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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF • 2014 Dissertation: “Plainchant Influence on the Liturgical Music of Dr. Marier” (324 pages)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 15, 2023

HIS YEAR, the Sacred Music Symposium is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Marier (d. 2001), and will close with a lecture on his life and music, presented by Richard J. Clark, who currently serves as Director of Music for the Archdiocese of Boston, where Dr. Marier founded a famous choir school in Harvard Square. You should consider attending this year’s Symposium. I can’t reveal all the details yet, but I can assure you: it will be unforgettable. While I personally never met him, Ted Marier seems to have been a Christian husband and father filled with the Lord’s joy. He also “put his money where his mouth is.” That is to say, Dr. Theodore Marier conducted church music in real life, as opposed to just talking about it. Indeed, our Symposium has distinguished itself by its presenters, who (like Marier) have spent their lives conducting choirs in real life.1

Magnificent Dissertation • Our organization has been given permission to post an absolutely magnificent doctoral dissertation by Dr. William Atwood, Diocesan Director of Music for the Diocese of Bridgeport Connecticut. This treatise is a “must read” for anyone who cares about liturgical music in the Catholic Church. Its official title is: “The Influence of Plainchant on the Liturgical Music of Theodore Marier.” However, its 324 pages do much more than simply look at Marier’s music:

*  PDF Download • MARIER DISSERTATION (2014)
—“The Influence of Plainchant on the Liturgical Music of Theodore Marier” • 324 pages.

An example of the way Dr. Marier incorporated plainsong:

Summary Of Marier’s Life • In his dissertation, Dr. William Atwood mentions an excellent tribute to Dr. Marier, written by the legendary Dr. Robert A. Skeris. You can download that tribute here:

*  PDF Download • TRIBUTE TO MARIER
—Written by his friend, Monsignor Robert Skeris.

42516-Wedding-1941-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42520-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42518-St-Paul-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42519-Dom-Gajard-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42513-Cartoon-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42515-At-The-Piano-1942-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42514-In-His-Study-2000-Theodore-Marier-Ted-Marier-Photograph
42517-Playing-Organ-In-1936

1 Please note: I’m not saying it’s wrong to write articles about authentic sacred music. What I’m saying is this: writing articles is one thing, whereas standing in front of a parish choir in real life is something else entirely. Only those who have stood in front of a parish choir in real life can understand the unique challenges this presents.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, PDF Download Tagged With: Dr Theodore Marier, Theodore Marier Last Updated: February 15, 2023

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“One must pray to God not only with theologically precise formulas, but also in a beautiful and dignified way. The Christian community must make an examination of conscience so that the beauty of music and song will return increasingly to the liturgy.”

— Pope Saint John Paul II (26 February 2003)

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