Views from the Choir Loft

New Details on Dunwoodie Chant Conference

Fr. David Friel · January 1, 2017

HIS MARCH, St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers will host a chant conference entitled, “Gregorian Chant in Pastoral Ministry and Religious Education.” We announced the preliminary details of this gathering back in September (here), but a number of new pieces of information have recently been released.

First, I am pleased to say that I will be among the presenters at this conference. My topic will be Is Beauty Subjective? Identifying the Criteria of Beauty. In this presentation, I hope to explore the notion of beauty as a Transcendental property with an objective basis.

The three keynote speakers will include Fr. Robert Skeris, Fr. Christopher Smith, and Mark Langley. A full list of speakers, topics, biographies, and lecture abstracts is now available via the conference website.

The format of conference will further include panel discussions, concerts, and liturgies featuring distinguished children’s and parish choirs.

Registration is now open for this event, to be held Friday and Saturday, March 10 & 11, 2017. Plan to participate in this pastoral summit on Gregorian chant!

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

About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

[Quiz] • “Do You Know Your Hymns?”

In case you missed it, many readers have enjoyed taking this little Quiz On Hymns. In the context of that article, I included a sensational quote about the Holy Mass by Monsignor Ronald Knox. Moreover, I talk about how Abraham Lincoln's mother died, as well as a fabulous Eucharistic hymn by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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