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Views from the Choir Loft

In Memoriam • Dr. William Mahrt

Fr. David Friel · January 2, 2025

T THE VERY START of this Jubilee year, we mourn the passing of Dr. William Mahrt, who died late in the afternoon of January 1, 2025. One of the world’s foremost authorities on Gregorian chant, Dr. Mahrt was a tremendous teacher whose depth of scholarship was matched by his greatness of soul. Dr. Mahrt’s writings in musicology, especially within the realm of Gregorian chant, are truly magisterial. Readers of the CMAA’s Sacred Music journal will remember Bill’s insightful and pithy editorials in each issue, almost always bearing a one- or two-word title. His reviews of repertoire in the same journal show forth his unparalleled mastery of chant and polyphony. The 2012 reworking of a number of earlier articles into the book The Musical Shape of the Liturgy was a great gift for a new generation of men and women who are dedicated, like Bill, to promoting the Church’s treasury of sacred music at the parish level.

This is one of the most remarkable things about Bill’s professional life: although he was ever the scholar, he was never removed from the demands of actual liturgical praxis. He led a successful career as a professor at Stanford University (his alma mater), and he also led the St. Ann Choir week-by-week in rehearsal and at Sunday Mass in Palo Alto continuously for more than fifty years. Bill was no ivory tower academic, but a brilliant and faithful man who had tasted heaven in the chants of the Church and who ardently shared his knowledge and love for sacred music with his fellow parishioners and musicians.

Numerous times, I heard Dr. Mahrt give lectures and presentations on sacred music, always learning something from what he taught. Occasionally, while participating together in various conferences, I had the chance to share a meal with him, which always felt like sitting at the feet of a (very humble) master. On a few occasions, I also had the imposing task of presenting papers on musical topics in his presence, during the course of which I cited one or more of his works. I will never forget his kindness and encouragement to me on those occasions.

Dr. Mahrt’s death is a real loss for his family and for so many others who came to love him for his gentleness and generosity, as well as his erudition and accomplishments.

AINT PAUL describes the way in which the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in human souls: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). According to this standard, Bill was a man very much filled with the Holy Spirit.

We pray that Dr. Mahrt may soon sing alongside the angels and saints as part of the heavenly choir. Requiescat in pace!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Church Music Association of America CMAA, New Liturgical Movement Blog, William Mahrt Gregorian Chant Last Updated: January 2, 2025

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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

Random Quote

“Urban VIII appointed four Jesuits to reform the hymns, so that they should no longer offend Renaissance ears. These four, in that faithful obedience to the Holy See which is the glory of their Society, with a patient care that one cannot help admiring, set to work to destroy every hymn in the office.”

— Fr. Adrian Fortescue (1916)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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