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Views from the Choir Loft

The Tradition Continues! • Seven Organists Perform

Richard J. Clark · October 18, 2019

F YOU MISSED Leo Abbott’s rededication recital, here is another opportunity to hear him and several other wonderful organists perform at Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 3:00pm. This will be the Thirtieth Annual Cathedral Organ Benefit Recital—a remarkable streak!

For decades, Leo Abbott, Music Director and Organist Emeritus of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, has very generously invited multiple organists to play on fundraising recitals. These concerts were among my fondest memories, enjoying the camaraderie of fellow organists and those passionate about the music. This tradition must continue!

SEVEN ORGANISTS WILL PERFORM:
Carson Cooman composer-in-residence
The Memorial Church, Harvard University
Mark Dwyer The Church of the Advent
Dr. Janet E. Hunt Saint John’s Seminary, Boston
Peter Krasinski international concert organist
Rosalind Mohnsen Immaculate Conception, Malden
AND
Leo D. Abbott & Richard J. Clark Cathedral of the Holy Cross

• SUGGESTED DONATION: $20 | $10 for AGO Members, Seniors, and students Donations are gratefully accepted for the ongoing maintenance and restoration of the Cathedral’s historic E. & G. G. Hook and Hastings Opus 801 (1875)

• Download the concert poster here.

• Click here for specifications of the 101-rank E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings Organ, Opus 801

CONSIDER DONATING TO THE CATHEDRAL ORGAN RESTORATION FUND!
You can now donate online to the Cathedral Organ Restoration Fund here. You will receive an automated letter for tax purposes. You may also set up regular giving to assist with maintenance and tuning. Even $10 per month is a big help! This Fund was established by Leo Abbott in 1987 in memory of his father, Arthur J. Abbott.

ITH THE REMOVAL of carpeting and installation of marble and stone floors, the acoustic of the cathedral has been transformed. As such, the instrument is now being heard as it has never been in our lifetimes. Msgr. Kevin O’Leary’s opening remarks, prior to Leo Abbott’s recent rededication recital, was interrupted with wild applause. He could not finish this sentence: “During the renovation of the Cathedral, every bit of carpeting was removed and replaced with marble and stone…” Applause burst out here for what seemed like a few minutes! He continued: “…allowing this instrument to sing God’s praises more fully and gloriously.”

Soli Deo Gloria

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Pipe Organ 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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

When you consider that the greatest hymns ever written—the plainchant hymns—are pushing the age of eight hundred and that the noble chorale hymn tunes of Bach date from the early eighteenth century, then what is the significance of the word “old” applied to “Mother at Thy Feet Is Kneeling”? Most of the old St. Basil hymns date from the Victorian era, particularly the 1870s and 1880s.

— Paul Hume (1956)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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