Is Liturgy Essential?
A mother recounts her son’s yearning for a return to Holy Communion and she reflects on our absolute necessity for the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
Archives for May 2020
Wedding Homily (7 min) by Fr. Valentine Young
“The late Archbishop Sheen once pointed out how the Greeks in their language had three different words for love…”
Pain, Trauma, Caution in the Choir World
Fallout from the recent NATS/ACDA webinar: A Conversation: What Do Science and Data Say About the Near Term Future of Singing.
Stunning Harmonies! • “Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above” (Hymn #783)
This has been called the “incomparable and indispensable” hymnal for Catholics.
What is the “Ordinary” of the Mass?
A few years ago—during the Sacred Music Symposium—I suggested to the audience that the “Our Father” and the “Alleluia” should be considered part of the Ordinary of the Mass (for the Ordinary Form). In my own settings, such as Mass of the English Martyrs, I treated the “Our Father” accordingly—and here in Los Angeles, we […]
Blog Contributors Speak About A “Favorite” Piece
This is a good way to get to know several contributors a little better!
What Makes a Great Conductor?
At the heart of the great conductor is one who is born in wonder, one who stands in awe and amazement of heaven’s divine gift of music.
“Pange Lingua” translated into English • Hymn by Saint Thomas Aquinas
I predict this smooth harmonization will go down in history—it fits the voice perfectly.
Bring Your “Lost Motets” to Life
I can think of at least five reasons to use the current downtime as an opportunity to educate your parish about sacred music. And it doesn’t take much work.
Throwing Away Our Birthright of Beauty
Thoughts from St. Athanasius the Great
Unveiling the songs of hope: fr Timothy Radcliffe op
One of the most significant thinkers in the Church today shares his thoughts on, and experiences of, music as a source of hope in the darkest of times. When we face death, we respond in song.
Saints Stories from 3 Priests in Australia
Three priests taking their teaching ministry online during the current restrictions.
The best 5 seconds in Gregorian Chant…
“No concession should ever be made for the singing of the Exultet, in whole or in part, in the vernacular.” — Fr. Augustin Bea
Being Too Hard On Priests?
I’m usually a stickler when it comes to making sure priests sing their chants correctly, especially when priests often substitute a Perfect Fourth for the Minor Third in the famous Triple Alleluia on Holy Saturday. But I just found out the 1575AD Missale Romanum has a skip of a Perfect Fifth! So perhaps I need to […]
Biography • Daniel Tucker
Mr. Tucker went on to Yale University, from which he graduated in May 2020 with a Master’s degree in choral conducting and a certificate from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.