EXULTATE CHOIR: January 2010

Monday 18 January 2010

EXULTATE GATHERING JANUARY 2010

Sunday 17 January 2010 was a great moment for Exultate Choir. We had a gathering at Tina's Hillside in Cijeruk (around 20 kilometers from Bogor). It was a long-time-planned gathering.

Before we left for the site, we helped Santher Choir for the mass at the Cathedral at 9.00. After the mass, we gathered at Lippo bank parking lot. Then we moved in a convoy to the site. It took about 40 minutes as it rained quite heavily during the journey. The road was good, the view was good, but it rained so that some places were covered by fog and clouds.

The gathering started at around 11.45 with lunch. We had great menu such as grilled fish, pork satay, chicken satay, soto, noodles, karedok, fruits and drinks... Some of us had also provided fruits and snacks...

After that, Pak Simon Supratman (our leader) led an evaluation meeting. He invited us to share experiences, tell complains, make suggestions, share criticisms, and so on. There were some things to note from those activities.

First, about existence.
Exultate has existed since 1994 and has contributed a lot in the Cathedral. Exultate is a family choir... it is not an exclusive choir... it is open for everyone to join... All members so far have admitted that they find "a family" here in Exultate. We committed to embrace and continue this identity as part of our life.

Besides, we are reminded of being a choir with concerns on ethnic music as part of inculturation in the Catholic Church. Exultate should revive the study and practice of ethnic music for liturgy purposes.

Second, about regeneration.
Exultate must be a choir which provides opportunities and chances for its members not only to take part in singing but also to improve individual skills to be conductors, soloists, psalm singers, organists, leaders and so on. To reach this, some rolling is needed.

Third, about time for practices.
As BMV Choir also use Saturday to practise, Exultate will start the practice at 18.30 and the practice will last till 20.30 every Saturday.

Fourth, about commitment.
Exulate commits to be a better choir. Exulate is ready to learn. We are ready to be criticised. We are ready to cooperate with other choirs and parties. We are also ready to chage... to be better.

Some members could not join this gathering as they had other things to do. Ibu Trisnawati went to Jambi as her grandson was hospitalised. Mas Parnamian Johanes was sick (but he still provided grapes for us). Mbak Yanti joined a Christmas celebration in Wilayah Bogor Tengah.

The gathering finished at 17.00. It was a great moment. We were very happy.
In this blog, I would like to thank everyone who had taken part in the programme and also to those who supported it.

EXULTATE 2009

It's been 2 months that this blog has not been updated. I have been so busy with lots of activities that I have not got time to surf on the internet.

What I can say about Exultate in 2009 is that Exultate enjoyed numorous moments of meetings, practices and assignments. Enjoying? Yes. I know there were a lot of chalenges and obstacles but we enjoyed them. We did and faced them with big hearts. Even we embraced them as part of our life. What I felt was that those were not easy. There were also moments when I, as one of trainers and choir conductors, felt sad because my friends missed practices without notice. I know they were busy and I could not stop them from doing their business. Nevertheless, they should have told me or Pak Simon about their absence.

December 2009 was a busy month for Exultate. We took part in BMV Choir as well, even we became one of the motors there. But the most difficult happened in the end of the year. It also happened to other choirs and to our parish. Many of our members were on holiday out of town. Meanwhile, religious services at churh, especially eucharists celebrations, must go on. We can understand how difficult it was for Mbak Linda to organise the assignments at the Cathedral.

Exultate took part in BMV Choir assignment for Christmas Eve Eucharist (24 December 2009 at 17.00-19.00). Later, Exultate helped Santher Choir on 25 December at 7.00. Then, we sang for New Year Eve 2009 Eucharist. It was held at 18.00. Father Benyamin Sudarto and two other priests led the Eucharist. The next day, 1 January 2010 at 8.00 Exultate sang during New Year Eucharist in the Cathedral as well.

Well, those are part of our service. The good thing was that many people supported and helped Exultate during those assignments. For New Year Eve mass and the following day's mass, some people from other choir helped Exultate. Pak Thomas Gunawan from St Caecilia, Mbak Elis Titut from Sindangbarang and other kind singers helped Exultate. In this opportunity I would like to thank them for their support and help. May Jesus bless and guide them always.

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HISTORY OF EXULTATE CHOIR

The idea of establishing Exultate Choir came from two church music activists: the late Mrs. A.K. Radjino and Mrs. Maria Djafar. In August 1994 they formed Exultate. At first the idea was making a singing group or vocal group for the family. They used the choir as a medium for meeting, sharing, gathering relatives and families. Later some people outside the family joined Exultate. After several months, Exultate was recognized as one of choirs in the Cathedral that could serve in liturgical ceremonies such as the Eucharist and other sacrament services.

EXULTATE'S ACTIVITIES

1. Regular practices: Since 1996 Exultate has practiced regularly, which is on Saturdays at 19.00-21.00 at the Cathedral. Since July 2008 the practice is conducted every Saturday at 18.30-20.00.

2. Singing at church: Every month Seksi Liturgi Paroki Katedral asks Exultate to serve in church services according to the schedule. So far Exultate has tried to do its best. Sometimes Exultate sings more than once in one month. Even during Christmas weeks or Holy Weeks, Exultate sometimes sings three or four times at the Cathedral. Besides, Exultate also sings in other churches such as St Fransiskus Sukasari, which puts Exultate on their schedule every other months and at St. Yakobus Rasul Church in Megamendung.

3. Anniversary: Exultate celebrates its anniversary on 15 August.

4. Christmas and Easter celebrations: On these days Exultate usually organises gatherings. We usually use Ibu Wanty's house in Jalan Merak Bogor to get together.

5. Visiting its members : Exultate is a big family whose members want to pay attention to and help others. If there is a member who suffers from diseases, other members will feel the pain... so we visit the sick members or the members who need our help.

6. Ambulare : Ambulare means "to walk". We go out together (to Puncak, Lembang, Megamendung, Rancamaya, etc.)

COMMITMENTS

EXULTATE MEMBERS 2012

CHAIRPERSON:
Simon Supratman (Pak Simon)

VICE-CHAIRPERSON:
Albertus Magnus Suryatmanto (Tingtung)

CONDUCTORS / CHOIR MASTERS:
Thomas A. Sutadi (Thomas)
Chatarina Yuli Indrayati (Rina)
Josep S. Bintoro

Thomas Hargono

ORGANIST :
Marsella Sheila Gunawan (Sheila)

SOPRANO:

Maria Gracia Maxi (Maxi)
Fransisca Elias, drg. (dr Cisca)
Laurentia Wanty Th. (Wanty)
Bernadette Widya (Widya)
Trisnawati M.T. (Tris)
Margaretha Sinclair Julianti (Yanti)
Yustina Sulastuti (Bu Ludo)
Cicilia E. Atmintarsih (Sisil)
Natalia W. (Nat)

ALTO
Yosephina Sri Andewi (Bu Husodo)
Florentina Evelina Sinaulan (Evie)
Antonia Lia Yunita (Lia)
Tri Nugrahaningsih (Bu Heri)
Yustina Sianturi (Bu Sianturi)
Dominika Ariana Ambarwati (Ambar)
Yosepha Respati (Eva)

TENOR
Josep Susilo Bintoro (Josep)
Ludovicus Hanjam (Ludo)
Suyitno
Raymundus Genty Laras (Raymund)

BASS
Simon Supratman (Simon)
Thomas Hargono Soewondo (Gago)
Nicholaus J. Thai Gogi (Nicho)
Parnamian Johanes (Mian)
Handoko

GREAT PEOPLE & CONTRIBUTORS

1. Ibu A.K. Radjino : She was the co-founder of Exultate. With the support from Bapak Dr. Radjino, she dedicated most of her rest of her life for Exultate. I do not know much about her as I joined Exultate about a year after her demise. But I still remember when she organized a choir festival at Regina Pacis Hall in 1997. The festival was called Festival Lagu-lagu Perjuangan. I was the new conductor of St. Andreas Bogor Barat Choir at that time. I also joined a seminar that Ibu Radjino organized, in which Mr Petrus Purba was invited. Ibu A.K. Radjino passed away in peace because of brain tumor in 1997. In heaven, I believe, she always prays for Exultate that she has ever established and taken care of.

2. Ibu Maria Djafar : Together with Ibu Radjino, Ibu Maria Djafar was an ardent founder of Exultate. She was the organist. I lost her when she decided to quit from Exultate in 2003. She is an expert of ethnical music arrangement. She can not sing but her music taste is very strong. She has got abundant ideas about liturgical and ethnic music. I learned a lot from her.

3. Bapak Agustinus Untoro Wisnu: After Ibu Radjino’s demise, Bapak Untoro took over her position as the trainer and chairman of Exultate. Bapak Untoro tried his best for Exultate. His brilliant ideas sometimes jump beyond everybody’s thought. His mobile job and his intention to be more active in his neighbourhood forced him to leave Exultate.

4. Bapak Josep Susilo Bintoro : He is still active at Exultate. He learned music mostly when he was in the Seminari Menengah Mertoyudan in Magelang-Central Java. He later improved his musical knowledge and skills when he studied at Sanatha Dharma University in Yogyakarta. He continued what Bapak Untoro had started. He is still active in Exultate now and he also leads and trains SMP Budi Mulia Student Choir.

5. Bapak Ignatius Yosep Soewondo: I cried when he told me that he wanted to move to Ganjuran-Yogyakarta in December 2007. He has done great things to me since I met him in St. Andreas Bogor Barat Choir. It was Pak Wondo and Ibu Wondo who first motivated me to join Exultate. When I started to take over Pak Josep Susilo Bintoro as conductor, Pak Wondo often came to my dormitory to discuss many things about choir and many things. He gave me support; he encouraged me to be brave as a conductor; he helped me to select the right songs for church masses. He himself is an artist… he is a sculptor. He loves singing… especially church songs and Javanese songs. He now lives in Ganjuran with Ibu Wondo. He is happy there because he is among a lot of people that he knows best. I always miss them and I always pray for them.

QUI BENE CANTAT BIS ORAT

"Qui bene cantat bis orat" means "the one who sings well prays twice". If you want to pray more seriously, you must sing, but sing the songs well. If you sing badly, you even will not pray... you will make your "words of prayers" useless. Since "singing well" means "praying twice", you must always try to sing well. How to sing well when our voice cannot produce good melody? Hmmm... "singing well" actually means "singing with your heart... singing with your soul". When we sing with our whole heart, Heaven will be decorated with beautiful flowers of joy... and God smiles at us. So, let's sing well... with our sincere heart. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.