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1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.” 26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying […]
Back in 2001, I created an arrangement of “O Filii Et Filiae” based on the work of Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel. You can access free rehearsal videos at #5909. Choirs absolutely love singing this piece. You can hear my volunteer choir singing a live recording.
Many people wonder what Cantus Gregorianus sounds like when sung according to the “official rhythm.” You can hear the Introit for Maundy Thursday sung that way—i.e. according to the “pure” Editio Vaticana—if you click here. Technically, this is the only interpretation allowed by the Church; cf. the letter of Cardinal Martinelli (18 February 1910).
A wonderful passiontide hymn is #692 in the Brébeuf hymnal. It works especially well for Communion. Here is a live recording from last Sunday, sung by the fabulous female singers in my volunteer parish choir.
During the procession on Palm Sunday, the 1962 rubrics allow alius cantus in honorem Christi Regis—“a hymn or song in honor of Christ the King.” A simple yet beautiful Gregorian hymn you might consider is Te Sæculorum Principem, which was composed for the feast of Christ the King by Father Vittorio Genovesi (d. 1967). The […]
During Passiontide, the hymn at Vespers is the mighty Vexilla Regis Prodeunt of Bishop Venantius Fortunatus. In 2015, I composed an organ accompaniment for this hymn with each verse written out. This comes in pretty handy on occasions when the organist must “lead the hymn from the organ bench.” Please feel free to download my […]
The clinicians for Sacred Music Symposium 2022 have been officially released! You can see them by downloading this PDF file. Please help us spread the word. Thank you!
A generous person in Paris sent us the 1921 organ accompaniment to the Requiem Mass (“Missa Pro Defunctis”) harmonized by Julius Bas, who was associated with the Abbey of Solesmes. You can download the entire PDF file for free at the Lalande Library. I must say, what Bas does with Dies Irae sequence is fascinatingly […]
Two members of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter recently met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. (You can read the whole story.) The Pope insisted that the FSSP should be “preserved, protected, and encouraged.” Moreover, Pope Francis made it clear that institutes such as the Fraternity of Saint Peter are not affected by the […]
I created a booklet for my choir. (The congregation already has their own booklet). This booklet is for Quinquagesima Vespers, and you can download it if you desire. Print on “double sided” and the booklet will come out correctly. The polyphonic Magnificat is not included in that booklet, since the choir members have it in […]
We love receiving mail from our readers. Here are two messages we received today from two different music directors in Canada: (1) “We are a small Schola in Yukon, Canada and love your practice videos repertoire.” (2) “Thank you so much for the indispensable work that you are doing to rebuild the musical life of […]
One of my choir members sent me this Ontological Fugue. If you can get past the performance—which is terrible (perhaps on purpose)—you will learn an awful lot about fugues. In my opinion, whoever created that score is a genius! It would be awesome to know from a professional theorist, such as Charles Weaver, whether they […]
Two days ago, Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London (Ontario) released a rigid decree. Much could be said, but let’s take just one item. Bishop Fabbro demands that everyone adhere to “the celebration of Mass as found in the new Roman Missal (2011).” Then, in the very next sentence, he rigidly demands that all priests celebrate […]
Originally, the Sequence began as farcing of the long neum at the end of the ALLELUIA (the “jubilus”), as did the alleluiatic verse. This does not mean that all the notes of our sequences were originally neums of a jubilus; but once the idea was admitted, numberless sequences were composed and added at this point. […]
In the 1962 Missal, a section called “præfationes in tono solemniore” contains ornate melodies for the Preface. An article posted on the blog of the Church Music Association of America claims the tone comes from “the late 19th century” and said its elimination “is one of the very few good things which the post-Conciliar reform […]
