Why Sing? • Byrd Answers!
Make sure to click on the recent article by Dr. Charles Weaver, because he links to something remarkable. In essence, it’s a list—written by William Byrd!—regarding why we should sing.
“Is it not true that prohibiting or suspecting the extraordinary form can only be inspired by the demon who desires our suffocation and spiritual death?” —The Vatican’s chief liturgist from 2014-2021; interview with Edw. Pentin (23-Sep-2019)
Make sure to click on the recent article by Dr. Charles Weaver, because he links to something remarkable. In essence, it’s a list—written by William Byrd!—regarding why we should sing.
The better the voice is, the meeter it is to honour and serve God therewith: and the voice of man is chiefly to be employed to that end.
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“It is even more encouraging when a concert with 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐 Catholic music is done.” —Mæstro Fritz
Not long ago, I posted an Agnus Dei for Three Voices by William Byrd (d. 1623). When we sing the “Agnus Dei” at Mass, I often have the singers mix up, so they’re not standing next to someone singing their part. In my experience, this technique does wonders for tuning. Here’s a live excerpt (Mp3) […]
Feel free to examine every single page if you doubt what I’m saying!
My husband tells me this edition (by Dom Pothier’s student) is of monumental importance. I take him at his word.
What happened to this masculine presence in all things musical in the United States?
Charles Rosen was a concert pianist who published insightful books about various musical topics. I believe our readers will enjoy this 27-minute presentation on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Not everything Mr. Rosen says is true. (For instance, Rosen was not the first pianist to record the ART OF THE FUGUE on the piano. […]
“The Byrd Masses were printed without title pages, and with no reference to a composer. It was too dangerous to do so.” —Dr. Calabrese
One could be forgiven for believing that arranging hymns in alphabetical order would make them easier to find. Believe it or not, that’s actually one of the worst decisions an editor could make. This very brief video explains why.
If you asked random Catholics to recite in English—without reference to a book—a stanza from the “Tantum Ergo” of Saint Thomas Aquinas, how many do you think could?
Perhaps you’re saying to yourself: “Jeff comes across as super ungrateful.”
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