Views from the Choir Loft

Podcast: James Kennerley: Sacred Music in Education, the Church and the World

Richard J. Clark · May 14, 2021

R. PATRICK Fiorillo, Parochial Vicar and Undergraduate Chaplain at Saint Paul’s Parish in Harvard Square interviews Maestro James Kennerley, Director of Music of the Saint Paul’s Choir School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Kennerley is an internationally acclaimed conductor, organist, and composer.

Listen here:

* * PODCAST • The Harvard Catholic • James Kennerley: Sacred Music in Education, the Church and the World

IKE MANY CATHOLIC Schools in the Archdiocese of Boston, Saint Paul’s Choir School has offered in-person instruction five days a week since September of 2020. But exceedingly rare: St. Paul’s has been one of the few choirs in the world singing during the pandemic. They have done so safely with countless precautions while maintaining the highest standards in sacred music.

Fr. Fiorillo and Maestro Kennerley cover a breathtaking range of enlightened topics. These include the role of beauty and goodness in expressing truth, the influence of the Church in art and music, and the Church’s treasury of sacred music. Kennerley underscores the myriad salutary benefits of music education for children and that of a community that sings together.

Fr. Fiorillo’s knowledge and appreciation for sacred music in the liturgy shines in his questions. (He also holds the rare distinction of having a hymn tune named in his honor in The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal!)

This interview begs for follow-up conversations! To follow Fr. Fiorillo’s podcast “The Harvard Catholic” click here.

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).

“Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10 August 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon

This coming Sunday—10 August 2025—is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON is really gorgeous, and two of its features are worth mentioning. First of all, the Gospel reading assigned is from Saint Luke, whereas the the antiphon—although it matches the account—comes from Saint Matthew. (If anyone can point to a similar example, please notify me.) Furthermore, if you look at the authentic Gregorian Chant version posted on the feasts website, you’ll notice that it’s MODE III but ends on the ‘wrong’ note. A comparable instance of such a ‘transposed’ chant would be KYRIE IV.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly

Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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