Three (3) Tricks Every Choir Director Should Learn
Conscientious choirmasters know it’s crucial to get “as much bang for your buck” as possible.
Articles
Question: “How Do You Read The Official Edition?”
A reader asks: “No Dotted Neumes?”
PDF Download • “Organ Accompaniment Booklet” (Passion Sunday Vespers) — 24 pages
Fulton J. Sheen considered Monsignor Knox’s English translation of the Bible to be the greatest ever created.
Vespers for Easter Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
A ramble about open source software and three PDF files for 1962 Vespers for Ferias 4-6 in the Octave of Easter.
Hidden Gem: Ave Regina Caelorum (Steven Talley)
This sweet, simple SATB motet provides a contrast to heavier, darker Lenten repertoire. But it’s going out of season soon.
Four (4) Shimmery Hymns for Lent & Passiontide
“In nothing are English Catholics so poor as in vernacular hymns. The real badness of most of our popular hymns (endeared, unfortunately, to the people by association) surpasses anything that could otherwise be imagined.” —Father Fortescue
“Go!” • The Word That Changed My Life Forever
As Americans, we’re “bred from birth” to think of ourselves as little gods who already know everything and require no correction.
At the Cross • Stabat Mater
“The devotional version of this hymn employs a later tune erroneously called ‘plainsong’ in various sources.” —Patrick Williams
Summer Ward Method Courses • CUA 2023
The Ward Method is a classical pedagogy designed for pre-K through eighth grade music classes in Catholic schools.
PDF Download • Vespers Organ Accomp. Booklet (4th Sunday of Lent) — 24 pages
This is probably too late … but there’s always next year!
Mass and Motets
This little booklet has had a long influence on choirs, but isn’t very widely known. How many of these pieces are you familiar with?
Sneaky “Salicus” Statements by Solesmes
Let there be no mistake about it: Dom Mocquereau (illicitly) added the “salicus” in hundreds of places where the official edition has none.
“Lætáre Jerúsalem” • Introit (4th Sunday of Lent)
Sung according to the official rhythm of the Catholic Church.
“Solesmes Ictus” • Can It Be Justified? (Examples)
“If you begin by telling a man that in a word like 𝐷𝑒𝑢𝑠 the first syllable corresponds to the weak beat, the second to the strong beat of a modern bar, the only thing accomplished will be to bewilder him thoroughly.” —Father Bewerunge
Ictus Fictus!
“Hardly any of this made-up system has its basis in medieval music theory or in the manuscripts themselves.”—Patrick Williams
