As many of you know I retired from my full-time job a little over 3 years ago after 44 years of service to the Pittsburgh Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. My intention at that time was to travel much more than I was able to while still working. I had also planned to retire from cantoring in order to have the ability to freely travel. With the Covid pandemic having hit 3 months after my first major vacation, my increase in travel was put on hold. In turn, I delayed my cantoring retirement.
Now that restrictions are being lifted, I want to do more traveling. Because it is very difficult to find replacements when I am away (as most cantors have regular commitments), I am hoping to find a few people from both St. John the Baptist and St. John Chrysostom who would be interested in learning to cantor liturgies.
Cantoring has been a very rewarding vocation for the last 47+ years, but it is time to slow down and pass the baton to others.
I will personally teach and guide each person interested in learning how to cantor, a critical vocation in our Byzantine Catholic Church. There are many sources with everything one would need to learn. The Metropolitan Cantors Institute (MCI) has a website with recordings and music that is useful. MCI also offers online learning classes.
My plan is to work with interested parties for a full church year cycle. Anyone interested should see me after liturgy or contact me via e-mail at kevin@kberes.com or phone at 412-422-1216. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you,
Kevin M. Beres, Cantor