Many OCP composers are excellent workshop presenters and retreat leaders. Have you ever caught yourself wondering if your choir could “use something” but aren’t sure what that “something” is?

Below are a few topics that have been requested by parishes and dioceses over the years. One of these may be just what you are looking for, or you may need something else. Contact OCP to talk through your needs, and let us partner with you to create a workshop that will take your music ministry to the next level.

Why not involve your whole community by including a concert? A model that has worked very successfully: invite a presenter to give a whole-parish concert on Friday evening, followed by a Saturday workshop or retreat for your choir.

Workshops & Training

Choir Workshops: How to get the most from the voices you have in your choir, focusing on the development of musical skills and liturgical knowledge. Depending on the needs of your choir, a choir workshop can range from instruction on how to sing well together and development of basic music skills to learning to sing in harmony and reviewing the basic liturgical documents.

Cantor Intensive Training for cantors at all levels of experience. Participants receive practical suggestions to improve their ability to lead the assembly as a cantor and to proclaim the word of God in song. Focusing on the improvement of tone quality, diction, use of gestures, addressing the assembly, rehearsing and teaching new music, even the most seasoned veteran will learn something new!

Music Ensemble Workshop: Blessed with instrumentalists but not certain you are using them in the best way possible? Learn how to “put it all together” in this workshop that combines practical instruction and theory. Instrumentalists will develop skills for working together as a liturgical ensemble while choir leaders will learn how to plan music for liturgical ensembles and conduct the ensemble during rehearsals and liturgy.

How to Build a Children’s Choir: Explore ways to help you build a strong music program with children or build on the foundations that you’ve already put in place. Learn about the vocal range of various age groups as well as how to identify music that will work well for your children’s choir.

Sacramental Celebrations in Parishes: What are the liturgical norms and acceptable practices for celebrating baptism, first Communion, confirmation, weddings and the rite of christian funerals? Also included are tips for selecting music for parish sacramental celebrations and ideas for including children and young people in music selections.

Retreats and Spiritual Formation

Liturgical Ministry Retreat Day: A retreat day for all ministers who assist in the celebration of Mass—hospitality ministers, sacristans, lectors, music ministers and eucharistic ministers. A day of prayer, reflection and nurturing of faith within ourselves and our community.

Music Ministry Retreats: Music ministers feed the spirit of worshiping communities, but we need to be fed as well! Gather your parish musicians for a morning of prayer, song and reflection. By focusing on their call as music ministers, participants will leave refreshed in spirit and renewed in their ministry.

Many Yet One: Unity in a Diverse Parish: What is the theological basis for intercultural liturgies? What have we learned from celebrating them over the years? How do we craft a liturgy in multiple languages, so that all can participate with understanding, even as the liturgy passes back and forth between two or more languages? OCP’s dynamic intercultural presenters have years of experience and know how to reach today’s vibrant and diverse faith community.