Nambour community was well represented among the men and women from various parishes from across the Sunshine Coast who attended the gathering. The workshop was very well structured and presented by Sr Helen, Erica Marshall and our own Darlene Malone. We were also very fortunate to have the experience and expertise of Paula Simpson who helped us to warm up our vocals chords and resonators with some fun exercises. Once warmed up, we practised singing different types of Psalms, and Psalms for different occasions. We sang all together, with a cantor and alternate groups. We also sang a capella and learned how to determine where the pulse or emphasis should fall on key words.
After a morning tea break we were given the task of putting the Psalm from the 19th Sunday in ordinary time Year C to one of four 4 chants. We divided into groups for this task, then each group sang the Psalm to the chant that they had chosen and rehearsed. The results were fantastic and very enjoyable listening.
We learned that the Psalms are connected to the readings and not only proclaim the Word but are song lines that speak of Israel's experience in the form of poetic history. There are 150 Psalms which cover every human emotion. The Hebrew writers used images to express conflict, bloodshed, hardship, oppression, joy and delight in God. The word 'rock' for example in many Psalms is symbolic for 'protective place' or 'advantage.' The Psalms were prayed as one people articulating their identity as people of God, their relationship with God and God's relationship with us. The use of the words 'I' and 'me' speak not of an individual but of a single assembly united as one voice / community..
Bishop Desmond Tutu has translated this concept of a 'corportae I' into today's language and culture:
None of us comes into the world fully formed. We would not know how to think, or walk, or speak or behave as human beings unless we learned it from other human beings. We need other human beings in order to be human. I am because other people are... If we could recognize our common humanity, that we do belong together, that our desires are bound up in one another's, that we can be free only together, that we can only survive together, that we can be human only together, then a glorious world would come into being where all of us lived harmoniously together as members of one family, the human family.
People from other parish communities spoke of how they approach proclamation of the Word through the Psalms and the ladies from Kawana sang some sequences that they use for different liturgical events.
I found the workshop informative and a very pleasant experience. It also gave me a much deeper appreciation of the Psalms and the richness of their beautiful poetry.
Denise Denman.20.07.2007.
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