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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

Ascent to Freedom

Richard J. Clark · July 5, 2013

LL KINDS OF MUSICIANS, (especially church musicians) complain often of a lack of freedom. Yet it seems the greatest art pours forth from adversity. I have come to believe that true freedom does not rise from the capacity to fulfill all desires. Freedom is captivity, followed by battle, followed by faith, followed by wisdom and compassion as seen through the eyes of love. Of this struggle, true liberation is born.

PDF • Free Download — Ascent to Freedom, III. If You But Trust in God to Guide You | Wer nur den lieben Gott, Tune: George Neumark, 1621-1681

This difficult understanding about the nature of freedom is the inspiration for my five-movement organ work, “Ascent to Freedom.” (Click here to preview/order the score and listen.)

As described by the “Boston Music Intelligencier”:

“… Its five movements are quite accessible, sometimes displaying a French influence. The last three movements made imaginative use of, respectively, the Lutheran chorale If You But Trust in God to Guide You, the spiritual Go Down, Moses, and the hymn How Can I Keep From Singing. There was some compelling musical illustration in the spiritual movement when tortured chromaticism and crunchy reed chords gave way suddenly to diatonic harmonies on the solo clarinet accompanied by string celeste: the effect was like a release from bondage.”
— The Boston Music Intelligencer

(Videos are from my live performance at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts on the 1875 E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings, Opus 801.)

Ascent to Freedom
Video 1: I. Praeludium, II. Adagio e lamentabile
Video 2: III. Tranquillo e dolce, If You But Trust in God to Guide You
Video 3: IV. Moderato e spiccato, Go Down Moses, V. Adagio e cantabile, How Can I Keep From Singing?

Quite notably, “Ascent to Freedom” received its Russian Federation première in 2012 in the cities of Kislovodsk (Кислово́дск) and Yessentuki (Ессентуки́). It was performed by virtuoso organist Mark Husey, Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Peter’s Church in Columbia, South Carolina.

From the billboard concert poster above, “Восхождение к свободе” (“Ascent to Freedom”) is the big headline at the top above the Statue of Liberty. Organist, Mark Husey’s name in large letters is recognizable. My name reads as “Р. Кларк”! (R. Clark)

For those of us who grew up during the Cold War, a performance of an American work that celebrates freedom is something of which we could not conceive.

We must continue to work diligently for this freedom through our prayer, struggle, suffering, faith, wisdom, and through compassion. We are reminded that ultimately, this freedom comes from God alone.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Last Updated: January 13, 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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Quick Thoughts

19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“When we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.”

— C. S. Lewis

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