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Posted on by Janet Gorbitz

Winter Sacred Music Videos

The CMAA’s Winter Sacred Music Conference in Houston, TX (January 4-8, 2016) included two sung liturgies in which the participants provided the singing. On January 6th, an EF Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany was celebrated; on January 8th, and OF Votive Mass for the Holy Name of Jesus was celebrated.

Several conference attendees have shared their videos with us of excerpts from either the pre-Mass rehearsal or the liturgy itself. Here are those we have received so far:
Entrance Procession, Votive Mass: Holy Name of Jesus, January 8, 2016 from Church Music Association of Amer on Vimeo.

Jesu Dulcis Memoria (Victoria, uncertain) from Church Music Association of Amer on Vimeo.

Gradual: Domine, Dominus Noster (Gregorian Chant) from Church Music Association of Amer on Vimeo.

Lassus-Gloria-PilonsLorge from Church Music Association of Amer on Vimeo.

JesuDulcis from Church Music Association of Amer on Vimeo.

Sanctus-Lassus Pilons l’orge from Church Music Association of Amer on Vimeo.

For other recordings, please check out Carl Dierschow’s site, where my recordings from the week have been uploaded.
Winter Sacred Music Recordings

Posted on by Kathleen Pluth

Mystagogical Reflections: Free Resources from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions

The FDLC has produced a wonderful set of resources for reflection on the Liturgy.

The Quasimodo introit famously quotes St. Peter’s words: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Pet 2:2). On the Second Sunday of Easter, the newly baptized begin to follow a process of mystagogy, delving into and delighting in the mysteries of the sacramental life.

This, I believe, is the true work of the New Evangelization: drawing out from the Liturgy, the font and summit of the Christian life, various helps to the life of prayer. Not content with simply attending the Mass, we want to be awash in its riches. This is the kind of RCIA that never ends, a constantly replenished well that everyone in the Church, old or young, can draw from.

The FDLC series currently offers two sets of reflections, on the Collects, and on the Prayer after Communion. The reflections are brief and rich and would be useful for many purposes that reach the “people in the pews,” either as homily helps, quotes on parish websites, weekly email updates, or bulletin announcements. Wide permission is given for these and other uses.

The FDLC hopes both member and non-member diocesan offices and commissions will post these weekly one-page reflections on diocesan websites as well as make them available for parishes and institutions to post or print in local sites and publications. Although these reflections include copyrighted texts of ICEL (used with permission of the USCCB Committee for Divine Worship) and are the copyrighted work of the FDLC, you are free to share and to reproduce them as long as they are not bought or sold. 

Details may be found on the FDLC website here.

What a wonderful initiative!

Posted on by Kathleen Pluth

Hymn Tune Introits: The Annual Collection, New from WLP


My second book is available for purchase here at World Library Publications, a major Catholic music publisher here in the US http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com/15622.htm
The collection presents the Entrance Antiphon for each Sunday, rewritten to rhyme and to follow the rhythmic pattern of Long Meter hymns. There are many famous Long Meter tunes, including the tunes for Jesus Shall Reign, Jesu Dulcis Memoria, All People That on Earth Do Dwell, and Creator of the Stars of Night.
From the feedback I have received when promoting this collection here on the Chant Cafe and elsewhere, the Hymn Tune Introits have proven especially useful in parishes that desire to “sing the Mass” by singing the proper antiphons of the Mass, but which also are more accustomed to singing hymns. This project provides a bridge between the two, meeting a congregation halfway.

Although the collection is presented with suggestions for appropriate LM tunes, each congregation has full freedom to choose according to its own knowledge base and background. This provides maximum flexibility–and once again, a bridge to keeping the adoption of propers low-key and low-resistance. A table of Psalms is provided if parishes would like to chant a Psalm between repetitions of these antiphons.

Here is an article I wrote on the project several years ago, with samples. 
Thank you and God bless.

Posted on by Janet Gorbitz

Winter Sacred Music Photo

The CMAA’s Winter Sacred Music course was completed yesterday with the final sung Votive Mass for the Holy Name of Jesus at St. Mary’s Seminary (Houston, TX) Chapel. This Mass was in the Ordinary Form, with Rev. Stephen Reynolds as celebrant.

A group photo of our Winter Sacred Music 2016 Participants, with the exception of a few who had to leave immediately in order to catch flights.

Posted on by Janet Gorbitz

Winter Sacred Music Draws to a Close

As we begin the final day of the CMAA’s Winter Sacred Music course, here is a photo from yesterday’s Mass…

The children’s choir at St. Theresa’s Parish in Sugar Land sang for daily Mass… directed by Ben Geier, assisted by Sawyer Sellers, with Kevin Clarke as organist.

Posted on by Kathleen Pluth

Hymn in Honor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Last year about this time this hymn text was commissioned for the dedication of a wonderful parish’s altar renovation and dedication.

Hymn in honor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, c. 2015 Kathleen Pluth
Tune: Laudes Domini 
 God fills His saints with grace
To finish out the race,
His servants unto death.
Then let our praises swell,
Glad hymns to God forthtell
For Saint Elizabeth.
Her childhood’s rising sun
In holy paths would run,
Remembering God’s will.
Through early loss she prayed,
And close to Jesus stayed:
His pleasure to fulfill.
A mother and a wife,
She served in family life
Through many joys and fears:
The trials and pleasures of
The motherhood of love—
The motherhood of tears.
In lonely sacrifice,
She turned to Jesus Christ:
The Blessed Sacrament,
She left her worldly friends
For love that never ends.
With joy to God she went.
In time she gathered round,
By vows of service bound,
A band of charity
A seed on fertile land,
That by God’s grace grew grand:
The seed became a tree.
O Triune, ever blest,
Eternally at rest,
Be with us till the end.
Help us to do the right,
With calm and steady might,
Our King, our Guide, our Friend.