Views from the Choir Loft

Announcement of Easter & the Moveable Feasts • 2020

Richard J. Clark · December 20, 2019

AUL J. MURRAY, Director of Music and Organist of Church of Our Saviour, New York, New York, has set the Announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts for the Novus Ordo. He has kindly made it available here for free download. While, the chant can be found in the Roman Missal Appendix, it is very convenient to have the dates already in the music!

Note, there are two versions: one for Dioceses that celebrate The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord on a Thursday, and those that move it to Sunday.

N KEEPING WITH an ancient practice of the Holy Church, the moveable feasts of the coming year are announced following the Gospel. Interestingly, the rubrics indicate that the Gospel be sung! (However, even if read, that should not stop one from singing the proclamation):

On the Epiphany of the Lord, after the singing of the Gospel, a Deacon or cantor, in keeping with an ancient practice of the Holy Church, announces from the ambo the moveable feasts of the current year according to this formula:

This Epiphany proclamation is a reminder of the centrality of the resurrection of the Lord in the liturgical year and the importance of the great mysteries of faith, which are celebrated each year. Although optional, this chant is a unique expression (and fun) that connects our present day to our ancient roots of the Church. It is a tradition that reminds of who we are, where we come from, and where we are going!

• Dioceses that celebrate Ascension on Thursday • (in the United States: Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, Philadelphia):
• PDF Download • The Announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts • 2020

• Dioceses that celebrate Ascension on Sunday:
• PDF Download • The Announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts • 2020

* * YouTube • Epiphany Proclamation • DEMO • (Ascension on a THURSDAY)

This chant is a wonderful way to add additional reverence to the liturgy. By leading us through key moments of salvation history, this proclamation reminds us—on the very day in which Christ is revealed to all nations—of Christ’s redeeming power in all our lives and to the whole world.

Soli Deo gloria

About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He is also Chapel Organist (Saint Mary’s Chapel) at Boston College. His compositions have been performed worldwide.

Too much music!

Choosing music for the Sacred Music Symposium requires careful consideration. We make sure (always) to have great variety. Because the schedule is so full, there’s never sufficient time to discuss the music fully—indeed, we could easily do a month-long seminar on each piece! For example, last year Dr. Calabrese conducted a setting of the Magnificat by Father Guerrero (d. 1599). It is one of the most magnificent (pardon the pun) pieces ever written, and I wish I had time to point out the brilliant way he syncopates the word “dispersit,” which means “He has scattered” or “He has dispersed.” Superb!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Sharing Is Caring”

I would like to share a message from a highly respected scholar. (His articles appear in distinguished journals such as Études grégoriennes and Oxford’s Early Music.) He wrote as follows:

The Brébeuf Hymnal is very tastefully done. Your team has exquisite literary and musical taste. I see from my copy of the hymnal that you also set Ex more docti to “Rockingham” (one of my favorite melodies for “When I survey the wondrous cross”). I especially appreciate the background information at the bottom of the page. When I played at the Lutheran church, I would always have a little note about the music, sometimes about a hymn, if the “Hymnal Companion” offered something of interest. The church we attend has battered Worship II hymnals (one per pew), but almost nobody seems to want to sing. I congratulate you on the staggering amount of work it took to produce the Brébeuf hymnal: excellent contents and production.

—Jeff Ostrowski

What Frightens Me

The world’s experts have been releasing contradictory statements Re: Covid-19. I am neither a doctor nor a scientist, so I won’t comment; but I have something to say about the spine-tingling predictions made by certain politicians. When I was growing up, they told us “within ten years” we would starve due to overpopulation. The next year, they said “within ten years” we would fry due to global warming. The next year, they told us “within ten years” the oceans would have no fish because of overfishing. The next year, they told us “within ten years” the deficit would become unsustainable and we’d all go bankrupt. The next year, they told us “within ten years” there would be no clean water due to pollution. None of these things happened.

I believe in taking every precaution. I urge our readers to take Covid-19 seriously. At the same time, we have an obligation to consider the effects of our “reaction”—yet few seem to be doing this. And that really scares me.

—Jeff Ostrowski