Views from the Choir Loft

Silence and The Thoughts of His Heart

Richard J. Clark · June 19, 2020

HERE HAS BEEN been too much hurt and suffering in the world to express anything adequately in words. There is societal and personal pain, grief in the music world, challenge in our liturgical and sacramental life.

Our souls are hurting and in crisis.

I am reminded of the need for silence: “Music arises out of silence and returns to silence…The importance of silence in the Liturgy cannot be overemphasized. (§118. Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship)

I have no words.

I LEAVE YOU WITH TWO instrumental works upon which to meditate, first, an organ work based on the Introit to the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: The Thoughts of His Heart.

The second is a four-movement meditation on Psalm 139 Fearfully and Wonderfully Made with Richard Kelley, trumpet. This work will be published with WLP/G.I.A. You’ll notice the Covid-19 spacing in our informal video.

Wishing you peace and love,
Richard

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made
I. Lord, You Have Searched Me
Psalm 139:1 Lord, you have searched me, you know me.

II. You Know When I Sit and When I Arise.
139:2 You know when I sit and when I arise; you know my thoughts, even from afar.

III. Where Can I Flee from Your Presence?
Psalm 139:7 Where can I run from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence? If I should go to the heavens, there you are; if I sleep in the depths, you are also there.

IV. I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. All your works are wonderful; this I know full well.

Recorded at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston

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

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).

22 September 2020 • “Tears of Joy”

A reader wrote to us: “Thank you for the sample verses of Hymn #869 (Solemn Hymn to the Son of God). I found this music posted to YouTube this morning, and I’ve lost count at of the number of times I’ve replayed it and—no exaggeration!—it makes me tear up each time. This lovely hymn makes me feel closer to Jesus in a way I have not experienced before. It also makes me want to proceed with my daily prayers right then and there, rather than run off to the next errand or household task. I could play your traditional hymns and liturgical music all day long!” —(Ann from the Boston area)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Myth Re: Johann Sebastian Bach

Some musicologists try to make a “splash” by saying that Bach was totally forgotten when he died—remembered only as an organ virtuoso—and that his sons were more famous than he was. Such an idea is indefensible. It is true that musical styles changed in 1750AD—but this is normal. Musical styles change constantly; e.g. much of the repertoire of Hofmann and Rachmaninov was considered “garbage” toward the end of their lives. But those who carefully study the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Christian Gottlob Neefe, Franz Liszt, John Field, Hans von Bülow, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and countless others realize that Bach was revered. It’s true that his music was seldom played in public, but music by “dead composers” was generally speaking not played in public until approximately the middle of the 19th century.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Arthur Friedheim, Franz Liszt’s Secretary

Arthur Friedheim (d. 1932) has a very poor reputation as a pianist, and Liszt rejected him several times before finally accepting him as a pupil, yet the Liszt recordings he left are quite good—especially considering the transgressions by other Liszt pupils. Friedheim must have been an amazing musician; twice he was asked to become conductor of the New York Philharmonic (1898 + 1911) but he declined both times. Circa 1912, Friedheim was recording Chopin’s “Funeral March” but the record ran out, so he simply stopped in the middle of the piece. Things sure have changed! Pianists no longer stop in the middle of pieces, although Cortot would sometimes abridge pieces to make them fit on records (cf. Chopin’s Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brilliante).

—Jeff Ostrowski