[Magdalen] Friend Gone.

[Joseph Cirou]

-----Original Message-----
>From: cantor03--- via Magdalen <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
>Sent: May 5, 2019 5:23 PM
>To: donsgard at rocketmail.com
>Cc: cantor03 at aol.com, magdalen at herberthouse.org
>Subject: [Magdalen] Friend Gone.
>
>
>There is an ad on the current AGO NE PA organization to which I belong (Believe it ornot, I used to play the organ regularly in my hometown Methodist Church).  Let mehasten to add that you would not want to hear me play the organ nowadays.
>The ad is for an organist to accompany a local Presbyterian choir singing theVivaldi Gloria.
>This reminds me of one of the friends I have lost.  The commonly used world-wideedition of the Vivaldi Gloria is that of my deceased friend, Mason Martens.  Masonhad a small church music publishing business that brought in enough profit forhim to live in the "gay ghetto" on north Broadway near the Ansonia Building in
>New York City.  I met him originally through national music events in TEC, and, yes,he was gay.
>He was a personality for the ages.  He gave an annual Christmas party in hisapartment at 72nd and Broadway, which was a sought after invitation.  However,as interesting as the many luminaries who attended this party, the most interestingperson was Mason himself.
>He acquired AIDS in the early 80's, when there weren't the treatments availablethat there are now.  He was buried out of his parish, Saint Christopher's in-the-Fieldin Manhattan in what I would say was easily the most beautiful Requiem Mass I
>have ever experienced.
>He left us much before his time and whenever and wherever the Vivaldi Gloria
>is sung, it is a tribute to his life.
>
>
>
>
>D.
David, 

I have used his collections for unison voices, two part, three part, and four part for years.

I used the unison versions for solo anthems for many years. When I played at 7:30AM at St. Patrick's I was the cantor and organist and this was my go to collection. It took me a long time to learn the Chausson unison anthems with their romantic organ parts that I had to sing over.

One of my gay friends from years back introduced me to Mason's music before I moved to Georgia.

Joe