Views from the Choir Loft

Rev. David M. Friel

Fr. David Friel · January 10, 2013

EV. DAVID M. FRIEL, MDiv, MA, STL is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, ordained in May 2011. He is currently a doctoral candidate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He studied philosophy & theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (Overbrook), where he also served as organist, cantor, and liturgical Master of Ceremonies. While there, he studied organ under Dr. Theodore Kiefer and began composing music. His music has been published by CanticaNOVA Publications, and his Mass in Honor of St. John Neumann is available online through the Creative Commons.

Upon ordination, Father Friel served for five years as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philadelphia. During that time, he also served several communities of Catholic young adults, coached CYO basketball and volleyball, and was assigned to assist the archdiocesan vocations office.

Father Friel is a member of the Church Music Association of America and the Society for Catholic Liturgy. Among his research interests are aesthetics, sacred music (particularly sequences), liturgical history, imperial coronation rites, and twentieth-century liturgical reform. His master’s thesis centered on the Proprium Missae (the chanted propers of the Mass), while, in his licentiate thesis, he studied the origins and theology of the term progressiva sollemnitas (the principle of “progressive solemnity”). For his doctoral dissertation, he is researching the liturgical theology of the feast of Christ the King.

Born in Bethlehem, PA, Father Friel grew up in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. He enjoys backpacking, visiting national parks, running, reading, and sports of all kinds. Father Friel currently lives in Washington, DC and serves a number of area parishes on Sundays and feast days.

Click here to contact Fr. David Friel via email.

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served for five years as Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Parish in Northeast Philly. He is currently a doctoral candidate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Too much music!

Choosing music for the Sacred Music Symposium requires careful consideration. We make sure (always) to have great variety. Because the schedule is so full, there’s never sufficient time to discuss the music fully—indeed, we could easily do a month-long seminar on each piece! For example, last year Dr. Calabrese conducted a setting of the Magnificat by Father Guerrero (d. 1599). It is one of the most magnificent (pardon the pun) pieces ever written, and I wish I had time to point out the brilliant way he syncopates the word “dispersit,” which means “He has scattered” or “He has dispersed.” Superb!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Sharing Is Caring”

I would like to share a message from a highly respected scholar. (His articles appear in distinguished journals such as Études grégoriennes and Oxford’s Early Music.) He wrote as follows:

The Brébeuf Hymnal is very tastefully done. Your team has exquisite literary and musical taste. I see from my copy of the hymnal that you also set Ex more docti to “Rockingham” (one of my favorite melodies for “When I survey the wondrous cross”). I especially appreciate the background information at the bottom of the page. When I played at the Lutheran church, I would always have a little note about the music, sometimes about a hymn, if the “Hymnal Companion” offered something of interest. The church we attend has battered Worship II hymnals (one per pew), but almost nobody seems to want to sing. I congratulate you on the staggering amount of work it took to produce the Brébeuf hymnal: excellent contents and production.

—Jeff Ostrowski

What Frightens Me

The world’s experts have been releasing contradictory statements Re: Covid-19. I am neither a doctor nor a scientist, so I won’t comment; but I have something to say about the spine-tingling predictions made by certain politicians. When I was growing up, they told us “within ten years” we would starve due to overpopulation. The next year, they said “within ten years” we would fry due to global warming. The next year, they told us “within ten years” the oceans would have no fish because of overfishing. The next year, they told us “within ten years” the deficit would become unsustainable and we’d all go bankrupt. The next year, they told us “within ten years” there would be no clean water due to pollution. None of these things happened.

I believe in taking every precaution. I urge our readers to take Covid-19 seriously. At the same time, we have an obligation to consider the effects of our “reaction”—yet few seem to be doing this. And that really scares me.

—Jeff Ostrowski