Barack Obama & Catholic Sacred Music
I wish somebody had explained this to me in 2005, when I began working for the Ordinary Form.
Jesus said to them: “I have come into this world so that a sentence may fall upon it, that those who are blind should see, and those who see should become blind. If you were blind, you would not be guilty. It is because you protest, ‘We can see clearly,’ that you cannot be rid of your guilt.”
A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He completed studies in Education and Musicology at the graduate level. Having worked as a church musician in Los Angeles for ten years, in 2024 he accepted a position as choirmaster for Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Michigan, where he resides with his wife and children. —Read full biography (with photographs).
I wish somebody had explained this to me in 2005, when I began working for the Ordinary Form.
When teaching your choir to hear the difference between “spread” vowels & proper choral vowels, use this example.
When I observe our beautiful children, I realize that God is the True Artist.
My original article was shared 4,000 times and generated a surprising amount of hate mail.
The most marvelous uniform I’ve seen was the one worn by Prince Charles when he married Diana.
At the program’s conclusion, I felt dumber than when I’d started watching.
This historic photograph was taken at the organizational meeting for the CMAA the same year “Inter Oecumenici” was issued by the Vatican.
The priest returned to the Altar, removed the big red Missal, carried it to the pulpit, and proceeded to translate the entire Gospel into English.
“I’ll never forget standing outside that apartment and saying to myself, ‘It’s true. It’s completely true.’ … I had not one iota of doubt. I was filled with indescribable joy.”
That Tablet article could best be described as ill-informed gossip from an unqualified author with too much time on his hands…
“Before the Council, liturgical law was regarded as something sacred; but everyone now feels authorized to do what he likes…” — Cardinal Antonelli (24 July 1968)
But why bring up this subject at all, when probably 95% of Catholic priests have no familiarity with Gregorian chant? • concerning the challenges of composing Gregorian chant in English+
Roosevelt was President while paralyzed. Churchill gave speeches but couldn’t pronounce “S” correctly. Surely, then, we can implement the Mass Propers with these 11 collections! • the Graduale Romanum has been set in English by many composers; here are some collections with audio samples+
I used to think Horowitz’s additions to the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody were the most amazing virtuoso display I ever heard. I was wrong.
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