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Posted on by Mr. C

Polyphony/Polyglot: many voices/many tongues

Preamble: As I don’t tweet, could someone send one from me to Raymond Arroyo and his Papal Posse? “Gentlemen, if the summit of our witness is the Mass, could you not ‘gab’ during the reception of the Body of Christ? The music, such as it may be, is the only necessary accompaniment.” Sheesh.

Okay, Deo gratias in that this was not Nationals’ Stadium redux.

I don’t have the Ordo. I heard the entire Mass of over 3 hours. Actually it’s still going, and I hear the gritos of the Latino faithful that normally I only hear on December 12, which is oddly juxtaposed against the deacon’s “Ite Missa est.” Hmmm.

I’m not going to get all tendentious. But I’m gonna plea ignorance on many fronts. First, I had to wonder during many moments throughout the liturgy, what innermost thoughts might HHFrancis might’ve crossed his mind hearing the music ministry at certain points. (The following is satire only, for entertainment purposes only.)

*Americans sure do put out the dog for popes, n’est ce pas? They really are on a mission from God to prove they can out-sing any choral ensemble on the planet, even if little of it is authentically “Murican.” That “Laudate Dominum” seemed to be taken up quite well. Que? Written by an Englishman? I think I’ve heard of this Briton, Sir Thomas Beecham, si?

*Ay, I get out of St. Peter’s to get a rest from those pesky Capella Sixtina’s alternating the Missa de Angelis, and I get the musical tennis match not only during the Gloria, but after the Entrada! El Coro de Azul is mas bueno, though.

*The Aleluya, it’s really simple, mi amigos. But I had to stand up for another 5-10 minutos before the Gospel, and then you need to sing it again?

*Wasn’t it muy bonita that the Oracion de los fidelis had so much going on: all the lovely tones of the Asian languages, the deacon’s “Te rogamos al Senor” (e’er so quickly translated repeatedly by Raymond Arroyo into the lingua franca of the Estados Unidos) with English, Latin, Spanish responses? Ay carumba.

*Speaking of “Ay carumba,” those coros brought the casa down with Lorenzo Florian, some sort of New World “villancico” secretly composed by Monteverdi (actually Zumaya) when he snuck over to the missions and performed by the opera company of Milan (odelay!), and then a very short, very lovely spiritual hymn allotted the Gospel Choir sung (muchos gracias not at fff but at pp, I wanted to kiss the drummer, but it ended too soon!”)

*Peppy Santo! Quido told me they were starting with “Hosanna” as an estribillo. Okay. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it that way before….. the nice lady sings “muy grande!”

*Tres horas! Santo Sciatica! What were those canticos at Comunion again?

*Maybe I will order the Rosetta Stone “Ecclesiastical Latin” from Amazon after all. Quido, take a note.

*One more thing, Guido, thank Maestro Latona for me, and then get me Dr. Osterman on the telefono, pronto.

Posted on by Nathan Knutson

Silence at Papal Liturgy

It is so refreshing to hear Sacred Silence at the Papal Liturgy this morning in St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington.  It is an excellent example of the importance of the absence of sound as beauty, accompanying the Sacred sound of liturgical music. Not every liturgical action needs the cacophony of a loud blasting hymn, although suitable in its own place.

This can be easily used as a teaching tool; not only silence itself, but the use of a similar reverential peace within Sacred chant, polyphony, and congregational music.

Posted on by Kathleen Pluth

The America I hope Pope Francis sees

I suppose everyone has an agenda for the Holy Father’s visit. Mine has to do with an America I’ve been able to witness, and which I hope Pope Francis has an opportunity to see.

  • Arts and beauty. Unlike Europe, the US seems to have regained some real ground from brutalism in all its forms. The music at the canonization, though undoubtedly a mix of good and bad, will feature at least some music that is excellently composed and well-performed. This is an area in which the US Church can, and does, provide leadership.
  • Young families. Everywhere you look in the Church in the US, you see large young families living their sacramental lives full of joy. The future is obvious: Serious Catholicism is fruitful and joyful and exceedingly promising. It is also challenging, and needs the support of the Church in not only concrete matters, but in its teaching and practice.
  • Poverty. The United States, while a perennial breadbasket for the world and a place where entrepreneurial dreams can still become reality, is also the home of large seedy areas of frustrated hopes, where children learn early and often that they are destined for nothing in particular, and that no one will help. Homes for the aged are ridiculously expensive. Catholicism has a traditional solution to poverty: men and women Religious.
  • Young Religious. Most religious communities in the US are fading out. A few are thriving.


Nothing Is Impossible from Carmelite Sisters on Vimeo.

Posted on by Ben

The Power of Beautiful Sacred Music

Just digging up an old post from my personal site, from my pilgrimage to DC for the 2013 March for Life. Enjoy!

The mosaic behind St. Cecilia’s altar in the crypt church
at the National Shrine, with a beautiful antiphon from
lauds on her feast day: Whilst musicians made music,
Cecilia sang unto the Lord, saying: O let my heart be
sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed.

As I mentioned in my previous post, assisting at Mass at the National Shrine was amazing, not only because of the beauty of the church we were privileged to worship in, but also the music. I will say without reservation that the shrine’s professional choir is the best choir I have ever heard. But on an even more important note, they are not only singing plain old standard music well, they sing sacred music well.

As I walked into the church on Saturday afternoon, the choir and congregation were singing Kyrie VIII, which a friend and I instantly and happily joined in on. After they finished the kyrie gracefully, the cantor intoned Gloria VIII and the massive organ filled the church as the congregation began: “et in terra pax homínibus.” I was intensely joyful, only having heard the gloria in Latin one other time in the Ordinary Form, and marveling at the grand sound of the massive organ filling the beautiful shrine with the praises of God.

Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis.

But as they reached “Laudamus te,” the organ fell silent, and I realized they were singing the Gloria in alternatim, as they often do at Papal Masses, and some larger churches on important feasts, and the choir broke out into fantastic polyphony. That’s when I just about lost it.

I went weak in the knees. My jaw literally hung open. I felt chills straight up my spine as I mouthed along with the prayers the schola was singing in such a sublime manner. The beauty of the church, combined with the stunning beauty of the music, had quite literally sucked me into the liturgy unfolding before me. It was almost a form of ecstasy.

Did I stay for the rest of Mass? You betcha. And the music was just as good throughout the rest of the Mass as well, as they sang the propers, Victoria motets, and fantastic organ interludes. It was one of the most prayerful Masses I had ever been to.

That’s what sacred music needs to do. I felt physically weak, and had a deep feeling of peace and joy after hearing what I will call one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.

Imagine if I had been an atheist walking off the street, not sure of the direction of my life, not appreciating the beauty in life, and that music had that same effect on me, causing me to stay, and come the truth, and be baptized the following Easter. Somehow I doubt that guy screeching away “Here I am Lord” on a guitar would have the same effect on me.

Our liturgies should be filled with the good, the true and the beautiful, but we need to focus especially on the aspect of beauty. We can reach the people through beauty. Sometimes it’s the only way. When people have their minds closed to the truth, sometimes the only way to reach them is through their emotions and their heart, as I was reached last Saturday.

Pastors, hire sacred musicians who know their stuff, and pay them well. Music directors, know your stuff, and do it well. When done well, you will affect more souls than you will ever know.

And while you’re at it, send a donation to the CMAA.

Here’s a recording of the gloria (and some other music from the Mass, starting at about 0:48), so you can hear what I heard. The recording isn’t the best, but at least you can hear what I’m talking about. It begins with the congregational verse of the gloria, and then when the organ stops (on Jesu Christe), the polyphony verse (Domine Deus…). Keep in mind the sound of both the choir and the organ are filling the entire church the whole time. After the gloria, it contains part of the responsorial psalm, offertory motet, and organ improvisation after that.

Posted on by Kathleen Pluth

“Welcome to our Church.”

I’ve been uneasy for some time with the idea of greeters. I’m not unfriendly, and not opposed to friendliness among Christians. But to be met at the door of a church by someone designated to do this seems somewhat artificial.

This last Sunday, while being greeted by a very nice, very friendly woman, I realized that my hesitation has a deeper root. It’s a matter of ownership. I belong to my parish. I belong at my parish. 

Unlike a party in a private home, the Mass is not hosted in the same way. Unlike the Downton Abbey hostess, who is the only one with the right to ask guests to please be seated, this very nice lady with the name badge does not belong to the parish in a stronger sense than I.

Thoughts?