An Important Anniversary
Dom Pothier died 100 years ago today.
Accent and Gregorian Melody
The idea of the tonic accent in Gregorian melody runs through the entire Solesmes tradition from Gontier to Pothier to Mocquereau to the present.
Bearing Witness
We Church musicians have a high calling to bear witness to the truth with our music and our lives.
A Classic Example of Modal Modulation
We can think of the modes and their traditional characters in a dynamic way, and it can help us to have a little more shape and direction in our singing.
Report • “Musical Shape of the Liturgy Conference”
This week I attended part of an excellent academic conference in honor of William Mahrt.
Two Ways of Singing the Easter Sequence
Two recordings of the same chant from the Sacred Music Symposium 2023.
PDF Dissertation • “Dom Mocquereau and Music Theory” (282 Pages)
My thesis on how Dom Mocquereau relates to other theories of musical rhythm is now available for download.
A Brief Addendum
In praise of the Cardine approach to chanting, with some further thoughts on pluralism and correctness in performance practice.
Some Questions Answered
Some very quick answers to questions posed by Patrick Williams.
A Concert in Honor of William Byrd
The better the voice is, the meeter it is to honour and serve God therewith: and the voice of man is chiefly to be employed to that end.
PDF Download • Palestrina’s Most Famous Mass Simplified
“I find Anerio’s work here to be excellent, and I hope you do as well.” —Dr. Charles Weaver
An Interview with Bruno de Labriolle
Readers interested in different stylistic approaches to Gregorian chant may enjoy this interview with the singer Bruno de Labriolle, who directs the schola of Saint-Bruno-des-Chartreux in Lyon. The views on chant and liturgy aired in the interview aren’t exactly the same as those of any of our contributors, but I personally find this group’s performances, in […]
Stomping Feet, Clattering Hooves, and Other Chant-Related Matters
Did you know that St. Augustine described the sound of one hand clapping?
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Weaver Responds to Williams”
“Nothing so arouses the soul, gives it wing, sets it free from the earth, releases it from the prison of the body, teaches it to love wisdom, and to condemn all the things of this life, as concordant melody and sacred song composed in rhythm.” —St. John Chrysostom
In Praise of Adaptability
A proposal: if we are going to study something as important and mysterious as Gregorian chant, we ought to be able to perform it convincingly in several different ways.