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How well do you know hymnody? A few days ago, we recorded this really beautiful hymn as part of a Roman Catholic Spanish hymnal project we’re helping with. Can you name that tune? (We’re looking for the correct name of the melody.) If you give up—or if you want to verify your answer—click here for […]
Jennifer Urquhart wrote to us: “I’m currently involved in providing music for a non-specialist choir which will sing a TLM for the Sacred Heart. Since those propers changed in 1929, the one in the figured Liber Usualis (1924) now has the wrong texts.” Jennifer placed those propers into modern notation, which you can download as […]
Click here to listen to our 100% volunteer choir singing this famous hymn without organ. By way of comparison, you can hear the same choir sing that hymn accompanied by the pipe organ if you click here. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Please feel free to email me and tell me which you like better.
The soul-stirring hymn used on ASCENSION THURSDAY at Vespers—and also used on the Sunday which follows the Ascension—was called in the 7th century: “Jesu Nostra Redemptio.” After 1631AD, the title of that hymn was changed to “Salutis Humanae Sator.” The melody assigned by the Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant is rather mournful (and very difficult […]
Here is a ‘live’ recording from the Mass on Ascension Thursday (2024): Hymn for the Ascension. I could not be prouder of this parish choir, which consists 100% of volunteers. To learn more about this hymn, please visit #704 in the hymn portal. I have argued that—in addition to CARMEN GREGORIANUM, organ music, and polyphony—hymns […]
A simplified keyboard accompaniment for pianists struggling to be organists.
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Upon hearing this special rendition of the ancient Roman Catholic hymn for Eastertide known as “Ad Régias Agni Dapes” several readers requested the score. You may now download the PDF Score (4 pages) completely free of charge. [Rehearsal videos for each individual part are waiting for you at #33013.] For the record, prior to 1632AD […]
This coming Sunday in the Extraordinary Form will be the Fifth Sunday after Easter. Each week, everyone can freely visit this page, downloading such booklets (as it were) directly from the source. Nevertheless, I’d like to draw your attention to the ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT BOOKLET (20 pages) for Vespers in the Extraordinary Form: Dominica V Post […]
I believe it’s better to sing a Psalm Tone with excellence rather than attempt the authentic CARMEN GREGORIANUM (Gregorian Chant) in a plodding, lifeless, poorly-executed way. To that end, I have created this Fifth Mode Psalm Tone version for the COMMUNION CHANT assigned to 1962 Missal weddings. The Nuptial Mass is sometimes called “Pro Sponso […]
How many of your choir members can do this? (a) Recite the Tantum Ergo from memory; (b) Explain where the piece comes from and when specifically—during HOLY WEEK—it’s used; (c) Provide a literal translation (from memory, without looking in a book). This nifty one-page sheet (PDF) might be worth downloading if you’re worried some of […]
In the past, I’ve mentioned how I can’t stand hearing wrong notes. I was playing LLANFAIR the other day, and I was hitting wrong notes. Earlier today, I created a simplified version which you can download for free. This famous tune (“LLANFAIR”) is often used on the feast of the Ascension, with “Hail the Day […]
I hate hearing organists play wrong notes. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment for hymn #699 in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal. The hymn is “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.” I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was […]
In his illustrious 1912 tome—The Mass: A Study Of The Roman Liturgy—Father Adrian Fortescue spoke of sequences, writing: “Strangest of all were the vernacular sequences in France and Germany, or those partly vernacular and partly Latin.” Our volunteer choir experimented with that on Holy Thursday, mixing Latin verses with an English refrain. For the record, […]
Working with volunteers can be discouraging, but always remember there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday, during PALM SUNDAY MASS, our 100% volunteer choir pulled out the SANCTUS from William Byrd’s “Mass for Five Voices.” This colossal performance was the result. (They literally didn’t know I was going to have them sing that […]
