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Views from the Choir Loft

Colloquium 2016 • Day 1

Fr. David Friel · June 21, 2016

424 Colloquium ESTERDAY, the CMAA’s Sacred Music Colloquium XXVI commenced in St. Louis. I will attempt to provide a few highlights from my experiences throughout the week.

Last evening, after enjoying the opening banquet, we were treated to a fabulous concert of early music. The performing group was Pro-Arte Saint Louis, led by Horst Buchholz, co-founder & conductor of the ensemble and vice president of the CMAA. Pro-Arte Saint Louis describes itself as a professional vocal ensemble “dedicated to the stylistically informed performance of music of the Renaissance, Middle Ages, and earlier.” Their disciplined performance last night showed that they are worthy of the many stellar reviews they have received since their inception in 2013.

The concert featured parts of two imitation Masses, both using the tune L’Homme Armé. The first of the Masses we heard was by Guillaume Dufay (c. 1397 – c. 1474), and the other was by Cristóbal de Morales (1500-1553).

My favorite selection in the concert, though, was Ave Maria virgo serena by Josquin des Prez (c. 1440 – 1521). In introducing this piece, Dr. Mahrt noted that the composer is famous for having written a great deal of “risky” music, not conforming to the standards of his day. This particular piece is written for four voice parts, but, unusually, utilizes all four voices at once only at a few important moments. Much of the piece, drawn from the text & melody of an old sequence, was sung in just two voices at a time. The moments when the four-part harmony broke forth really helped to highlight those particular parts of the text.

Lastly, I want to mention the location of the concert, which was the Grand Hall of the Central Library. This hall, pictured above, is a wonderful acoustical space. It reminded me of other grand libraries I have visited, such as the library at Trinity College Dublin, the Philadelphia Free Library, and the main branch of the New York Public Library (adjacent to Bryant Park). All of these buildings, like the Central Library here in St. Louis, are reminders of a time when libraries were thought of rather differently than they are today. The architecture and prominence of these buildings indicate that they were once valued places of public discourse and centers of civic culture. In many ways, the digital age has pushed physical libraries to the margins, but I feel as if these grand public buildings adorned with art and ornamentation still have something quite valuable to offer us in our times.

More to follow in the days ahead!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Church Music Association of America CMAA, Sacred Music Colloquium Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“From six in the evening, his martyrdom had continued through the ghastly night until nine o’clock in the morning. After fifteen hours of torture rarely if ever surpassed in the bloody annals of the Iroquois, the soul of Gabriel Lalemant was freed from its charred and mutilated prison and summoned to join his comrade Jean de Brébeuf in the radiant splendor of God. March 17th, 1649, was the date; for Brébeuf it had been the sixteenth.”

— ‘Fr. John A. O’Brien, speaking of St. Gabriel Lalemant’

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