Poor Clare Mass Recordings

Sunday, September 11, 2016, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introit - Da Pacem
Kyrie - O Pater Excelse
Gloria - XIII - Stelliferi Conditor orbis
Responsorial Psalm - by Adam Bartlett
Alleluia - Quoniam Deus
Sanctus - XIII - Stelliferi Conditor orbis
Memorial Acclamation - Mortem Tuam
Great Amen
Agnus Dei - XIII - Stellifer Conditor orbis
Communion - Antiphon at Magnificat 6F Que mulier
Communion Motet - Adoramus te, Christe

New Poor Clare Recordings

I am so happy to have some new recordings from our Roswell Poor Clares to share...

September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows

Introit - Stabant juxta
Kyrie - X - Alme Pater
Sequence- Stabat mater
Alleluia - Stabat sancta Maria
Sanctus - X - Alme Pater
Agnus Dei - X - Alme Pater
Communion - Felices sensus
Organ Postlude - September 15, 2016

September 17 - Stigmata of Holy Father Francis

Introit - Mihi autem (Franciscan)
Kyrie - Rector cosmi pie
Gloria - Ambrosian
Alleluia - Christo confixus
Sanctus - XII - Pater cuncta
Agnus Dei - XII - Pater cuncta
Communion - Qui vult venire
Organ Postlude - September 17, 2016

September 18 - 25th per annum

Introit - Salus populi
Kyrie - XI - Orbis factor
Gloria - XI - Orbis factor
Alleluia - Confitemini Domino
Sanctus - XI - Orbis factor
Agnus Dei - XI - Orbis factor
Communion - Antiphon for Vespers at the Magnificat 4E - Quid faciem
Closing - Benedicta Semper

Day Seven - Colloquium 2011

I'm working on the files... but just had to post the Credo from the Byrd Mass for Four Voices. Dr. Horst Buchholz directed this polyphony choir for the Sunday Mass to end the week.


Credo

More files:


Introit
Kyrie, Byrd Mass for Four Voices

Day Five - Colloquium 2011

We ended our day with a very beautiful Vespers service in the extraordinary form. It was conducted by Dr. William Mahrt, featuring his polyphony choir with the assistance of the Master schola, made up of Wilko Brouwers, Aristotle Esguerra, David Hughes and Paul Weber. The Vespers recording is the entire hour-long service.

Vespers recording.

Also during the day, at the Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ordinary form), we enjoyed hearing Wilko Brouwers' polyphony choir sing the Missa Ave Maris Stella polyphonic Mass, by Josquin de Prez (1450-1521). I sang chant with the Intermediate Women's choir, and enjoyed singing the Offertory Ave Maria. Here are a few recordings from the day's Mass:


Introit
Kyrie
Gloria
Gradual
Alleluia
Offertory
Sanctus
Agnus
Communion
Ave Maria
Regina Caeli

It has been a wonderful week so far... with only two more days to go.

Day Four - Colloquium 2011

Another wonderful day in Pittsburgh! We had a slight bit of drizzle in the afternoon, which did tend to increase the effect of the heat in the church in the afternoon... but nothing to complain of, really.

Day four was a big day for singing for me. This year I was able to sing with Dr. Horst Buchholz' polyphony choir, and our polyphonic Mass setting, the Missa Brevis (Antonio Lotti 1665-1740), was great fun to sing under his direction. Also, I had the chance to sing with the Intermediate Women's chant choir under the direction of David Hughes. It was a pleasure to sing with him. He stresses a lot of the fundamentals of solfege and Solesmes style of singing the chant. It was very good to sing with him. I did record the entire Mass again, but am a bit behind on my editing from the original recording... later today I hope to have more recordings up.

Here are some of the music recordings:

Organ Prelude: Chorale-Preludes on Komm, Heiliger Geist, Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), Jonathan Ryan, organist.
Introit Spiritus Domini
Kyrie Missa Brevis, Antonio Lotti (1667-1740)
Gloria Mass XII
Alleluia Emitte Spiritum tuum
Alleluia Veni Sancte Spiritus
Sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus
Offertory Confirma hoc
Offertory Motet: Dum complerentur, Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Sanctus Missa Brevis 
Benedictus Missa Brevis
Agnus Dei  Missa Brevis
Communion Factus est repente
Communion Motet: Panis Angelicus (Claudio Casciolini - 1697-1760)

Day Three - Colloquium 2011

Day Three was another beautiful day in Pittsburgh. The weather has been absolutely wonderful this year, sunny and warm, but not oppressively hot.

After dinner this evening, Msgr. Wadsworth (ICEL) and Jeffrey Tucker gave a short presentation on the new Missal translation chants. Here is a photo of them in the middle of that...

Today we celebrated Mass at the Church of the Epiphany again, today a Requiem Mass for the deceased members of CMAA. Here are a few recordings:

Introit
Kyrie
Gradual
2nd Reading
Tract 
Dies Irae
Offertory Domine Jesu Christe
Offertory Motet "Thou knowest, Lord," Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Sanctus Mass XVIII
Agnus Dei Mass XVIII
Communion Lux aeterna
Communion Motet: Ave Christe, Josquin de Prez (1450-1521)


I have more still to cut from the original recording... I'll continue tomorrow. Morning prayer seems early when you stay up too late the night before!

Day Two - Colloquium 2011

Well... first off a photo of Dr. William Mahrt (President, CMAA) and Jeffrey Tucker (Editor, Sacred Music Journal) while they examine the first copies of the newly printed Simple English Propers. The book is listed on Amazon and is also being sold to Colloquium participants.

.. I only have had a few minutes' time, but I have some recordings from this afternoon's Mass that may be of interest... It was a wonderful Mass  (votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, celebrant). This Mass was novus ordo, said in English, with Latin ordinaries...

Here are the first few recordings I have ready to hear:

Introit
Kyrie
Alleluia 
Offertory Antiphon
Almighty and Everlasting God (Orlando Gibbons 1583-1625)
Sanctus
Communion antiphon
O Sacrum Convivium (Luca Marenzio 1556-1599)

More later!

Colloquium in Pittsburgh 2011

Well... people began arriving at the Power Center at Duquesne University for registration shortly before 2:00 pm yesterday afternoon. It was wonderful to see friends from previous years as well as meeting people who were attending for the first time. After all the planning over the past months, it was very nice to be able to put faces with names.

Dr. William Mahrt gave a welcoming address to the group, sharing thoughts on Sacred Music, the mission of the Church Music Association of America and a bit about the role of Sacred Music in the Catholic liturgy. 

Dr. Paul Weber (Assoc. Prof. of Music, Franciscan University of Steubenville) gave us a wonderful organ concert to kick off the music for the week, playing selections from Widor, Bach and Franck.

I look forward to getting started singing chant and polyphony today... Perhaps even a few recordings may make it onto my blog this week.

Fun stuff...

I've mentioned that I enjoy singing with a small women's ensemble in Macon... well, I recorded a few things at our rehearsal this evening and thought I'd share. Obviously, the recording quality is not professional... and it was a rehearsal, after all, but... we are singing some fun things.

We sang the Ave Maria chant as a beginning prayer... it is a bit different in the timing than I am used to, but the same melody...

Next came the Ave Verum by Faure. We'll be singing it for the Feast of Corpus Christi at St. Joseph's Parish in Macon.

As a prelude for the Feast of Corpus Christi, we'll be singing Laudamus te, by Vivaldi.


 

The Colloquium is Filling Up!

As we approach this year's Church Music Association of America's Colloquium (to be held in Pittsburgh's Duquesne University again), only a few more spots remain.

With selections from:

Marenzio (O Sacrum Convivum)

Ralph Vaughn Williams (Come Down O Love Divine) 

Purcell (Thou Knowest Lord) 

Josquin des Prez (Ave Christe and the Missa Ave maris Stella), Lotti (Missa Brevis) 

Victoria (Dum Complerentur) 

Peter Philips (O Quam Suavis)

di Lasso (Lauda anima mea) 

Byrd (Mass for Four Voices) 

Gallus (Factus est Repente)

Bruckner (Ave Maria)

and others, as well as various chanted Mass settings and propers, it promises to be a wealth of wonderful singing and listening experiences. When you add to it the wonderful organ selections to be played by Horst Buchholz, Jonathan Ryan, Ann Labounsky, and others, this year’s Colloquium music will be outstanding.

If you have been thinking of registering for the Colloquium this year and have been procrastinating, I urge you to make haste to do so now, before it is full.

Find information on registration, the schedule, the faculty and the music by visiting the CMAA website here.  

St. Cecilia Ensemble

This week's rehearsal of the St. Cecilia Ensemble (St. Joseph's Parish, Macon) was good fun. We are a small group, but seem to be getting a good ensemble sound with our singing. We will be singing at Mass at St. Joseph's on May 15 and June 5, so have  been practicing music in preparation for those dates.

Some of the music we'll be singing:

Adoramus te (Palestrina)
Ave Maria (Arcadelt)
Ave Verum (Faure)

If possible, I'll try to get a decent recording of some of our work next week at rehearsal. St. Joseph's has wonderful (and very forgiving) acoustics. It is a real treat to sing with this group.

Vatican II Hymnal

I've been following with great anticipation the news about Jeff Ostrowski's new hymnal.

For the first time ever, I have been using the OCP Breaking Bread book at the parish where I work now. It was already in place upon my arrival. While the book has a fairly large number of hymns in the back, and even some chants with English translations, I find the translations poor and the accompaniments not as good as those I've used in GIA publications in the past. I went through the music in the book and found that, out of the 900 or so selections, only about 150 or so would I consider using in the liturgy. So... Jeff's planned listing of about 160 hymns, with better text, nice arrangements for SATB choirs and Chabanel psalms sounds very good to me.

There have been several discussions about the layout, music choices, etc. on the MusicaSacra forum. Check it out here.

For all sorts of wonderful resources, check out the Corpus Christi Watershed sites.

Poor Clare Recordings - Roswell NM

Mid-January 2009, Poor Clare Monastery, Roswell, NM

The much-awaited recordings from morning Mass with the Poor Clares has been loaded to another server. Links:

Agnus Dei XVI
Agnus Dei X
Alleluia Haec est Vera
Communio Omnes Gentes
Fasciculus - Carol of the Drifting Snow
Introit
Introit Multae Tribulationes
Introit O Admirabile
Kyrie X
Kyrie XVI
Memorial Acclamation
Sanctus X
Sanctus XVI

Holy Saturday Vigil

Music Selections:

Procession... Christ Our Light (to be sung by the deacon... Hurray)
Exultet: Deacon to sing Missal version in English (Double Hurray)
Psalms: Respond and Acclaim selections
Gloria: Heritage Mass
Alleluia: Respond and Acclaim selection
Litany of Saints (chanted in English)
Sprinkling: I Saw Water Flowing (this was the only decent English version of the Vidi Aquam I could find in the Breaking Bread...)
Confirmation: Come, Holy Ghost
Offertory: Simple Proper antiphon
Communion: Now the Green Blade Rises
Recessional: Jesus Christ is Risen Today (Lyra Davidica)

Once again, my two boys will be serving at Mass... I love seeing those boys on the altar. We have six to be received into the Church this year...

Music for the Triduum

Holy Thursday

Entrance: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Washing of Feet: Ubi Caritas
Offertory: What Wondrous Love
Communion: One Bread, One Body (I know... not my favorite, but the parishioners love it)
Transfer of Eucharist: Pange Lingua (English) and Tantum Ergo (English)

My two boys will be altar servers at Mass and are looking forward to using the incense.

Good Friday

Veneration: Were You There (I wish we could have done the reproaches, but the parish is still not completely used to my Gregorian tendencies)
Stabat Mater (English)
Communion: Psalm 22
O Sacred Head Surrounded

We will (most assuredly) not be singing "Behold the Wood". I still get a chuckle whenever I realize how closely the verses match the tune of Gilligan's Island...

Palm Sunday in Georgia

Music selections this year:

All Glory, Laud and Honor
Hosanna Filio David (blessing of palms), in English
Simple Propers Offertory antiphon
O Sacrament Most Holy (Communion)
O Sacred Head Surrounded (Recessional)

The parish was unfamiliar with Hosanna Filio David... but I hope to establish this as one song that is used every year. I have the Latin version of it memorized, I like it so much.

Its melody sounds like something the people of Jerusalem would have sung, perhaps a well-known psalm sung at the synagogues.

Change coming...

We will soon be on the move again. We are being transferred again out of state, so will be finding out how things stand in our new place -- near Macon, GA.

In the time that I have left, I'll be working with the FW Schola Gregoriana to try to make arrangements for them to continue singing after our departure... also will be working with a new group trying to get things kicked off for a new schola up in Plano, TX.

There is so much to do in the time still left here. I'm working on a project with a friend to try to help spread the word about Sacred Music in a new way. Updates will be forthcoming when the project is ready to roll out.

This Sunday will be the last weekend we sing at Mass at San Mateo before Fr. Bob goes on vacation (and the schola, too, will be taking a needed break).

I posted a new link to a Vimeo production put out about 3 months ago by Corpus Christi Watershed... I really enjoyed it and think it has some great information for people out there. Take a look at it!

Corpus Christi

The Ft. Worth Schola Gregoriana was asked to sing for at Immaculate Conception Parish in Denton for today on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 6. Fr. Alfredo Barba called and invited the schola to sing for the first Mass of a newly ordained priest's (Fr. Amado Vallejo Garcia) first Mass there. The parish is much larger than San Mateo, with approximately 1200 parishioners at the 1:15 p.m. Mass.

We thought we would have to be splitting our forces because of the distance between the parishes and the Mass times. However, our wonderful, generous priest at San Mateo urged us to all sing for the Mass in Denton. The music plan:

Introit: Cibavit eos
Kyrie/Gloria: Mass VIII
Responsorial Psalm: Simple chanted Spanish (Mode 8)
Sequence (shortened version -- Ecce panis)
Alleluia: Caro mea (Chants Abreges)
Offertory: O Victima de salvacion (O Salutaris Hostia) 2 verses Spanish, 2 verses Latin
Offertory Proper: Portas caeli
Salve Regina (during incensation)
Sanctus/Agnus Dei: Mass IX
Communion: Hoc Corpus
Post-Communion: Anima Christi
Closing: Christus Vincit

Singing for the first time in a new place is always a bit nerve-wracking the first time, but all went well. The people there were so warm and welcoming and helped us a great deal. In fact, some of the musicians that sing for that Mass normally joined with us in a few of the chants with which they were familiar. In addition, since it was such a large number of people at Mass, they sang an additional song in Spanish during offertory and Communion.

Nineteen children received their First Holy Communion during Mass... we all received the special blessing given on the occasion of the first Mass of a newly ordained priest... it was a wonderful day. We ended Mass with one of our favorites (that we rarely get to sing) -- the Christus Vincit. I'm not sure anyone else enjoyed it as much as the schola did... it was a noisy, happy group of people leaving the church, so they may not have even heard it...

Final note: We received several very nice compliments about our singing there and may have even sparked some interest in getting another schola going in that area. A parishioner approached me about learning to sing chant after Mass. We are going to be in contact and see how we can work that out. It is a bit of a drive from where I live, but I'd be very happy to help get a group going and make the trek to help them -- I just probably can't do it every week.

God is good.

The Schola continues...

As we continue into our second year with the schola singing every Sunday at Mass, I am constantly being surprised by how easy it is to sing propers that we learned last year. For any would-be chant directors: "Take heart! The first year is the hardest... it gets easier and easier every year!"

We sang a fairly simple collection of chants during the Lenten season this year, integrating the traditional Latin chant hymns into the Sunday Masses during the 40 days. Parce Domine, Attende, Domine, Adoro te Devote... Ave Regina Caelorum.

We added a new Introit to our repertoire this year -- the Introit for the 1st week of Lent, Invocabit me. Also, we sang the Communion proper we learned last year again, Qui Meditabitur.

For Holy Week, we ended up singing more than last year. We added Holy Thursday this year. During Holy Days and special feasts, our parish always has a bi-lingual Mass, so last year we only sang on Good Friday.

On Palm Sunday, we sang:

Hosanna, filio David
Gloria Laus
Sanctus/Agnus Dei XVIII
Communion: Pater, si non
Post Communion: Anima Christi

For Holy Thursday, we sang the following chants:

Kyrie/Gloria VIII
Ubi Caritas (foot washing)
Ave Verum Corpus
Pange Lingua (transfer of the Blessed Sacrament)

In addition, we sang several English and Spanish hymns.

Good Friday is one of my favorites... we sang the Popule Meus again this year for the veneration of the cross. We also sang the Communion chant Pater, si non for the distribution of Holy Communion. It is the proper chant for Palm Sunday, but since there was no designated chant for Good Friday, it seemed a good choice.

For Holy Saturday, the schola did not sing, but I sang all responsorial psalms (plainchant, Mode VIII) and the first portion of the Exultet in English (up to the point where the deacon or priest only part begins), after which Father sang the rest in Spanish. I love the fact that the Spanish translation keeps in the part about the bees...

Easter Sunday had the schola singing again in the morning:

We sang the following chants (as well as some English hymns):

Kyrie/Gloria VIII
Victimae Paschali (sequence)
Alleluia - Pascha nostrum (from Chants Abreges)
Vidi aquam (sprinkling)
Regina Caeli (offertory)
Sanctus/Agnus Dei XVIII

During the Easter season, we have sung the chants we learned last year, and have added slightly to the propers we can sing.

Quasimodo (Introit, 2nd Sunday of Easter)
Vidi aquam (sprinkling rite every Sunday)
Victimae Paschali (octave of Easter only)
Gloria VIII
Regina Caeli
Sanctus IX (cum jubilo)
Mitte manum (Communion proper, 2nd Sunday of Easter)
Exultemus et laetemur
Ego sum pastor bonus (Communion proper, 4th Sunday of Easter)
Agnus Dei XVIII
Anima Christi

As with the Mass booklets from last year, I was able to sneak in a bit of information about why we sing Gregorian chant and what is sacred music. I took parts of the frequently asked questions from the booklet CMAA puts out and used them to try to get more understanding about what we are doing out into the pews...

As we get ready for Ascension Sunday and Pentecost, we are really enjoying revisiting our old friends from last year -- Viri Galilaei, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Veni Creator... We have added the proper Communion chant for Pentecost to our repertoire this year... Factus est repente. I love how the melody sounds like the text...

We are very lucky to have the opportunity to sing each week!

Ordinary Time

As we are in the few weeks of Ordinary time between Christmas and Lent, our schola has been so happy to find old friends (chant propers) that we learned last year. This year we have been just adding to the repertoire that we began last year. With the addition of Offertory propers every other week or so, plus new chant Introit and Communion propers, we are gaining in experience with each passing month.

What we sang this weekend:

Introit: Adorate Deum (proper for Year C)
Kyrie: Orbis Factor
Gloria: Missa de angelis
Responsorial Psalm: Mode 8 chanted in English
Alleluia: Mode 6 chanted in English
Offertory: Dextera Domini (proper)
Alma Redemptoris Mater (Marian antiphon)
Sanctus: XVIII
Memorial Acclamation: English chanted setting
Our Father: chanted in English
Agnus Dei: XVIII
Communion Chant: Manducaverunt (seasonal)
Post Communion: Anima Christi
Closing Hymn: Sent Forth By God's Blessing

On alternate weeks, we sing more English hymns and some of the ordinaries in English. I think the biggest thing that has helped us along in using as much Gregorian chant as we do without a general revolt is this: Fr. Bob Strittmater sings the Mass. He was already singing his prayers and doing the sung dialogs with the people before our schola came into existence! Every week (except during Advent and Lent) he uses incense during the Mass.

Without him doing this, I am quite sure we would have more resistance to the efforts we are making. The schola would not be able to accomplish so much without his support and his own efforts at making the liturgy beautiful!

We are blessed!