Kevin Allen • “What is Sacred Music?”

Jeff Ostrowski · May 31, 2022

A frequent reader (J. F. M.) has made us aware of the following video clip which features composer Kevin Allen. It’s from Mass of the Ages, Vol. 2 produced by Cameron O’Hearn.¹

Some of Mr. Allen’s compositions are sold here.

NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1 Full disclosure: I have not seen the full video. To be completely candid, my vocation as a husband and father doesn’t leave much time for YouTube videos. [The Foyle’s War series in an exception.]

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

“Music List” • 8th Sunday (Ord. Time)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the “ORDER OF MUSIC” I prepared for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C (2 March 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The OFFERTORY ANTIPHON—Dómine Convértere from Psalm 6—is quite striking.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Communion • 8th Sunday Ord. Time

This coming Sunday (2 March 2025) is the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Communion Antiphon is particularly beautiful. The tone for the psalmody is from the CHABANEL PSALMS. Next time we have this chant, I hope to accompany it—because the harmonies for that particular tone are gorgeous. (You can download the organ chords via this PDF file.)

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Entrance Chant” • 8th Sunday (Ord. Time)

You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2 March 2025). Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. This English adaptation uses the same mode as the authentic Gregorian Chant version, formerly used on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I attempted to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.

—Jeff Ostrowski

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music).

—Corpus Christi Watershed

The Lofty Nature of This Goal

It is important above all that we never lose sight of our true goal as church musicians: the right worship of Almighty God. This is not a pious sentiment that should cause us to be lax about technical elements of music. Rather, the lofty nature of this goal is should motivate and inspire us to pursue the techne of musicianship with even greater zeal.

—Dr. Samuel Backman

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About Jeff Ostrowski