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Welcome and Congratulations to our new Music Director, Joohwa Park
It is with great joy that I announce that we have hired a new Music Director. Her name is Joohwa Park. She was born and raised in a family with a strong Catholic faith. Her father, Damiano, was the secretary to Monsignor Aloysius, a missionary priest who came to Korea after the Korean war to help the poor. Monsignor became Venerable in 2015. After she received her BA in English Language and Literature at Yonsei University, Joohwa came to the US to study film scoring at Berklee College of Music and Dalcroze Eurhythmics at Longy School of Music of Bard College. She attended Sunday Masses at the Korean Catholic Parish in Waban, where she played organ for Masses and piano for the annual Caritas Choir Concert. After studies, she became a teacher and composer. Joohwa has over 20 years of musical experience spanning from her time in the Boston area and Korea prior. Her experience in churches includes both organist and choir director. Joohwa is a mother of two children and lives with her husband in Wellesley.
She will begin as Music Director officially on Saturday, March 15th.
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Adult Choir (16 years and older)
The St. Mary’s Adult Choir has a rich history and has served St. Mary’s Parish for several decades, including several Funerals and Weddings. This ensemble is a mixed choir consisting of both female and male singers, represented by a wide range of age groups, abilities and experiences in music and choral singing. The ability to read music is not a requirement but is certainly welcome. No prior choral experience is required to join! Musical literacy skills are taught and encouraged during rehearsal, which are helpful when learning new pieces of music. The Adult Choir’s repertoire consists of a variety of musical periods, ranging from the Renaissance era to the present. No audition is required to join, although the director reserves the right to assign new members to a particular section or voice part. The only requirements to join are that you are able to carry a tune and you work well in a group environment. Each section is represented by at least one experienced singer. This choir is supportive of fellow members. The choir and the director are willing to assist newcomers when necessary. Most singing is done from the choir loft and accompanied by organ. Occasionally, the choir sings at the front of the church with piano accompaniment, and at other times unaccompanied. Whether you have prior choral/musical experience, or you would be attempting to sing in a choir for the first time, we welcome your participation! Give us a try!
The Adult Choir sings on Sundays at the 11:00am Mass from September through the first Sunday of June and rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 and Sunday mornings from 10:15 to 10:45.
Junior Choir (Middle School & High School)
This ensemble builds upon the skills taught in the Children’s Choir, and especially builds on the concept of part singing. Most of the repertoire for this ensemble is in two-part harmony, and occasionally three-part harmony. The Junior Choir rehearses the last three weeks of every month (with exceptions) from September through May and sings at approximately 5-6 Masses per year. An end of the year day trip to Canobie Lake Park is planned every June. Parents and siblings are also invited. If your child expresses an interest in music or enjoys singing, we strongly encourage them to sign up for this ensemble. Rehearsals are the last three Tuesdays of each month from 4:30-5:30 pm.
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