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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Theodore Marier Is the Most Important Liturgical Musician—Even Today.

Richard J. Clark · July 26, 2023

BELIEVE that Dr. Theodore Marier is even today the most important liturgical musician in the English Speaking world, despite a life in relative obscurity and service. Few know his name. Yet, his influence and importance certainly surpass postconciliar giants like Richard Proulx and Alexander Peloquin, whose work live on today. And his liturgical works are in greater demand today than when they were composed. My assertion specifies the parameter “most important liturgical musician”—one who worked in a parish with parish choirs in addition to being a composer, scholar, and editor of hymnals. Certainly, Pope Saint Pius X is the most important figure in liturgical music of the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries; he is referred to by name twice in SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM for having “explained more precisely the ministerial function supplied by sacred music in the service of the Lord.” (S. C. §42). Pope Benedict XVI certainly looms as a most prominent figure in the Twenty-first Century. But a liturgical musician working in the trenches to implement Vatican II? Undoubtedly Theodore Marier.

My Presentation • The following presentation was given at the Sacred Music Symposium in California. It was the closing event of a glorious week of sacred music and prayer.

EW KNOW Marier’s work. He was not an international figure as a composer of concert works, although he traveled in circles that included Olivier Messiaen, Jean Langlais, Dom Joseph Gajard of the Solesmes Abbey, Seizi Ozawa, Kurt Masur, and others. His liturgical compositions, influence, and guidance throughout the Twentieth Century and the Conciliar changes are exceedingly important today in the Twenty-first Century especially in light of Pope Francis’ motu proprio, Traditionis custodes. Regardless, his influence stands on its own. Marier is best known as the founder of the Saint Paul’s Choir School (Archdiocesan Choir School) in Cambridge, Massachusetts and as the editor of the landmark hymnal, Hymns Psalms and Spiritual Canticles (1974, 1983) which modeled the sung Mass in the brand new Novus Ordo. His Psalter will be that hymnal’s most lasting contribution. (Listen here to the Boston Cathedral Choir sing Marier’s Psalm 128.) The founding of the school in 1963 (an extraordinary year in the Church!) was to him the natural conclusion of the liturgical documents put forth by Popes Pius X, Pius XI, and Pius XII, and ultimately Vatican II. He took these liturgical directives to heart and acted upon them. He demanded excellence not only from his students, but from the institution he founded.

Marier’s Qualities • His postconciliar liturgical compositions addressed the desperate need for sacred music in the vernacular that was required overnight. His compositions were deeply steeped in Gregorian Chant and demonstrate the continuity of the old rite and the new in a manner that was not only accessible, but beautiful, sacred, and universal. He was the model of a servant leader and servant composer. He spent his life building bridges. He began preparing those bridges in the 1940s with longtime Saint Paul’s pastor, Msgr. Augustine Hickey long before Vatican II. He built bridges during Vatican II (listen here to his Lux Aeterna in English recorded in 1965!) and in the years after Vatican II until his death in 2001. He always built a bridge out of love for God and the faithful. He was a man of deep faith, a loving husband, father, and family man. All of this made him a better liturgical musician.

Personal Takeaway:

I never met Theodore Marier. I did not grow up in New England. However, I have met countless souls whose lives have been changed forever by him. For someone I never met, he has had the most profound influence on my career. Whether one uses his compositions or not—they will have to stand on their own merits—I have one final personal conclusion: The more I learn about Marier, his life and career, the more I am inspired to be a better human being.

Acknowledgments:

This presentation is just a small offering, giving an overview which I hope others can build upon. I wish to extend profuse thanks to Dr. William H. Atwood, Diocesan Director of Music for the Diocese of Bridgeport Connecticut for his dissertation The Influence of Plainchant on the liturgical Music of Theodore Marier. I also wish to thank William Endicott, Class of 2008, for his thesis, Repleatur Os Meum Laude Tua, A History of the Music and Mission of the St. Paul’s Choir School and for supplying recordings and scores. I also wish to thank Br. Paul J. Murray, Class of 1996, for his tireless editorial work on Marier’s compositions. Finally, I wish to thank the late John Dunn (1943-2022), Headmaster & Director of Music Emeritus, Saint Paul’s Choir School for his painstaking editorial updates of Marier’s psalter—a true labor of love—and generous sharing of institutional knowledge.

Soli Deo gloria

Oremus pro invicem.
Let us pray for each other.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Dr Theodore Marier Last Updated: January 13, 2024

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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

    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Obey, then, these prescriptions sincerely and calmly. [viz. clerics must pray their office in Latin.] It is not an excessive love of old ways that prompts them.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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