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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Mark Dwyer • Concert to Benefit the E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings (1875) Organ at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross

Richard J. Clark · October 23, 2018

ARK DWYER, Organist and Choirmaster of the Church of the Advent and one of the finest church musicians in the country, will have the distinction of shining the light on two glorious Hook organs in Boston all at the same time — and in one concert.

With the Cathedral of the Holy Cross currently under renovation, fundraising for the Cathedral’s historic 101-rank E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings Organ, Opus 801 (1875) continues with a concert at Saint John’s Seminary:

Sunday, October 28, 2018, 3:00pm
St. John’s Seminary • 127 Lake St., Boston, MA 02135 Dwyer will play works by Sowerby, Franck, Handel, and Whitlock on the beautiful Hook & Hastings — 1902, Opus 1833 restored by the Andover Organ Company in 2015.

• Download concert poster and info here.
• Download concert program here.
• Suggested donation: $20. Boston AGO members, Seniors, and Students: $10.
• Parking is available at Saint John’s Seminary.
• The Seminary is accessible by the MBTA Green Line “B Train” outbound to Boston College (end of the line).

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts contains one of the most notable historic pipe organs, the 101-rank E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings Organ, Opus 801 (1875). Quite distinctive and rare is not that it is Hook’s largest organ, or that it was the largest organ built in America at that time, but that it is still nearly tonally intact from 1875. It is a concrete link to many generations who have worshipped in Boston. It is a living and breathing connection to sacred art and to our treasured traditions. These in turn elevate our minds and hearts to God and remind us of who we are today.

• Listen to several brilliant improvisations by Mark Dwyer on the Cathedral Opus 801 organ here.

• Listen to Janet Hunt perform on the Seminary’s Opus 1833 organ here.

ALL PROCEEDS GO ENTIRELY to the Cathedral Organ Restoration Fund for the E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 801. While the instrument has come a very long way in recent decades, there is much more restoration work that needs to be done. I hope to prioritize additional restoration projects in collaboration with the Andover Organ Company.

Another happy development is that with the removal of a great deal of carpeting and the addition of marble floors, the glorious sound will be further enhanced. Any funds contributed will be supported by an improved acoustic! We wish to keep it playing more beautifully than ever and for years to come.

The main sanctuary of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross is scheduled to reopen in time for Holy Week of 2019. (The Cathedral’s Blessed Sacrament Chapel and Our Lady’s Chapel are still open and continue to serve the Cathedral Parish.) I also greatly look forward to Leo Abbott’s rededication recital of the E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 801. As Music Director and Organist of the Cathedral for thirty-three years, it is truly his voice and he makes it sing like no one can.

E OWE AN ENORMOUS DEBT OF GRATITUDE to Leo Abbott, FAGO, ChM. for nearly singlehandedly driving the ongoing restoration of this beautiful instrument that was in disrepair (and at times silent) for parts of the Twentieth Century. It has been a labor of love that began with cleaning pipes in the basement and doing a number of improvements on a shoestring budget. My intention is to build upon Abbott’s legacy and allow this instrument to continue to serve the greater glory of God.

This concert is co-sponsored by the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In addition, Many thanks to Janet Hunt, Director of Music and Organist at St. John’s Seminary for hosting this benefit concert two years in a row. Such collaboration for the sake of sacred music, art, and beauty is rare and very special!

Soli Deo gloria

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pipe Organ Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

In the place of liturgy as the fruit of development came fabricated liturgy. We abandoned the organic, living process of growth and development over centuries, and replaced it—as in a manufacturing process—with a fabrication, a banal on-the-spot product.

— ‘Pope Benedict XVI, describing the postconciliar liturgical reforms’

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