Resurrection of Our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ (the Solemnity of Solemnities)

For April 8, 2007 which is the Resurrection of OLJC, we are going to sing:

1. Procession: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today (SBH#044)
   
2. Vidi aquam
3. Introit: Resurrexi
4. Kyrie I
5. Gloria I
   
6. Gradual: Haec dies
7. Alleluia: Pascha nostrum
8. Sequence: Victimae paschali laudes
9. Credo IV
   
10. Offertory: Terra tremuit
11. Offertory hymn: Regina Caeli, Jubila
    
12. Sanctus I
13. Agnus Dei I
    
14. Communion hymn: O Filii Et Filiae
    
15. Communion: Pascha nostrum
16. Recession: The Strife Is O'er
    

Click on the links to hear samples where available.

Paschal Vigil

For April 7, 2007 which is the Paschal Vigil, we are going to sing:

1. Canticle: Cantemus Domino
2. Canticle: Vinea facta est
3. Canticle: Attende caelum
4. Litany of the Saints (until "Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, intercedite pro nobis")
5. Canticle: Sicut cervus
   
6. Litany of the Saints (cont. from "Propitius esto, parce nobis Domine")
7. Kyrie I
8. Gloria I (accompanied by the ringing of bells)
   
9. Alleluia: Confitemini Domino
10. Tract: Laudate Dominum
11. Sanctus I
    
12. Offertory hymn: Regina Caeli, Jubila
    
13. Communion hymn: O Filii Et Filiae
    
14. Communion: Alleluia (repeat after the end of Laudate Dominum)
    
15. Antiphon: Et valde mane
16. Canticle: Benedictus Dominus (repeat Antiphon Et valde mane at the end)
    
17. Recession: The Strife is O'er
    

Click on the links to hear samples where available. NOTE: The Credo and Agnus Dei are not sung/said in the Paschal Vigil Mass.

Gregorian Chant for Church and School, by Sister Goodchild

Again, the CMAA has outdone itself by providing a great textbook on chant for all ages. Get it here as a free downloadable PDF or buy it for your chapel/parish choir for only US$13 per copy (softcover). With news of the Motu Proprio by the Holy Father liberating the Traditional Mass soon, make sure your parish is ready should your parish priest wants to celebrate that Mass!

Good Friday

For April 6, 2007 which is Good Friday, we are going to sing the following:

1. Tract: Domine audivi
2. Tract: Eripe me, Domine (psalm-tone)
   
3. Responses to Ecce lignum Crucis in ascending tone: Venite adoremus (1) (2) (3)
   
4. Improperia: Popule meus
5. Antiphon: Crucem tuam
6. Hymn: Crux fidelis
7. Procession of the Blessed Sacrament from altar of repose: Adoramus te Christe (G.P. Palestrina)
8. Communion I: Per lignum
9. Communion II: Salvator mundi, salva nos
   

Click on the links to hear samples where available.

Maundy Thursday

For April 5, 2007 which is Maundy Thursday, we are going to sing:

1. Procession: Blessed Lamb
   
2. Introit: Nos autem gloriari
3. Kyrie II
4. Gloria II
   
5. Gradual: Christus factus est
   
6. Antiphon: Mandatum novum (antiphons 6-13 are sung only if feet washing rite takes place)
7. Antiphon: Postquam surrexit Dominus
8. Antiphon: Dominus Iesus
9. Antiphon: Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes
10. Antiphon: Si ego Dominus
11. Antiphon: In hoc cognoscent omnes
12. Antiphon: Maneant in vobis
13. Antiphon: Ubi caritas
14. Offertory: Dextera Domini
15. Offertory hymn: O Esca Viatorum (SGH228b)
    
16. Sanctus II
17. Agnus Dei II (end with "miserere nobis" instead of "dona nobis pacem")
    
18. Communion hymn: Panis Angelicus
    
19. Communion: Dominus Iesus
    

During translation of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose:

1. Hymn: Pange lingua gloriosi

Click on the links to hear samples where available.

Bonus: Visit this link courtesy of the FSSP North American District to download MP3s of the entire Vesperal Mass of Maundy Thursday.

Cantus singing Ave Maria

This is very nice. Too bad these kind of music are only appreciated in a secular setting.

Kyriale Romanum (1961)

From the description on the website:

Gregorian chant has long transmitted the mystery and majesty of the Catholic liturgical tradition. Newly republished, the Kyriale Romanum of 1961, preserves between its covers an invaluable patrimony of ancient and medieval chants for the Ordinary of the Mass. It collects from the Graduale the most frequently-used chant settings throughout the liturgical year, with eighteen mass settings, six credos, and numerous settings for feasts and holy days, including the solemn procession on the feast of Corpus Christi. As Catholics are becoming increasingly aware of and interested in their liturgical heritage, this beautiful and affordably-priced volume is of great value to choir directors, choristers, and laypeople who wish to participate fully in the venerable liturgical tradition of the Roman Rite.

Available in both hardcover (US$28) and softcover (US$18) editions, the hardcover edition is excellent for long term use in choirs, scholas, and as a supplement to the parish hymnal which more often than not contains only the common mass settings (i.e. I, II, VIII, IX, XI, XVII, or worse......only VIII)

Updated: There is a free downloadable PDF edition available here as well (courtesy of Una Voce Germany and CMAA).

Updated again: Another Kyriale available in free downloadable PDF edition here which is an extract of the 1961 Graduale with navigation links and Solesmes-style rhythmic markings.

2007 Sacred Music Workshop, Auburn

A video from the 2007 Sacred Music Workshop held at St Michael's Church, Auburn, Alabama. Splendid voices though the church building itself looks incongruous.

Passion Sunday

For March 25, 2007 which is Passion Sunday (1st Sunday of the Passion), we are going to sing:

1. Procession: God Of Mercy And Compassion
   
2. Asperges me
3. Introit: Iudica me, Deus
   
4. Kyrie XVII A
   
5. Gradual: Eripe me, Domine
   
6. Tract: Saepe expugnaverunt
   
7. Credo IV
   
8. Offertory: Confitebor tibi, Domine
   
9. Offertory hymn: Vexilla Regis Prodeunt (SGH182c)
   
10. Sanctus XVII
    
11. Agnus Dei XVII
    
12. Communion hymn: Adoramus Te Christe
    
13. Communion: Hoc corpus
    
14. Recession: Abroad The Regal Banners Fly
    

Click on the links to hear samples where available. NOTE: No Gloria Patri at the end of the Asperges and Introit!

Clergyman vs. choir in the news

As some side reading for choir enthusiasts here, here's something from The Times. Can any of you imagine Shine Jesus Shine being compared to those glorious Anglican-styled renditions of psalms and anthems? Pathetique....

Hat tip to Zadok the Roman.

Latin chant pronunciation

I had an interesting chat after attending a local secular choir rehearsal yesterday night. They rehearsed some secular songs as well as a sacred polyphonic piece. Excellent singing I would say. However occasionally I would hear some Latin words pronounced in such a way that I just had to blog about this topic => PRONUNCIATION.

As far as Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony being sung in the context of the Sacred Liturgy, there ought to be no other options of pronunciation other than to use ecclesiastical (church) Latin. Classical Latin just won't do the pieces justice. The reason is pretty simple and straightforward actually. The Italians are the modern day descendants of the Romans. With Rome being the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, the Italian way of pronunciation ought to be used in the Roman Rite everywhere. In 1903, Pope St. Pius X decreed Italian pronunciation to be the norm in liturgical settings, so if any of you wants to pick a fight over this, go ask Pope St. Pius X himself! :P

Some recurring items to point out:

1. The letter 'J' should always be pronounced like the letter 'Y', e.g. judicare (yoo-dee-ka-reh), jejunio (yeh-yoo-nee-oh).
2. The letter 'H' is ALWAYS SILENT except for cases such as mihi (meek-kee) and nihil (neek-il). Thus hominibus is oh-mee-nee-boos while hosanna is oh-san-na NOT hoh-san-na.
   
3. Virgine is pronounced as veer-jee-nay. Note the veer does not sound like 'vir' virtue but like the 'd' in 'deer' replaced by a 'v'.
   
4. Excelsis is pronounced as ex - chair-el - sis.
5. Amen is always a-men NOT aye-man.
6. Ecclesia is eck-clair-see-ah NOT eh-curl-see-ah.
7. Words with -gn, e.g. magnus is pronounced as mah-nyoos, agnus pronounced as ah-nyoos. Subsequently magnificat is pronounced as mah-nyee-fee-cart.
   

Additions might be added to the list from time to time. In the meantime you may search on Google for resources on ecclesiastical pronunciation. Comments welcome.

Gregorian chant textbook

The Church Music Association of America (CMAA) has again provided new great resources for upstart scholas everywhere.

Gregorian Chant according to the Solesmes Method (1930) by Dom Gregory Sunol, O.S.B. is now available as a free PDF download or paperback print version for only US$22. Great for beginners as well as a good reference textbook for the pros. Yes, yes, I have heard snickering remarks about the Solesmes method being "outdated", "erroneous scholarship", etc. However, with no less an authority than St. Pius X himself sanctioning the Solesmes method, I think I'm in safe hands.

Next would be the Graduale Romanum (1961) which would suffice to replace the Liber Usualis for most scholas as it contains all the chants proper to the 1962 Roman Missal. Unless your schola needs to sing the Divine Office as well, this would be more than adequate as it also contains the chants for Vespers. It also contains Pope Pius XII's reforms for Holy Week. Comparing the price between a new Liber Usualis (more than US$100) and the printed Graduale Romanum (US$60), I don't think I need to say more as to which is the obvious choice if I'm on a tight budget. The free PDF edition has long been made available and CMAA is now offering the print edition in two paperback volumes (US$30 for Vol I, US$30 for Vol II).

Preparation for Holy Week liturgy

As it is only a few weeks away from Holy Week, I wish to highlight a very, very useful resource that most start-up scholas would highly appreciate. Thanks to the effort of the Church Music Association of America, the Officium Majoris Hebdomadae, et Octavae Paschae, Cum Cantu has been made available both in free electronic PDF form as well as printed form (at a very nominal price). As the title implies, it contains the entire sung liturgy in Holy Week right up to the Octave of Pascha (yes, even the sung Passion narrative! :)..... A little note though to those who may not be aware. This version is from 1923, so it would be wise to match the appropriate chants to the Holy Week liturgy used in your parish (e.g. Pius XII revision). Check with your priest to be sure.

As far as I am aware, this work will complement the Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae (OHS), which is the liturgical book used on the altar during Holy Week instead of the Missale Romanum, especially as it includes the Passion narrative neumes, which most OHS editions did not include.