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Views from the Choir Loft

Dedication of the Cathedral Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World

Fr. David Friel · January 21, 2018

AST October 13th, the centenary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima was commemorated with numerous events, both at the apparition site and in communities around the globe. One of the more unique celebrations held on that day was the dedication of the cathedral church of Montréal, the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World.

Construction began on the cathedral in 1870, and it was inaugurated in 1894, but it had never been formally consecrated.

Montréal is a lovely city filled with many beautiful churches. After the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal, Mary, Queen of the World is the second largest church in Québec. It is formally known, in French, as the Basilique Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde et Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur (its original patron had been Saint James). The architecture of Mary, Queen of the World is especially memorable, as it is a ¼-size replica of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Dedications of churches, of course, are not everyday occasions. (Richard Clark wrote here about his experience last spring at the dedication of a church in Boston’s Seaport District.) Still less common, though, is the dedication of a cathedral basilica.

The joyful occasion of dedicating Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral was enhanced by three new major musical works by composer Henrique Coe. The pieces are:

Sub Altare Dei Sedes — Sung during the deposition of relics in the altar

Stetit Angelus — Sung during the incensation of the altar

Locus Iste — Sung as an offertory motet (alternatively, as the gradual)

IVE recordings (edited) of these pieces being sung at the dedication are available, courtesy of Salt and Light Television. Sub Altare Dei Sedes lasts until the 8:02 mark; Stetit Angelus runs from 8:03 to 16:21; and Locus Iste spans 16:22 to 19:34.

The music is sung by the Chœur Polyphonique de Montréal, together with a vocal quartet (Marie Magistry, soprano; Josée Lalonde, alto; Andrew Gray, tenor; Martin Auclair, bass).

Other musicians involved were:

Conductor: Louis Lavigueur

Organ: Hélène Dugal

Trumpet: Victor Wong Seen-Bage and Nicholas Gagnon

Music Coordinator: Alain Duguay

Another beautiful composition by Mr. Coe is entitled “The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” Scored for brass quintet, the piece premiered in Lisbon, Portugal late in 2017. Here is a recording of this instrumental piece:

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Recording Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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.—(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

“In everything of any importance at all, Sarum (and all other mediæval rites) was simply Roman, the rite which we still use.”

— Fr. Adrian Fortescue (1912)

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