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.
President's Corner
SEPTEMBER • Monthly Reminder
Each day, I speak via telephone to folks who have supported Corpus Christi Watershed for years. Yet many of them don’t know about our email newsletter! Please sign up! Simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address. Thank you!
“Mixing” Your Singers? • Just Do It!
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) […]
8 Sept. 2023 • Charles Rosen on Bach!
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. […]
7 Sept. 2023 • Alphabetized Hymnals?
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.
27 August 2023 • Nine Merry Men!
Half a decade has passed since nine (9) colleagues from Corpus Christi Watershed contributed texts, melodies, and harmonizations to a special hymn book in honor of North America’s patron saint, Father John Brébeuf. The website promoting it was massively overdue for a facelift. As of a few minutes ago, I can report that it’s been […]
24 August 2023 • FEEDBACK
From a female choirmaster: “Thank you for your recent article, Jeff. We here in _____ absolutely love our Brébeuf hymnals! They have saved my life as a choir director! ☺️ The ease with which my choir members plunge into a new hymn using the ‘common melodies technique’ is so wonderful. You can see the relief on […]
Shameful Quote
Some feel the most irresponsible 1960s reformer was Fr. Godfrey Diekmann. The Second Vatican Council had solemnly declared: “In accordance with the centuries-old tradition of the Latin rite, the Latin language is to be retained by clerics in the divine office.” In spite of this clear directive, Diekmann (3 March 1964) wrote: “What young candidate […]
Gregorian Offertory • “Exaltabo te Domine”
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ash Wednesday
PDF Booklet • 25 Pages!
As of a few minutes ago, you may go here to download the organ accompaniment booklet (25 pages) I created for the feast of the TRANSFIGURATION. Obviously, that feast will not take place for another year. Nevertheless, several techniques I used may be of interest to those who create liturgical booklets.
Summer Singers’ Repertoire!
I mentioned a 3-Voice Setting of the AGNUS DEI, based on a Canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) in the context of the “hairpin” technique, something I really will emphasize this coming season. The piece is for Soprano, Middle, and Baritone. (The “Middle” voice should ideally be a mixture of women and men.) Recently, we […]
Did You See This? (27 July 2023)
In case anybody missed it, we recently updated our editorial policy. Our website continues to grow in popularity—Deo gratias! Therefore, it seemed appropriate to ‘codify’ what we’ve been doing for the last few years.
Know Anybody Famous?
It’s really humbling—and also very cool—to come across examples of how acclaimed several of my colleagues are. I was doing some research for a recent post and came across (!) one of our contributors in a place I was not expecting. You can see which one if you click here and scroll towards the middle […]
What Charles Weaver Did (!)
Dr. Weaver kindly made me aware of something stupendous. Created by Abbat Pothier’s assistant and approved by his successor (about ten years after his death), it’s a KYRIALE, GRADUALE, and VESPERALE: 2,000 pages long! It’s in Gregorian notation on five staves and marks each mora vocis. Here’s a photograph of the “Puer Natus” INTROIT taken with my […]
An Interview with Bruno de Labriolle
Readers interested in different stylistic approaches to Gregorian chant may enjoy this interview with the singer Bruno de Labriolle, who directs the schola of Saint-Bruno-des-Chartreux in Lyon. The views on chant and liturgy aired in the interview aren’t exactly the same as those of any of our contributors, but I personally find this group’s performances, in […]