img_2206 CCW

Keven Smith · April 19, 2020

About Keven Smith

Keven Smith, music director at St. Stephen the First Martyr, lives in Sacramento with his wife and five musical children.—(Read full biography).

MONTH OF OCTOBER — “Reminder”

On a daily basis, I speak to people who—in spite of following our blog for years—don’t realize we publish a free newsletter. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoyong ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Subscribing to it could not be easier: just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Rhyme Scheme?

We’ve been invited to assist a team of more than thirty Catholic musicians with creation of a marvelous Spanish hymnal: Cantoral del Padre Antonio Daniel. I was looking at one of the songs they chose, and it appears that sometimes only the vowel rhymes. Is this a common ‘thing’ when it comes to hymns in Spanish?

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Entrance Chant” • For Sunday (6-Oct-2024)

Here’s the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON (PDF)—in Gregorian notation on five lines—for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (6 October 2024) which is approaching quickly. Plainchant scholars will be interested in its inspiration: the Mode 4 version, including its use of ámbitu. (The ambitus in Gregorian terminology means “range.”) You can also download this organ accompaniment which corresponds to the vocalist score. If you enjoy rehearsal videos, you can listen to my recording by clicking here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

This Coming Sunday’s Resp. Psalm

Visit the feasts website and examine the Responsorial Psalm REFRAIN for this coming Sunday [6-OCT-2024] which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. Compare the official text (in Latin) to the “translation” given in the Spanish Lectionary. You’ll see the translators got it completely wrong. The 1970s “translations” by ICEL were notoriously heinous. Are those responsible for translating the Lectionary into Spanish striving to outdo them? Almost every psalm I’ve examined contains at least one major error.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Communion Antiphon • “For Any Mass?”

The GRADUALE ROMANUM says Psalm 33 can replace the proper Communion antiphon at any Mass. (The GRADUALE SIMPLEX says the same thing … in two separate places of the book.) I’ve posted a bright and clever arrangement of Psalm 33 in English and Latin. Rehearsal videos are also included. I hope you check it out!

—Veronica Moreno

A Talk on the Importance of Chant

Back in January I gave a talk at Sacred Heart Parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have a fantastic lecture series, and this was also in connection with their admirable project on the fifth centennial of Palestrina's birth. The talk is now available on Spotify, and I hope it will be of some interest to our readers. You can find the talk by clicking here.

—Dr. Charles Weaver