4th Sunday of Lent (“Laetare Sunday”)
“Grant us, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that we may treat with unfeigned veneration and ever receive with heartfelt faith Thy holy rites which we constantly celebrate…”
Articles
PDF Download • Rare German Hymnal (879 pages)
Most German hymnals we’ve come across contain words only—but this one has harmonies!
New Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Invoking Mater Ecclesiae in a new annual feast
Blue Heron shines the light on Ockeghem—“The best composer you’ve never heard”
“He is in every way a composer of Bach’s stature and accomplishment both technically and expressively.” ~ Scott Metcalfe
3rd Sunday of Lent (Extraordinary Form)
“Be merciful, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and free us from all sins and dangers…”
Contemporary “Stabat Mater” (SATB) • by Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965)
You’ve never heard this arrangement before—perfect for Lent.
“Tu Es Petrus” (Rec. 2017 Symposium)
No matter how many people imitate John Denver on the guitar in our churches, Palestrina and Victoria will always be loved and sought by serious Catholics.
Build your Music Theory Skills
How to Finally Acquire a Musical Education While Still in College or Anywhere Else (with apologies to James V Schall)
The Smoke of Satan
Blessed Pope Paul VI: “The smoke of Satan has entered the Church.”
“First Run Through” • Guerrero’s Kyrie
“To put it simply, I was pierced by the beauty of the liturgy in a way I have never before experienced.” —2017 participant
Building Your Choir Vocally
If more choirmasters were honest with themselves, they would probably acknowledge that no more than 25 to 40 percent of their singers are actually leaders within their choirs.
Rare Lenten Hymns You’ve Not Sung
“Our hymnbooks know nothing of such a treasure as this, and give us pages of poor sentiment in doggerel lines by some tenth-rate modern versifier.” —Fr. Fortescue
St. Thomas More on the Reception of Holy Communion
“Let us not lose this time…for we can hardly tell whether we will ever get in to church again or not.” —St. Thomas More
Towards a Standard Protocol for Frayed Ribbons
Adding ribbons sounds like a fine idea, until they fray and come adrift. Serious bookmakers take precautions to stop ribbons fraying, but even amateurs can learn from these tips.
Phone Interview • Fr. Guy Nicholls, Cong. Orat.
The Blessed John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music (England) has a big announcement!