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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

New England Catholic Choral Festival & Mass • 2019

Richard J. Clark · January 11, 2019

T’S NEVER just about the music. Singing liturgical music from the great rich heritage of our Roman Catholic faith is about something else: nurturing faith through the Sacred Liturgy.

If you are not familiar with the American Federation Pueri Cantores choir festivals, I urge you to explore this opportunity which is open to any young singers. Girls and boys (grades 4-12) are welcome to sing in the New England Choral Festival and Mass. This festival is not reserved for an exclusive club of singers. Rather it is wide open to those hoping to learn more about our rich heritage of Roman Catholic sacred music from Gregorian Chant to sacred music of the present day. The festival culminates with hundreds of students combining as one choir singing for the Mass. This takes place in a nurturing, positive, and joyful environment!

As the rehearsal accompanist and organist for last year’s Festival in Boston, I can attest to this wonderfully positive environment. (As an adult, even I greatly enjoyed it and could learn from it!) Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley was last year’s celebrant and homilist which added to a marvelously faith filled experience. (My hope is to host the 2020 New England Festival at the newly renovated Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Stay tuned.)

HIS YEAR’S New England Festival will take place Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 11am culminating with Mass at 5:15 pm • St. Mary’s Church, 12 William St., Newport, RI 02840. The church is gorgeous, and interestingly is the site of the wedding of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.

• Download information, Schedule, registration, repertoire, etc. here:
• PDF Download • New England Catholic Youth Choral Festival and Mass • 2019.

• You can also download the Public Domain music for the festival here. Recordings made available to make this process much easier.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

“Participation in Pueri Cantores can be a formational and transformational experience through the Liturgy for both choristers and conductors.” (Pueri Cantores website)

• Offer your singers a combined worship experience with Catholic school and parish youth choirs from all around the region and network with your conductor colleagues

• Teach accessible, historically balanced repertoire from the great treasury of Catholic sacred music that can be incorporated into your choir’s repertoire

• Receive advanced conducting training from one of the leading Catholic conductors in the nation

• School conductors whose choirs participate will be offered 8 Professional Development Credits by AFPC, corporate partner of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

I urge all educators, conductors, and parents to consider taking part in this one-day experience. Its joy may resonate for years to come.

HIS YEAR’S clinician will be Dr. Steven R. Seigart, conductor, organist, and composer based in the NYC area. An extraordinary talent, he is currently the Director of Music at The Church of Saint Joseph in Bronxville, NY, where he directs five choirs, founded the period-instrument Orchestra of Saint Joseph, and oversees the St. Joseph Concert Series.

We hope to see you there!

Soli Deo gloria

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: American Federation Pueri Cantores 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

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Each of our sins was one more thorn in our Lord’s crown; one blow the more to His scourging.”

— Cardinal Merry Del Val (shortly before his death)

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