ERHAPS READERS are familiar with a story about SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI. In those days, some priests (in spite of their vows) secretly kept concubines, with whom they committed grave sins. The disciples of Saint Francis brought to him one such priest, expecting him to castigate this heinous sinner. Instead, Saint Francis knelt down and kissed the priest’s hands. “Because it is only thanks to these hands we can receive the Blessed Sacrament.” What is the moral of this story? I suspect we’re meant to take several things away. First of all, a reverence for the SANCTISSIMUM. Secondly, a reminder that we’re all sinners—and for every one person who reflects on his own sins there are ninety-nine who focus on the sins of others. Needless to say, Saint Francis was not condoning the priest’s immorality. I suspect that readers could add several more lessons.
Scandal Sells! • Nothing captivates an audience as quickly as revealing a juicy scandal. For example, I posted recently about a shocking action by OREGON CATHOLIC PRESS (OCP) and within 24 hours it had garnered thousands (!) of downloads. Certain “Catholic” publications incessantly reveal—or perhaps I should say celebrate?—scandals. Doing so has become their raison d’être.1
Jeff’s Dilemma • Today, I release another movement of the Mass in Honor of Saint Noël Chabanel. Written for the Ordinary Form, this Mass involves your CONGREGATION, your CANTRIX, and your CHOIR. It consists of seven movements. (The other movements will be released soon. We’re putting finishing touches on the rehearsal videos.) My dilemma is deciding whether it’s worthwhile to release—each week—the transposed version of the GOSPEL ACCLAMATION. They’re already prepared, as you can see. While it wouldn’t be difficult to transpose each score and release them for free on our blog, would such an undertaking be valuable? Sometimes it’s discouraging that there’s so much interest in scandal but not that much interest in efforts to make things better. If you’d be interested in me transposing those scores, please send me an email using the address at the bottom of this page.
The Choral Extension comes at the end:
To freely download the PDF score, locate #39162.
Our First Attempt • On 24 September 2023, our volunteer choir attempted to sing this ALLELUIA at the Extraordinary Form. However, as you can hear by this Mp3 file, we still have some refining to do to get it sounding the way it needs to sound!
Most Will Not • Most readers won’t download the PDF if it’s placed on another page. One must click that link and scroll down to number “39162.” That’s also where the rehearsal videos for each individual part reside. [Creating each rehearsal video requires enormous effort. If you want to make me feel good, please replay them over and over again to raise the view count!] For the record, only one person has been able to guess the composer of the polyphonic sections. I can’t reveal the name of the person who guessed correctly. However, I can disclose that he’s a full professor at Juilliard, he contributes to this blog, and he’s extremely intelligent. But I can’t reveal his name.
Stepwise Bass Line • Those who download the PDF file might notice the careful use of “stepwise bass lines.” I mention that technique so much during each annual Sacred Music Symposium, some readers might be sick of it! But below you’ll find a few more examples.
First Example • A beautiful composition by Dom Gregory Murray:
Second Example • A somewhat bizarre (yet captivating) harmonization of the DIES IRAE by Monsignor Leo P. Manzetti (1867-1942):
Third Example • A tune called “Mit Freuden Zart,” taken from #842 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal:
Addendum • Some believe the MASS ORDINARY now includes the Alleluia before the Gospel as well as the Our Father, since those have been sung (often) at Mass for the last 60 years … whereas I have yet to attend an OF Mass which sings the Creed. Traditionally, the MASS ORDINARY was the Kyrie, Gloria, (Credo), Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. I no longer have the strength to argue about such issues. I would simply point out that some composers—in former centuries—had a different conception of what was included in the MASS ORDINARY. If memory serves, Father Guillaume de Machaut (d. 1377) and Phillipe Verdelot (d. 1535) set to polyphony the “Ite Missa Est” response.
1 Several of these publications seem blissfully ignorant of the fact that one is never supposed to “punch down.” For instance, much has been made recently about an attack on Dr. Scott Hahn, even though the attack came from a man known to be severely mentally ill.
