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“These manuscripts had to be sought out in the public or capitular libraries, whose conservators were often hardly supportive of—if not outright hostile to—the reproduction of their treasures.”
Father Ralph March wrote: “If any single man could deserve the title father of the renewed chant it would be Dom Joseph Pothier.”
We strive to emphasize the positive on this blog, but I have to admit…
She said: “Jeff, you should record these harmonies with human voices, to illustrate what you mean.”
Jeff, thanks for the rare Gregorian accompaniments. I just love all the work you do! About 2 years ago, my parish made the decision to ditch all the contemporary Mass settings (Marty Haugen, and so forth) and to only use the Latin! We currently use the [name redacted of a disposable missal] … some of their accompaniments […]
Dear Mr. Ostrowski; I must politely disagree with your friend who said “absolutely nobody cares” about the rare books you share on the blog. The fact is, your raw enthusiasm for these resources teaches me (and presumably others) to care. I admit that sometimes the angles from which you present them—the amount of context, or […]
Dr. Peter Wagner, a famous musicologist, founded the “Gregorian Academy” in Freiburg (Switzerland).
Let us pray for the repose of the soul of Josef Ratzinger, who did so much good for the church.
Saint John Vianney, while in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, could scarcely speak or breathe (so moved was he).
Here’s a handy organ accompaniment (PDF) in three different key signatures: MIDDLE, HIGH, and LOW. The Latin lyrics (“Silens Nox”) are courtesy of Father Valentine Young, OFM (d. 2020). The organ harmonies are very simple, yet beautiful. Those who desire such a thing may also download a Singer’s Version. For obvious reasons, the choir will […]
This morning I sat down and arranged what—in my view—is one of the beautiful Christmas carols.
A very skilled conductor from another country—who recently posted a recording any conductor would be proud of, displaying a light, pleasant, and professional choral sound—wrote to us on 23 December 2022: “CCWatershed and the Sacred Music Symposia have made a great mark in my musical career and the sound you hear you can proudly say […]
Anyone who’s ever stood in front of a choir knows the choirmaster’s vocation is not an easy one.
People often ask: “Can Gregorian Chant include the congregation?” The answer is: Yes! Listen to this Live Recording from last Sunday (which was the 4th Sunday of Advent). That is one model—not the only model—demonstrating how a congregation could be included. It’s KYRIE XVII, traditionally sung during Advent.
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