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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

Mozart’s Sacred Music

Fr. David Friel · November 1, 2012

AM BLESSED to live in Philadelphia, a bountiful land of history, culture, and the arts. In season, there are multiple choices every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to enrich the weekend with fine music or other performances. My last post was about a concert I attended, and this post will be about another. This time, it was a concert by Vox Ama Deus, a distinguished group of vocal and instrumental performers who specialize in the Baroque & Classical music of the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. More than a quarter-century since its founding, the Renaissance ensemble continues under the direction of its vivacious founder, Romanian-born Maestro Valentin Radu.

This concert featured four works by Mozart:

1. Vesperae solennes de confessore (K. 339)
2. Piano Concerto No. 21 in C (K. 467)
3. Overture to The Magic Flute (K. 620)
4. Mass in C (“Coronation”) (K. 317)

By all accounts, it was a splendid concert. The performance was also as thought provoking as it was delightful. The thought that was provoked in my mind was this: why do I have to go to the Kimmel Center to hear sacred music?

I was struck by the irony of the situation: a Catholic priest (accompanied by two other priest friends) going to hear Vespers and the Ordinary of the Mass sung in a concert hall. These two masterworks are among the most famous and beloved of Mozart’s sacred compositions. So why is it that they must live only in concert settings? These marvelous compositions have a native habitat, and it is not the Kimmel Center.

The list of donors in the program shows that the group is patronized heavily by businesses, doctors, and lawyers, along with quite a number of Jewish lovers of the arts (judging by last names). If there is such support for sacred music extra ecclesiam, why must so many Catholics languish with rotten music in their parishes?

I am grateful for Renaissance groups like Vox Ama Deus. Would that they might inspire a new Renaissance in Catholic parochial life!

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 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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“I examined him in your presence, and could find no substance in any of the charges you bring against him; nor could Herod, when I referred you to him. It is plain that he has done nothing which deserves death. I will scourge him, and then he shall go free.”

— Pontius Pilate

Recent Posts

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