathedral’s fine Reuter pipe organ had developed some serious problems. The pedal principal pipes in the façade pipes were collapsing under their own weight, the electronics in the console had developed reliability problems, the primary wind reservoir had water damage from a burst pipe, and more. A committee was formed to raise funds for the project, and those funds came quickly. The second goal of the project was to complete the long planned “Processional” division at the north end of the Cathedral. The project was completed in 2016, and we couldn’t be happier with the result!

I have been privileged to be the music director for the Consecration and Seating of two Bishops, and have somehow outlasted at least three Bishops and three Cathedral Deans. We have recently been joined by a wonderful new Bishop, and are currently in the midst of the search for a new Dean.

My personal life has changed in many ways too. I have raised three daughters, and been married three times! I have spent more than half of my life at Trinity Cathedral, which I find kind of astonishing. I believe I am the second-longest tenured Episcopal Cathedral Musician in the United States (my colleague in Oklahoma City has forty-one years under his belt!).

Canon Link in his natural habitat/happy place.

But all of this would not be possible without many others with whom I work. The number of immensely talented singers who have been members of my choirs over the years, is kind of overwhelming. The support of so many clergy and staff members has made my job easier every day. And the support of the vestry and congregation is an important partnership which I do not take for granted. Most of all, I appreciate the support of my family and especially my loving wife Sharene. I could not do this complicated work without her support.

And the future?? Some have quipped “and another thirty-five to go!” I’m not sure that I can continue to do this until I am 99 years old! But my hope is to retire from full-time Church music work at the age of 70, which is in six years. But for now, my heart is full of gratitude for this gift of my vocation at Trinity Cathedral.

I love you all!

 

Choral Evensong for the Feast of St Cecilia

Posted by sierracanon on November 9, 2019
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

800px-Saint_Cecilia_WymondleyPlease join the Trinity Cathedral Choir on Thursday, November 21st at 6:00 pm, for a special service of Choral Evensong, commemorating St Cecilia who is the patron saint of Music and Musicians. The Cathedral Choir is pleased to welcome Dr Ryan Enright as our organist for this service. The music will include the rarely performed Evening Canticles (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis) by American Composer Lee Hoiby. This highly original setting is unlike anything else in the Evensong repertoire, and has a distinctly “American” sound to it, reflecting the style of Samuel Barber and Hoiby’s teacher Gian Carlo Menotti.

The anthem will be “A Hymn for St Cecilia” by English composer Herbert Howells, to a lovely text by Ursula Vaughan-Williams (second wife of famed composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams). The service will also include music by Sir Sidney Nicholson, Richard Ayleward, and Henry Smart.

This service of Evensong has special meaning for me personally too. It will mark the completion of thirty-five years as Canon for Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento. I believe I am the second longest standing musician in an American Episcopal Cathedral,  having spent well over half my life here, and hope to be able to continue here until my planned retirement in six years.

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I hope you will join us for this special Choral Evensong service, honoring our musical Patron Saint!

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is located at 2620 Capitol Avenue at 27th Street in mid-town Sacramento.  http://www.trinitycathedral.or

 

 

Waves to wine… almost there!

Posted by sierracanon on September 9, 2019
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IMG_20180914_111418The clock is ticking, and Bike MS “Waves to Wine” is less than two weeks away! I have been feeling very good about my training this summer. With every day of my two month sabbatical available, I cycled over five hundred miles, so am in pretty good shape for the ride. 

I was getting ready to head up to the foothills for some training on hills (since the Delta where I usually ride is pancake flat) last week. while putting my bike up on top of my car roof rack, I noticed a significant crack around a spoke nipple on the rear wheel. No riding that day! I am having to have a new wheel built, so will be off the bike for a few days.

So, I am into full-tilt fundraising mode! With just twelve days to go, I am still about $480 short of my three-thousand dollar fundraising goal. If you have been intending to contribute, but haven’t done so yet, this would be a fine time to do it, and I would love to start the ride on September 21st, having raised all of my goal amount. Just click the link below to make a quick and easy contribution of any size.

For those of you who have already made your contribution, thank you so much! Our family really appreciates your support!

(Sierracanon rides in honor of his daughter Abbey, diagnosed with MS in the Spring of 2018).

Click here to donate to 2019 Waves to Wine

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Taking a Sabbatical

Posted by sierracanon on July 5, 2019
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As those who follow me know by now, the last few weeks have been hectic for me. With the Consecration and Seating of our new Diocesan Bishop, the Right Reverend Megan M. Traquair at the end of June, I had lots on my plate! But I am pleased to report that all went wonderfully, and I am now sliding into Sabbatical mode.

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One of the benefits of having been at Trinity Cathedral for so many years (nearly thirty-five of them!), is the ability to take a three-month sabbatical leave every five years. This is a wonderful opportunity to get away, to recharge without the stresses of everyday work, and to get some continuing education. I am pleased to be able to take two months this summer during July and August. Previous sabbaticals have given me the opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, participate in the Choral Conducting master-class at the Oregon Bach Festival, thru-hike the High Sierra trail, and much more.

Many have asked what I will be doing during my time off this year, and I have several things planned. During the first week or so, I will be reorganizing my office. If you have seen my office, you know how badly this needs to be done! I have nearly thirty-five years of programs, music samples, catalogs, and all kinds of things piling up, so this will be a good time to have some uninterrupted space to work on that.

Professionally, I will be doing some vocal study with Sacramento area voice teacher Carrie Hennessey. Carrie is well known to Sacramento music lovers,
and I hope to up my vocal pedagogy game a bit, and to be able to pass that on to the choirs of Trinity Cathedral.

In case you are wondering, I will have some relaxation as well! Sleeping in
on Sunday mornings will be a nice start. Sharene and I will be taking a few days in Mendocino to celebrate her birthday in late July. And in August, I will travel to Mount Rainier National Park to do a week-long, thirty-five milebackpacking trip, on the famed Northern Loop trail. This will be a wonderful  opportunityto shut off my phone and recharge my own batteries in God’s
creation.

P1040391I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have these periodic breaks to refresh and rest. I look forward to returning to you in September, ready to forge ahead as we enter a new chapter in the Cathedral’s life!

 

MS Waves to Wine 2019

Posted by sierracanon on June 11, 2019
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42514392_10156941907614604_4999193751877320704_o (1)As many of you know, I participated in NorCal AIDS Cycle every year from 2011-2018. NCAC raises funds for organizations in the Sacramento area providing services for those with HIV/AIDS, and also testing and prevention services. I had made the decision early on last year, that it would be my last ride with the organization. In the eight years I participated, I managed to raise over fifty-thousand dollars for this fine cause. I thought… okay my bike fund-raising days are over. Whew! No sooner was the 2018 ride in the bag, when my daughter Abagail was diagnosed with M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis).

This diagnosis was completely out of left field, and left us scratching our heads. The good news is, that at twenty-five years old, Abbey was diagnosed pretty early on. She has now commenced a course of treatment, which will likely be her routine for the rest of her life. There is no “cure” for MS… just regular treatments to lessen the effects the disease has on her daily life.

At the time of her diagnosis, I was already familiar with a MS Fundraiser bike ride called “Waves to Wine.” This two day ride based in Sonoma County, benefits the MS Society, working to find a cure for this disease. Abbey’s sister Holly and I rode in the 2018 edition of Waves to Wine, and have committed to doing it again this September.

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So I am asking your help in fulfilling my goal of raising $3000. Any contribution, large or small, helps the MS Society fund new treatment programs, and possibly, someday a cure for this insidious disease. Simply click the link below to make a (possibly) tax-deductible donation. All of the Link family thanks you for your support!

Contribute to Waves to Wine 2019

 

Welcoming a Bishop

Posted by sierracanon on June 10, 2019
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On February 9th, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California made history, with the election of the Reverend Canon Megan Traquair as the Eighth Bishop of the Diocese. The Bishop-elect will be Consecrated on Saturday, June 29th at the Mondavi Center in Davis, California.  And the next day, she will be seating in her “Cathedra” (Bishop’s Chair) at Trinity Cathedral.

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Bishop-elect Megan McClure Traquair

I am pleased to be asked by Bishop-elect Megan to be the music director for her consecration. We have gathered about eighty singers from fourteen parishes around the Diocese, and are beginning rehearsals this week. I am assisted by two fine organists: Mr Scott Nelson, Director of Music at All Saints Parish, Sacramento, and Mr Brett Judson, Director of Music at Trinity Parish in Folsom.  Our music will be enhanced by the musical skills of trumpeters Colin Mathewson and Dan McCrossen.

With a cast of literally hundreds of people, the procession itself will one of the longest parts of the service! Music for the procession includes several traditional tunes played by bagpiper Rob Duncan. This will be followed by the rousing Cameroon Procession “Praise the Lord” which has been arranged by Ralph E. Johnson. And finally the great English hymn “Lift high the Cross” which has been arranged by Cleveland, Ohio Cathedral organist Todd Wilson.

Consecration choir

The Diocesan choir from the 2006 Consecration of Bishop Barry Beisner

Anthems to be sung include “The Lord is My Shepherd” by Howard Goodall (sometimes known as the theme music to the BBC television series “The Vicar of Dibley”), and the beautiful communion motet “Bread of Heaven” by American composer David Ashley White.

See the consecration program here!

Following the festivities around the consecration, Bishop Traquair will be formally welcomed to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Sunday morning, June 30th. As is traditional with the seating of a Bishop in a Cathedral, a setting of the “Te Deum Laudamus” will be sung. In this case, the Trinity Cathedral Choir will sing the splendid “Collegium Regale” setting, composed by Herbert Howells for the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, England.

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Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center

As a reflection of the diverse music sung regularly at Trinity Cathedral, the offertory anthem will be “Alleluias” (Sacerdotes Dei) by Paul Halley. This lively anthem combines elements of jazz and traditional Cathedral music, and will be sung by the combined Cathedral Choir and Celebration Choir of Trinity Cathedral. The choirs will be joined by jazz pianist Krista Sturgis, and percussionist Eli Strombom.  It will be a stunning climax to an exciting and busy weekend!

And the next day?? I start my summer sabbatical!

 

Music for Holy Week 2019 at Trinity Cathedral

Posted by sierracanon on April 9, 2019
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Ranch 009You are invited to join us for Holy Week services at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento! We have a long and varied week ahead, and invite you to be a part of it.

Palm Sunday, April 14th at 9:00 & 11:15 am  The service opens with the blessing and Procession of Palms into the Cathedral. The Cathedral Choristers will sing the anthem “Hosanna” by Natalie Sleeth at both services.

Tuesday, April 16th at 7:30 pm  The Solemn Office of Tenebrae  Trinity Cathedral’s chamber choir “Resurrexit” will sing Tenebrae Responsories by Tomas Luis de Victoria and Jacob Handl and psalms are chanted to plainsong. The service of Tenebrae traditionally consists of a service of Matins which includes psalms, three readings from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, each followed by a sung responsory. This is followed by the office of Lauds which includes the singing of the canticle “Benedictus Dominus Deus” and the motet “Christus factus est.” For many this is the most powerful and meaningful service of the year.

Maundy Thursday, April 18th at 7:30 pm Commemoration of the Last Supper and footwashing  The Celebration Choir sings this service which includes the anthems “Wash their feet” by Pepper Choplin, and “When Jesus Wept” arranged by Douglas Wagner.

The Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday, April 19th at 7:30 pm  The Cathedral Choir is joined by members of the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento, to sing the beautiful “Stabat Mater in g minor” by Franz Schubert. In addition, soprano soloist Bernadette Rose Mondok will sing “Pie Jesu” from the Requiem by Maurice Duruflé.

The Great Vigil of Easter, Saturday, April 20th at 7:30 pm  The “Queen of Feasts” will be sung by the Cathedral Choir. In addition to music by Peter Hallock and Giuseppe Pitoni, the choir will sing the anthem “Easter Day” by Carson Cooman.

Easter Sunday, April 21st

  • 7:30 am – Festive Easter Eucharist: The Cathedral Choir sings the anthem “Ego sum resurrectio” by Hans Leo Hassler.
  • 9:00 am – Festive Easter Eucharist: The Celebration Choir sings the anthem “The Tomb stands open wide” by Craig Courtney.
  • 11:15 am – Festive Easter Eucharist: The Cathedral Choir sings the anthem “Easter Day” by Carson Cooman.

At all three services Canon David Link will play “Canzona Ariosa” by Andrea Gabrieli, and “Offertoire sur O fillii et filiæ” by Alexandre Guilmant.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is located at 2620 Capitol Avenue at 27th Street, in midtown Sacramento. Parking will be available for all of these services at the Sutter Community Garage at the corner of 27th and N Streets.

 

 

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  • Recent Posts

    • Some reflections on thirty-five years
    • Choral Evensong for the Feast of St Cecilia
    • Waves to wine… almost there!
    • Taking a Sabbatical
    • MS Waves to Wine 2019
    • Welcoming a Bishop
    • Music for Holy Week 2019 at Trinity Cathedral
    • Trinity Cathedral Choir England Pilgrimage 2020
    • Bike MS: Waves to Wine
    • Trinity Cathedral’s Diocesan Choir Festival
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