Here Come the Irish

The University of Notre Dame's Center for Liturgy has an impressive site dedicated to web catechesis on the Roman Missal.

The site includes video presentations from Msgr. Bruce Harbert (the former Executive Director of ICEL who was in charge of the new translation), Fr. Michael Joncas, Fr. Douglas Martis, Msgr. James Moroney (a consultant to the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments), Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, Fr. Paul Turner and Sr. Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S. The videos vary in length and include solid catechesis.

Topics vary from the theoretical to the practical and address all aspects of the Roman Missal, including the theology, explanation of translation changes and issues surrounding music. This definitely is a site to bookmark.

Richard Proulx (1937-2010)

We have received news that Richard Proulx was born into eternal life last night, February 18, 2010. Dr. Proulx was arguably the most influential church musician in the United States over the past several decades. While he himself was a gifted conductor and organist, his most important contributions to the Church were his numerous compositions. It would be difficult to compile even a list of highlights, but many of his pieces are known by heart throughout the United States. In addition to original compositions he harmonized hundreds of chants and hymns and was influential in the editorial decisions of several hymnals.

He was a great proponent of traditional Catholic Church music in its best sense--drawing from the past and adding the best of current music by gifted composers. He promoted congregational singing and composed quality music that will enrich our Church for many, many years to come.

May the angels lead him into paradise,
may the martyrs come to welcome him
and take him to the Holy City,
the New and Eternal Jerusalem.

May he have eternal rest.

A Last Alleluia Before Lent

The Roman Missal & Hymnals

Bob Batastini, the long-time managing editor for GIA Publications in Chicago, was recently interviewed by a new blog (Pray Tell) regarding liturgical music resources and the new Roman Missal. It's worth reading (click here to see the full text).

Bob gave an impressive talk in Madison regarding the state of Catholic Church music several years ago. He always maintained a position in parish ministry throughout his many years at GIA. He is an excellent church musician and remains a welcome voice!

Lessons and Carols

This Sunday, December 20, the Madison Diocesan Choir will present its annual Lessons and Carols at 4 p.m. in the Chapel of the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. Bishop Robert C. Morlino will preside. Admission is free but all are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Catholic Multicultural Center food program. The O'Connor Center is wheelchair accessible.

The Service of Lessons and Carols was created in late-nineteenth century England. Today its most popular incarnation is at King's College (Cambridge, England) where the King's College Choir, founded by King Henry VI (1421-1471), presents a program each Christmas Eve which is broadcast to the world. Nine Scripture readings ("Lessons") recall salvation history, from the Fall in the Garden of Eden to Redemption in Christ Jesus. In between the Lessons the choir sings Christmas carols, anthems and motets and the congregation joins in on some popular carols.

The Diocesan Choir began this tradition in the early 1990s under the direction of dynamic conductor Jorge Gonzales. For nearly twenty years the Choir has ushered in the last week of Advent with this service, the only break coming in the Jubilee Year of 2000 when the choir performed J. S. Bach's great Magnificat in D-major (BWV 243) with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the newly-renovated O'Connor Center Chapel.

In recent years the Diocesan Choir has added a second performance on the Vigil of the Epiphany. This year they will sing at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Milwaukee on Saturday, January 2, 2010.

Sing to the Lord Workshop

The Office of Worship is presenting a workshop for liturgists and musicians on Saturday, November 14 at Saint Mary Parish in Platteville.

The U. S. Bishops’ document, Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship will be the focus of the morning’s discussions. The workshop will cover both theological and practical information about music in the liturgy.

Please pre-register for this workshop by visiting www.madisondiocese.org/worship or by calling the Office of Worship at (608) 821-3080. A registration fee of $5 per person ($15 total for three or more people from the same parish) is requested. Copies of the document Sing to the Lord ($10) may be purchased when you pre-register. Purchasing this document is recommended but not required. They are available as supplies last.

Saint Mary Parish is located at 130 West Cedar Street in Platteville. It is wheelchair accessible. If you have other special needs, please contact the Office of Worship.

Overture Organ Festival

The Overture Center will play host to the Madison Symphony Orchestra's Fourth Annual Overture Concert Organ Festival , September 18-20, 2009.

The program opens with a Friday evening (September 18) concert of music for trumpets and organ, featuring MSO organist Samuel Hutchison, MSO principal trumpet and UW Professor John Aley, and guest Andrew Balio, principal trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Tickets ($15) are required for this event.

On Saturday morning (September 19) at 11 a.m., organist Bruce Bengston will lead a free community hymn sing. The free Saturday morning hymn sings have been a tradition at the Overture Center for some time. Bruce is the long-time director of music at Luther Memorial Church and is a magnificent musician (and a great person!).

On Sunday afternoon, budding trumpet players won't want to miss the free master class for young trumpet players on the stage of the Overture Center. John Aley and Andrew Balio will serve as the master teachers. While the event is free, reservations are required (by September 15).

Lectionary-based Music Resource

The National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) has two wonderful resources to help musicians plan music which flows from the Sunday readings. They are definitely worth a look!

The NPM Music Planning Calendar includes suggestions of Psalms and hymns appropriate for each Sunday and holy day of obligation in the Church year. Each suggestion notes the hymnal(s) or other publication(s) in which the music is found.

The stated purpose of the Choral Anthem Project is

to list repertory suggestions for parish choir directors, independent of publishing industry interests, so that those responsible for selecting and preparing choral anthems may have a rich store of selections of high quality choral music related to the Sunday scriptures from which to choose.

Once again, each Sunday and holy day of obligation of the Church year is listed, although some days have few or no suggestions. Most of the music suggested is accessible to the average Catholic parish choir and embraces a wide-range of repertoire from historic music to compositions of today.

Both of these resources are one tool to help musicians plan. They should not be the sole resource for planning in your parish, nor should you feel bound to do something from these lists. Such lists are an excellent place to turn for ideas and I often find that when consulting them, new ideas pop into my mind.

The rest of NPM's website has a great deal of information for pastors, liturgists and musicians. There are catechetical resources, materials for liturgy preparation, and guidelines regarding professional concerns. It's a good place to bookmark and visit now and then.

Question on the Sequence

The Office of Worship has received a few calls with questions regarding the use of the Sequence this coming Sunday, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. For those who don't want to read this whole post, the quick answer is that the Sequence is optional and not required.

The Sequence has a long, rich and complicated history. It is a musical form, akin to a hymn, and was originally attached as an embellishment to the Alleluia. It is non-Biblical poetry which elaborates on a sacred theme. Perhaps the most famous sequence is "Dies Irae Dies Illa" from the Requiem Mass. The famous composers W. A. Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi have enshrined this text for ever in some of the greatest music of the western world.

The Tridentine reforms of Pope Pius V removed all but four sequences from the Roman liturgy. Four sequences are still retained in the reformed Missal promulgated by Paul VI after Vatican II, although the four are not entirely the same as those of Pope Pius. Our current missal appoints a sequence for Easter Sunday (Victimae paschali laudes / Christians praise the Paschal Victim), Pentecost (Veni Sancte Spiritus / Come Holy Spirit), the Body and Blood of Christ (Lauda Sion Salvatorem / Praise, O Zion, your Savior) and Our Lady of Sorrows (Stabat mater / At the Cross Her Station Keeping). The Missal of Pope Paul VI dropped the Dies Irae from the Mass for the Dead (Requiem Mass).

Of these four, the sequences for Easter and Pentecost are obligatory while the other two are optional. Unfortunately, all four seem to be frequently omitted. The lack of accessible music for these pieces is perhaps one of the main reasons for this. If the sequence is sung, it is done between the Second Reading and the Gospel. Today it normally is sung immediately prior to the Alleluia.

The text (and possibly the music) of the Sequence for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ was composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas at the request of Pope Urban IV when the feast was placed on the universal Roman calendar (c. 1264). If this sequence is done, there are two options: a long form and a short form. The melody is haunting but quite beautiful (click here to access a recording of the chant).