St. Peter's music director reflects on his past year
"We share many gifts, but one spirit. Managing people's gifts is my ministry." - Mark Husey
By Rachel Haynie

Mark Husey, the music director at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church for the last year sets the bar high for compositions and arrangements. "Before I turn 40, I want to conduct the Bach B Minor Mass ," said Husey. Husey's high and positive energy, coupled with his leadership, have musicians matching his optimism.

"I have never seen anything like it," said Hasham Khouri, the church's oldest male member."I have been a member of St. Peter's all my life and have served every priest we've had. What he does for the church is remarkable." Husey turns the compliments back to the musicians. "By allowing me to work them hard, they are working me hard. Their spirited willingness is keeping me honest."

Acknowledging that much has been accomplished in a year, Husey said, "At Christmastime alone, we did Messiah, Part the First four times in just a little more than 24 hours."

When Husey first came to Columbia for the interview that led to his becoming director of music and liturgy, he already was aware of Columbia's reputation as a music and theatre town. "There is a lot of talent here, and the music community, especially emanating out of the University of South Carolina, is very generous."

USC music faculty members such as Dr. Wendy Valerio, Dr. Helen Tintes- Schuermann, and Dr. Rebecca Nagel are listed on the music ministry brochure. Others with ties to USC lend their voices and instrumentality for special services.

Over the past year, Husey also has tapped his own address book for just the right talent for specific programming. He has arranged for Sabrina Coleman Clark to return to Columbia Feb. 18 at 3 pm to perform a Marian Anderson tribute.

Widely acclaimed as "a musical Renaissance man" for his gifts as conductor, organist, accompanist, and tenor, Husey has performed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and on BBC2 Radio. He is a prize- winning organist, and Husey's 1996 performance of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta with the Opera Camerata of Washington was described as "astonishing," in Opera News magazine.

Conductor Husey advocates the pastoral and catechetical use of historic choral repertory. His method of choral training has afforded his liturgical ensembles, both children and adults, access to the realm of scholarly sacred choral literature.

Choirs under Husey's direction have performed at Washington National Cathedral, on CBS This Morning , and in the PBS documentary, The Jew in the Lotus .