Views from the Choir Loft

Sacra Liturgia 2019 in Toronto

Fr. David Friel · January 31, 2018

VER THE last five years, the Sacra Liturgia organization has hosted a series of four very successful academic conferences on the sacred liturgy:

Rome (2013)
New York City (2015)
London (2016)
Milan (2017)

The series will return to North America, it has just been announced, with a 2019 conference in Toronto, Canada. Dates for the upcoming Sacra Liturgia will be June 17-20, 2019. This event is being hosted with the generous approval of the Archbishop of Toronto, Thomas Cardinal Collins. Information concerning the specific locations for the conferences and liturgies has not yet been released.

Speakers at the 2019 conference will include Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, and Bishop Peter Elliott, among others.

Sacra Liturgia has also just announced the details of their Fifth International Summer School, to be held at the Monastère Saint-Benoît, in La Garde-Freinet, Provence, France.

The dates for this summer program will be July 27 – August 8, 2018.

Click here for CCW coverage of the past Sacra Liturgia proceedings. Stay in touch with Sacra Liturgia via their website and Facebook page.

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.—(Read full biography).

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski