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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Fortnight for Freedom — Cardinal O’Malley’s Homily

Richard J. Clark · July 3, 2013

S THE FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM comes to a close, we are reminded of the timeless and universal struggle for freedom of religious expression, freedom that comes from God alone. I recently had the privilege of leading the music for the Fortnight of Freedom’s opening mass in the Archdiocese of Boston. In his homily, His Eminence Seán Cardinal O’Malley made reference to President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address in which he said,“…belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”

Yet, as the founding Fathers of the United States of America fought for religious freedom, we thank all those who continue to fight for our freedom today. These heroes provide the very freedom that we enjoy and hold dear.

NTERESTINGLY, I HAPPEN TO LIVE about a mile away from “Peacefield,” the historic home of John and Abigail Adams. In 1870, John Adams famously wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail of the generational progression of study:

“I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.”

As the grandson of a man who fought in World War I, I can certainly relate to Adams’ words. After the Great War, my grandfather came to the United States in 1919 giving up many years of his own happiness to take care of his family. He toiled for years to send money back home, and even waited seven years before returning to his home to marry his beloved Gilda, my grandmother — perhaps all so that someday I could study music. Grazie infinite, Antonio Pieretti!

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 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

Quick Thoughts

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

At High Mass the Celebrant is not allowed to proceed with the Offertory while the “Credo” is being sung. Likewise he should not proceed with the Consecration until the singing of the “Sanctus” is completed.

— Father Carlo Rossini (1939)

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