It didn't take long for the power of music to forever change the lives of the first group of 60 singers to become Pueri Cantores San Gabriel Valley in 1993.
It was their very first tour - to Rome no less - to sing a Mass with Pope John Paul II on New Year's Day, 1994. That in itself was destined to be an unforgettable experience, but it would also be forever etched in their hearts as an experience of unity through the Catholic faith and its music.
On that first day of January, as the final event of the Pueri Cantores International Congress, 10,000 young singers from all over the world filled St. Peter's Basilica for the Mass. Pope John Paul II took more than 90 minutes in greeting the children of every choir, shaking as many hands as possible. Among the choirs from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, the San Gabriel Valley choir sat in a section next to children from Tokyo and near a sizeable group of singers from Rwanda.
"About three months later, I received a fax from the International Federation of Pueri Cantores that all 58 of the children in the choir from Rwanda were killed in the genocide that had ravaged the area," recalls Patrick Flahive, founder/director of Pueri Cantores San Gabriel Valley, and president of the American Federation of Pueri Cantores.
Flahive broke the news to his choir; their response was an overwhelming desire to do something to ease the suffering. They did what they knew best, what would help the most: pray and sing. Flahive and the choir arranged a Mass for those suffering in Rwanda, filling the pews of Sacred Heart Church in Covina, and collections from the Mass were sent to Catholic Charities for Rwanda Relief.
Now, more than 15 years later, Pueri Cantores San Gabriel Valley - an independent regional children's choir - is still traveling, singing, making friends and sowing seeds of peace through music. The San Gabriel Valley Pueri Cantores is part of the American Federation of Pueri Cantores, founded in 1953 to advance the Church's mission to form youth choirs.
There are currently 38 singers in the two San Gabriel Valley choirs (intermediate and advanced), their ages ranging from 7 to 17. Singers are drawn from San Gabriel Valley parish schools, where most sing in their respective school choirs. Pueri Cantores functions as a sort of honor choir that gives the children beyond what they would get in a school music program.
"We want the children to know how to read music and develop healthy vocal habits, so this training is part of every rehearsal," explains Flahive, who with his wife Lauren - also an accomplished singer and vocal instructor - work to build the musicianship and skill of the young musicians.
Participating parishes, both past and present, include St. Philip the Apostle (Pasadena), Holy Name of Mary (San Diams), St. Benedict (Montebello), Holy Angels (Arcadia), Holy Family (South Pasadena), St. Bede (La Cañada), St. John the Baptist (Baldwin Park) and Sacred Heart, Flahive's own parish where he also conducts the school choir.
Flahive is quick to point out that parish music ministry is the priority for the Pueri Cantores - that their respective parish commitments come before anything else. Although the number of singers is fewer than in most years past, "the quality has never been higher," he says.
Rich repertoire
Known for its emphasis on serious church music, Pueri Cantores' rich repertoire includes music from Gregorian Chant to pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries. "I am totally committed to a diverse repertoire," explains Flahive. "I tell the children that music is a lot like food. You'd be bored if you ate only at McDonalds."
There seems to be no problem interesting these children in a diverse diet of musical experiences. In preparing repertoire for festivals and tours, the choir sings in at least six languages, including Latin. The advanced group is currently preparing music for a choral festival in May in Los Angeles that will include music from a wide range of styles and composers, including J.S. Bach, Gabriel Fauré, Kenneth Kosche and Steven Janco. The children, Flahive observes, love the challenge.
As with most organizations that exist for the growth and development of children, parental support is crucial to the success of Pueri Cantores. In addition to the modest tuition to provide professional accompanists for rehearsals and performances, parents and children do a substantial amount of fundraising to fund the purchase of musical scores, choir robes and travel expenses. But most parents will say it is more than worth the cost and time commitment.
"It is an eye-opening experience," reflects Denise Spencer, whose fourth grade son Austin is a member of the advanced choir. "We are doing things that we wouldn't have done had Austin not joined the choir. The experience has also expanded our horizons to discover how wonderful traditional church music is." The Spencers traveled with the choir to Washington, D.C., last year and are looking forward to the next tour to Rome for New Year's Day, 2011.
Frank Arnade, whose third grade son Glenn sings in the intermediate choir, says he actually chose Sacred Heart's parish school because of Flahive's choral program there and a chance to get Glenn into Pueri Cantores. "Glenn showed both interest and ability in music very early," says his dad, "and the experience of Pueri Cantores is even better than I expected."
Both Spencer and Arnade credit the Flahives' dedication and skill for making the experience such a good one for their children. "It takes a lot of patience and talent to mold these young kids musically," Arnade says. "Both Pat and Lauren do this so well."
Spencer agrees. "It is so fascinating to watch Pat work with the kids and then see them blossom." In addition to choir, Austin Spencer is learning guitar, while Glenn Arnade is taking piano and guitar. Both parents feel these experiences are quite necessary to their children's development.
Many people might question, especially in a tight economy, why parents would spend money on music lessons and choirs such as Pueri Cantores. Music, after all, is not one of the "three Rs" and is usually one of the first things to be eliminated when cutting education budgets. However, the value of music in society is gradually becoming more evident.
In a welcoming address given to parents of the freshman class at the Boston Conservatory of Music, director of music Karl Paulnack related stories that prove the necessity of music to society. Among the stories was his own remembrances of September 11, 2001 and how singing together helped people deal with the horrific event that day and in the days that followed. Paulnack's belief in the idea that music is an essential - not a luxury - for society, is best summed up in his own words:
"Music is a basic need of human survival. Music is one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words, a way for us to understand things with our hearts when we can't with our minds." |