Finding New Motets

Keven Smith · October 8, 2024

It strikes me that many of the best motets my choir sings are ones I found by accident. These are motets that popped up as YouTube suggestions, or that someone mentioned in a Facebook thread and I casually gave them a listen. The lesson? Be open to finding good sacred music even when you’re not desperately searching for something to sing at Christmas.

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

About Keven Smith

Keven Smith, music director at St. Stephen the First Martyr, lives in Sacramento with his wife and five musical children.—(Read full biography).

PDF • “Gloria VIII” on 5 lines!

For reasons I don’t fully understand, we’ve gotten a particular request more than any other: viz. GLORIA VIII written with treble clef. (Printed on 5 lines, in other words.) As of a few minutes ago, you can download this PDF score free of charge. Believe it or not, CARMEN GREGORIANUM “on five lines” was the traditional way in Germany. In France, this hybrid can also be found … but 4 lines was commoner.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 2nd Sunday (Ord. Time)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the “ORDER OF MUSIC” I prepared for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C (19 January 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT and COMMUNION ANTIPHON strike me as particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“2-Voice Piece” • For February 2nd

This year, the feast of the PRESENTATION (a.k.a. “Purification”) falls on a Sunday. There’s an ancient hymn traditionally sung on this feast. Based upon #124 in the Brébeuf Hymnal, an arrangement has been made for two voices: men on the bottom, ladies on top. Some will desire to download this score (PDF), which has been made available for free.

—Jeff Ostrowski

The Dedication of a Musician

I am reading the biography of a musician (Leo Sowerby), and I read a quote that makes my head shake in sorrow: “[Sowerby] also cultivated a rhetoric that pushed aside questions of his personal life, stating repeatedly for instance it would be impossible for him to do what he did as a musician while also being married.” I think most readers of this blog who cultivate an active Catholic life and who diligently follow the teachings of the Church in its fullness might agree: one cannot be a good husband/wife/father/mother/priest/religious and become one of those rarified musicians who are able to dedicate all their time to hone their craft. However, might I suggest that this wholly misses the point of being an artist. St. John Paul II says that man is generous by nature. In other words, it is in the very being of what it is to be human to be giving of oneself. An artist who is truly living their God-given talent gives freely of themselves first in their vocation, and then their contemplation of beauty will not be stifled by their life in communion with others. Rather, that giving of self is the underlying impetus and drive that will influence and mold their art in ways that living a worldly-minded, “self-fulfilled” life can never do. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

—William J. Fritz

“Reader Feedback” • 6 January 2025

A message we received: “Thank you so much for all of your tireless and selfless work in building up the Kingdom of God and Helping us on the path toward heaven! Your work for many years now has borne much fruit in my life and in the lives of whom I work with. May the Lord bless and protect your very important apostolate.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Lessons and Carols”

Seen online! Dr. Samuel Backman conducted a “Lessons and Carols” service with his choir, and someone produced this lovely vignette.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

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About Keven Smith