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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

Mary was one of the strongest women to ever walk planet Earth.

Richard J. Clark · December 31, 2016

HE BLESSED VIRGIN Mary is often depicted in art and in song as “meek” and “mild.” “Humble” and “lowly” are perhaps even better descriptions. But those adjectives are mistaken for submission and weakness.

Rather, humility and accepting a lowly state is a display of unprecedented strength. Only a person filled with great strength could possess the qualities of meekness and lowliness. The Magnificat is a profound manifesto of praise for God, coming from a woman of great inner confidence, self-knowledge, and power. How bold it is to say:

“For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.”

No, Mary was not simply unknowing and along for the ride. Consider, her strength was apparent from beginning until the end: from the visit of the Angel Gabriel in her “Yes!” to God, to pushing Jesus into his public ministry at the wedding feast at Cana, to enduring her own agony at the foot of the Cross. Such was the strength of Mary’s confidence in Jesus.

HILE RECENTLY REHEARSING the familiar Mode I “Ave Maria” with my choir, I reminded them of Mary’s extraordinary strength. I asked them to consider that very distinct opening melody of the chant. It is sturdy and purposeful. It is to be sung not only with conviction, but with energy. Such can be said of the familiar “Salve Regina” and “Ave Maris Stella.” These are melodies that are sturdy and enduring. They are not precious relics but bold foundations able and ready to nurture our faith.

In our prayer, song, architecture, and art, let us rely the strong intercession of our blessed Mother in Heaven.

I share with you a live recording at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception of organist, Rosalind Mohnsen performing “Gaudens Gaudebo.” In this you will hear several Marian melodies including the final toccata on “Ave Maria.” This piece explores Mary’s “Yes!” Furthermore, the pipe organ is a particularly versatile instrument, able to to convey a wide range of color and emotion ranging from intimacy to towering strength.


Here is another work for organ. The quote of “Ave Maris Stella” is where the organ rises to its fullest:

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

It is unworthy that the stone holds Him, Who encloses everything in His hand, Locked in by the forbidding rock. (“Indígnum est cujus claudúntur cuncta pugíllo | Ut tegat inclúsum rupe vetánte lapis.”)

— SALVE FESTA DIES (Eastertide)

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