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Views from the Choir Loft

My Soul Proclaims

Fr. David Friel · October 28, 2012

ECENTLY, I ATTENDED a tremendous concert at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul, here in Philadelphia. The hour-long program by Choral Arts Philadelphia presented Rachmaninov’s Opus 37 (often called Vespers, although it is more properly a collection of texts from the All Night Vigil liturgies).

The most striking aspect of the program for me came at the Magnificat, which began in Old Church Slavonic: Velichit dusha moya Gospoda. It was not the words, however, that struck me. It was the musical artistry. As I sat in the pew preparing to hear the Magnificat section, I was imagining famous paintings of the Visitation—the moment when Mary first uttered this great canticle of praise. I thought I was prepared, but when the singing began, I was stunned.

Rachmaninov chooses to place these opening words first on the lips of basses. This seemed a poor fit with all the scenes of the Visitation I had imagined; it would have been better, I thought, to highlight the female voices in this section. All in an instant, though, I changed my mind, because I began to think of the rich symbolism Rachmaninov may have intended. I began to consider how profoundly deep were these sentiments of praise in the heart of the Blessed Lady.

Indeed, Mary probably proclaimed Magnificat from the deepest recesses of her immaculate heart. She cried out, I can now imagine, de profundis—“out of the depths” of her soul.

Through this experience, I have come to understand with greater clarity the words of Sergey Bulgakov: “Orthodoxy is first of all the love of beauty.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

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    A reader sent us an email which was both thoughtful and articulate. Feeling it deserved a response, I published this article a few days ago. I included the full letter sent to us by the reader, but that's not all. Indeed, the article became rather lengthy and touched upon a number of different themes. I hope you enjoy it!
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    Interesting story about Sergei Rachmaninoff
    It's very brief, but I think you would enjoy hearing Benno Moiseiwitsch (d. 1963) tell this really cool story about Sergei Rachmaninoff (d. 1943). Moiseiwitsch, whose playing was admired by Josef Hofmann, had studied with Theodor Leschetizky (d. 1915). I opened my recent article by speaking of a powerful quote Rachmaninoff gave to Robert Croan, music critic for the Post Gazette and professor of voice at Duquesne University.
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    In case you missed it, many readers have enjoyed taking this little Quiz On Hymns. In the context of that article, I included a sensational quote about the Holy Mass by Monsignor Ronald Knox. Moreover, I talk about how Abraham Lincoln's mother died, as well as a fabulous Eucharistic hymn by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
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Random Quote

The liturgical reform bears absolutely no relation to what is called “desacralization” and in no way intends to lend support to the phenomenon of “secularizing the world.” Accordingly the rites must retain their dignity, spirit of reverence, and sacred character.

— Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship (5 September 1970)

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