Feast of the Ephiphany of The Lord - January 4, 2009

Processional: We Three Kings (BB 105)
Offertory: The First Nowell (BB 104)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: As With Gladness Men of Old (BB 109)

Priest condemned to hell, then Blessed Mother interceded.

This is a long show, but worth your time. If nothing else, listen to it while you're cleaning up.

The embed HTML is giving me an error, so just copy and past the following into your browser:

http://www.gloria.tv/?video=vpbc88lxhzeaqxmcaidt

4th Sunday of Advent - December 20, 2008

Prelude - Rorate Coeli (chant)
Processional - O Come O Come Emmanuel (BB 36)
Offertory - The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (BB 56)
Communion - antiphon
Recessional - The Advent of Our King (BB 59)

Today is Messiaen's 100th Birthday!

Here is part 3 of L'Ascension (The Ascension). Translated title:
"Outburst of joy from a soul before the Glory of Christ which is its own glory." The organist is Olivier Latry, one of three Titular Organists at Notre Dame in Paris, and one the finest organists in the world. I was privileged to see him in Columbus in October at St. Joseph Cathedral.

Fr. Corapi's conversion story - condensed

Ralph Vaughan Williams -- Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

One of the most beautiful pieces ever written. It's featured on several movie soundtracks.

Attention Pirates

I must ask all pirates visiting this blog to please maintain proper decorum. Thank you for your cooperation, mateys.

3rd Sunday of Advent - December 13, 2008 (edited)

Processional: Rejoice In The Lord Always (Introit from the American Gradual)
Offertory: Gospel Canticle (BB 848)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (BB 48)

Decent pickings (in Breaking Bread) for Advent are mighty slim. I had to look elsewhere in the book for appropriate songs. This is Gaudete Sunday, and Gaude is Latin for "Rejoice". The reason Sunday is given this name is because the Introit's first word is "Rejoice". There is no song in the Blue Book for this purpose, so I have chosen the Introit from the American Gradual.

Although the Gospel Canticle is listed under Morning Prayer, these are the words:

Blest be the God of Israel who comes to set us free and raises up new hope for us: A Branch for David's tree. So have the prophets long declared that with a mighty arm God would turn back our enemies and all who wish us harm.

With promised mercy will God still the covenant recall, the oath once sworn to Abraham from foes to save us all; that we might worship without fear and offer lives of praise, in holiness and righteousness to serve God all our days.

My child, as prophet of the Lord you will prepare the way, to tell God's people they are saved from sin's eternal sway. Then shall God's mercy from on high shine forth and never cease to drive away the gloom of death and lead us into peace.

Appropriate, no?

I've never heard The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns. But I've learned that our congregation is diverse, since they've come from all over the world, and someone is likely to know the piece.

A Letter

Letter is reproduced with permission from the copyright holders.

Dear James,

No, your letter got here in optimum time. Your descriptions of the coast are wonderful; given the state I am in. It's been dark and dreary and utterly not of spirit here; I would much prefer to see the North Sea as you do but since I cannot your descriptions quite suffice.

Anyway, I looked up the letter of January you referred to, and reread it. I like your secret code very much, we shall have to work on it more when you return if I am well by then.

I do wonder why all ten-year-olds cannot be as polite as you. Yes, Felicity*is doing well and every now and then, upon seeing my current state, decides to bring me breakfast in bed. One must praise a cat for her devotion, but I cannot say her taste quite matches mine.

Now, onto your questions (which I will attempt to cover in a quick manner, because I do not want to take all your time). First, you asked about the rather messy subject of the reforms that have been spawned by V-II**. I do not believe that the thing is evil, but some people have had a field day with attempting to make it seem whatever they want. I must admit I am a bit saddened by the loss of my most beloved language, which I think will quickly degenerate if ever it is taken out of our schools—God forbid!--but I do hope that at least we shall keep a few of the mass parts in Latin, even if they want to mutilate the rest!

Then, I also had the misfortune of receiving the attentions of Father -----***, who, we both know, has suffered from the Hippie Movement and wears flowers to Mass, on occasion. Perhaps things are not so bad elsewhere. I rather doubt it.

Your second question was, if I recall, (I admit I forget where I placed your letter!) something having to do with being bullied for the sake of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Was it your medal?--perhaps I have not told you the story of my own miraculous medal. It was nearly snatched from me when I walked to the market one evening, perhaps three years ago. A fellow I do not know and have never seen since ran up and snatched it from around my neck, breaking the chain, and dove off down the road. I was annoyed, as you may well understand, and I chased him for perhaps a hundred meters. At last he tripped and ran off, altogether, but my medal was stuck in the mud. I cleaned it off, anyway, and I wear it at this moment.

The point is that there is not a moment that You-Know-Who does not hate Our Lady, and that we must all rather expect to suffer a kind of martyrdom every now and then. I do not think, like the martyrs of old, you will suffer decapitation or the sort, but I think singularly that we must all bear little crosses—little things, like Therese said—which are, in their sort, a kind of martyrdom.
Maybe you remember the story I told you, several years back, when the cholera was making its rounds and you came to live with us. You caught the influenza, and I stayed up until three telling you the story. I rather think you were bored with it, but if you remember, it was about the Queen.

'The Queen'. It isn't very subtle, is it? Anyway, you remember that the Queen was hated by these beings so much that they took great care to turn Men against her and erase all good memories of her from history—except—one. The crown she wore in her earthly years, forever touched by her beauty and goodness that they could hardly stand for it to exist. Yet, as you may (or may not) remember, they could not find it, for she has subjects yet.

Thirdly, you asked something about languages and beauty. I find the two are quite intertwined, but not quite as much as one would hope...for instance, I find the word 'cellar' quite lovely, and summoning images of wild roses. But it means quite an uninteresting thing, the place where we keep potatoes and whatnot.

Then there are quite beautiful things which mean absolutely nothing, to my sorrow—e threntuile a perronath—which I would pronounce ae th-wren-too-ill ah pair-rho-nath—which will not cease to bother me until Kingdom Come. But I stand firmly by my belief that a language, even a made-up one, has a meaning if there is someone to know what it means.

This is another cause that we ought to use our Universal Language—it is in the odd position of being both unwieldy and beautiful. Who thinks mulieribus can flow over one's tongue—in speaking, anyway? Yet when it is sung, who can match its fluency? Quite defying the laws of languages as I know them, I am consistently amazed at how song can transform a word that one has previously stumbled over.

Similarly Greek is also lovely—the old stuff, especially. Eleison is a specially lovely word, I think. I also have a fondness for the old Gothic stuff; you know the types that seem so utterly complex and confusing no being can ever speak it. Here:

Atta unsar þu in himinam,
weihnai namo þein.
qimai þiudinassus þeins.
Wairþai wilja þeins,
swe in himina jah ana airþai.

Hlaif unsarana þana sinteinan gif uns himma daga.
Jah aflet uns þatei skulans sijaima, swaswe jah weis afletam þaim skulam unsaraim.
Jah ni briggais uns in fraistubnjai,
Ak lausei uns af þamma ubilin.
Amen

The Amen, I am afraid, is a giveaway—but for that, would you have recognized the prayer you have known for years upon years?
I have a particular fondness for that Our Father, and like to repeat it especially when I encounter something of demonic proportions.

Perhaps you notice Atta, which I believe you know to be 'Father'. At any rate, we must go into this in more detail when you come visit—which you must do at some point!
Anyway, you know that Gothic and Old Norse are closely related, and they both share the same sort of feel, I think. A very beautiful language, I think. I should like to hear a Mass said in it one day.

On the same sort of line, you know, of course, some Latin, and you are familiar with habeo, I have. In Gothic, the word is haban; in German, haben; in Dutch, hebben. Therefore you see exactly how creative we lot are as linguists.
Then, you have some other lovely words. “ga-láubjan” is Gothic and means believe. “Bidjan”, then, is pray.

The fourth question I remember distinctly. It was, “Can I have a cookie?” and I am afraid I must redirect you to your mother, who is better equipped to answer that question than I.
Well, I shall end my letter here—for, I know well, ten year old boys, even very intelligent ones, quickly lose patience when they are forced to listen to an (crabby) old adopted relation-of-some-sort rant.

Love,
Amita E.

P.S My signature is meant to incline you to continue your Latin studies.

*An eleven-year-old-cat that C.E. Davys adopted.

** Vatican II

*** name censored.

Church Music Association of America

2nd Sunday of Advent - December 6, 2008 (for real this time)

Processional: On Jordan's Bank (BB 38)
Offertory: The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (BB 56)
Communion: Advent Communion Psalm tucked behind Year of Paul hymn in blue book
Recessional: Creator of the Stars of Night (BB 58)

2nd Sunday of Advent - December 6, 2008

Processional: something processional-like
Offertory: something offertory (oops! Preparation) -like
Communion: antiphon in front of Blue Book
Recessional: something recessional-like

I don't know what I'm doing yet, because I forgot to pick up the new Breaking Bread book. The music planning site I use refers to just about every hymnal EXCEPT Breaking Bread. I wonder why that is? That was a rhetorical question, by the way.

Sometimes I wonder if it even matters. People complain about certain types of music (pick any type you like), but they WILL NOT change which Mass they attend based on which has the "better" music.

So, cutting to the chase: In my naivete, I thought having more traditional music at the 6 p.m. Mass would attract people. Wrong again! I could probably play a toy piano, and it'd all be the same. This realization is disheartening.

Maybe playing "Gather Us In", a detestable ditty, is in my future. Nah, just kidding. It'll be a pirate drinking song instead.

All Hail the Queen

reproduced with the Author's permission.

By C.E. Davys

“Some things in this world are too precious, too holy to be spoken of lightly. Similarly, some things are too dark and too evil to be spoken of without a great deal of caution, but fortunately the two are in stark oppositions, and shall never touch—save when the Holy crushes the Evil beyond recognition—which even then is not the same thing.”

It is never a good thing to mistake realism for despair. All too often they appear very similar, which leaves a slight problem. Despair*, of course, is a sin, and therefore is the less desirable of the two. Realism has a tendency to be more similar to despair than Secular Despair, and neither is particularly pleasant anyway. Really, more or less people in their great mass have a habit of kindly ignoring the danger until the dragon is sitting at their doorstep. So instead of noticing the great looming dark thing in the far distance, they wait until its ugly face is staring into their eyes to do anything.

Still, there is a tendency to overlook where our hope lies; where it ought ever lie and where it should never have been removed from in the first place. But still as time progresses there is a curious decline in noticing, at all, the great Royalty of the Church.

Indeed in our greatest sorrow there is one who has suffered more than we; and nothing we can ever feel will express the pain that she felt, for none have had the burden of watching as her Son hangs upon the Cross and dies.
In her years on earth—which did not number a great deal—she was thought of as an ordinary girl, in her youth, by outsiders. How many of them would know that the Queen of Heaven was in their midst? How many could recognize the imprint of the Heavenly upon her?
But in the later years, the Apostles saw her as who she was—as the Queen of Heaven and Earth, the Hyperagia Theotokos, Panagia Despoina, and as Gabriel so eloquently put it, kecharitomene, in addition to the feeble titles we already hold in our rather watered language.

This was an attitude that, one would hope, would remain—after all, one does not march up to Queen Victoria, address her as 'Vicky' and offer her a cigar, as the great Author so wonderfully put it**—but instead there has been as of late a curious decline in attention given to the Queen.
This, I daresay, is to be expected of the Protestants, with a reason, (Luther excepted; even he had respect for the Queen) but for even many Catholics it is utterly inexcusable. It is, truly, a disgrace; who walks up to the Queen of England and ignores her entirely? Where it all began I cannot say—it is, like faeries, a mystery beyond my comprehension—and it is utterly shameful.

Indeed, even the comparison to the Queen of England is not good one. One's mother would be better, but unfortunately a continually degenerating interest in the Family is affecting adversely the talk of mothers and fathers, and instead we are told to call them 'parents' singularly, which will get odd as many people, one would hope, have two and not one. But even that has changed as of late.
But on occasion this general ignorance on the heavenly role of the Great Lady has degenerated into downright disrespect for her, which, of course, we would not tolerate if it were a mortal queen. But somehow her role as the Queen of Heaven has made her susceptible to all kinds of slander and lies.

Indeed, to not know what she truly is and who she is is a great tragedy. For one must understand that she is not merely a Queen, far and distant and cold, but so terribly real that it is almost shameful to think back when one did not know her. Even in Heaven she is flesh and blood, she is a Daughter of Man yet so clearly holy, with such kindness and joy and love radiating from her that it cannot, even in her glorified form, be contained within her. From within her it emerges, radiates and surrounds her and everything she comes near to falls upon their knees, if they have knees to fall upon, and those that cannot still honour her for the great role which she has played in this eternal battle.

For her duty did not end when Jesus Christ was born—rather, it had hardly begun. In these years of turmoil and dismay, who ought we turn to? To whom did Adonias go when he needed a favor with the King?

Ever now she gathers her children unto her Son, working to save them, for though she is the Queen she is the mother of All, as Jesus gave John to her at the Foot of the Cross.
Though shame may paralyze us in her presence, by virtue of being fallen, and as our sin and inadequacy is laid bare, she smiles upon us and extends her hand lovingly, to pull us to our feet so that we may go on though we believe we cannot go another step in this great battle.
The Enemy, in his foul hatred which, like the Lady's virtues, cannot be contained within his form and therefore spreads a rank feeling of terror wherever he treads, hates her beyond all other Men, for she—as he is well aware—said Yes when he said No. His non serviam, which so easily could have led to the ruin of all, to her fiat (by which the world would be saved) stand in such distinct opposition; for truly there is enmity between them.

As she is the example of purest holiness, so he is the example of true evil. Indeed, there are those who would say that God created evil; but Evil is but the absence of God. It is, then, not truly a thing, it is more of a nothing, because it is truly void, where no light and no goodness can survive, for these things are from God and without God they cannot exist.

There is a horrible modern movement of sorts, which is not really modern at all but rather the Enemy's latest trick (what a shame he is not like the pony of one skill), which is called by some Atheism. It seems to me that they were not given enough faerie-tales, it would have profited them greatly. After all, faerie-tales assist a child's mind to go beyond this realm of ours. It is something of an aid, I believe, to later learning of God and of Heaven and Hell and the Angels and the Heavenly Monarchs; Our Lord Jesus, the Christ and the King of all and his Mother, our heavenly Queen to whom we may always go in times of distress.

There is hardly a person on the earth who has not, at the sound of some rustling from the closet, become certain that there is a dragon hiding in it just waiting for the last light to go out and has, upon this certainty, ran to his mum who is preparing to go to bed herself. Then, bravely, dear Mum gets her most potent weapons, her Rosary and Medal and Scapular, and ventures into the closet with her child hiding close by, watching anxiously as Mum goes to defeat the dragon. A few moments pass, and then his mother emerges, triumphant, of course, with a smile on her face. She takes up her child in her arms and states, “Your dragon, little dear, is dead, and he won't trouble you any longer.”

Then, of course, she promptly tucks her little son back into bed and all sleep well that night, for the Mother, and the Queen of the House, has defeated the Dragon that used to lurk in the dark dungeons of the Closet.

And, should the dragon return, dear Mummy will not hesitate to remain in the room, waiting for the Dragon to appear—and in the course of this, usually the child will fall asleep, and then Mum gives a smile and leaves.
For all mothers are, in this respect, a mirror of the Blessed Virgin, who deals with a dragon of slightly larger proportion.

Is there, then, any reason to doubt that this glorious, most beautiful of the daughters of Men is truly the Mother of God, the Theotokos, as it is better put? Is there anything on the earth which is more comforting to one's soul and more gentle and kind than her very presence? Deny not, then, that she is your Queen and your mother, for she watches over you while you sleep, that the Dragon will not snare you from your slumber.

Upon her most gracious self is my entire perception of beauty, small though it is, eternally placed, for she is the Fairest of the Fair, more glorious and beautiful than the Angels themselves, and no Daughter of Man shall ever be witness to the Glory which was given to her, the Theotokos, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, the Blessed Mary Ever Virgin, Star of the Sea and the Lady to whom we beseech for all our requests.
For the Queen of Heaven is Eternal, as Heaven itself is, beyond time, and to the Fairest we beg,
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
That we be made Worthy of the Promises of Christ.

*It is likely the author was referring to despair as defined by the Church; as C.E. Davys was a devout Catholic and therefore Despair would have meant, in context, 'giving up hope that even God can salvage the wreck'.

**C.E. Davys was paraphrasing G.K. Chesterton, who said, '...walk up to Queen Victoria, slap her on the back and offer her a cigar'.

Thanksgiving and Divorce

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving, and says "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing. Forty-five years of misery is enough!"

"Pop, what are you talking about?" his son screams.

"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking to you about this, so call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.

"No way they're getting divorced!" she shouts. "I'll take care of this." She calls Phoenix immediately and screams at her father, "You are not getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up the phone and turns to his wife, "Okay, they're coming for Thanksgiving and they're paying their own way."

Courtesy of the Our Lady of Lebanon, Wheeling, WV bulletin.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

You may have noticed a picture of this handsome chap on the sidebar. He's been on my mind A LOT lately. For some reason, he's trying to get my attention. And now he has it.

To read all about him, go to www.frassatiusa.org

The following biography is from the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation:

In May of 1990, Pope John Paul II beatified a young Italian whom he called “the man of our century, the modern man, the man who loved much.” The photographs we have of him show a handsome, robust young person with piercing dark eyes and an engaging smile.

(A much publicized photo has him in mountain-climbing attire posed atop a snow-capped peak somewhere in Italy -- hardly what we’d usually consider “holy card material”!) His death in 1925 at the age of 24 was thought by many to be a tragic loss; but the Holy Father offers us the example of the life of Pier Giorgio Frassati as a dramatic gain for our century. What was there about this young person --fun-loving, energetic, forthright in his convictions -- that provides even youth of the new millennium with encouragement in their own search for goodness and truth? What was there about Pier Giorgio that makes “hunger and thirst for holiness” a not-unlikely driving force for personal success?

A brief biography of Pier Giorgio Frassati is quick to point out that this vibrant young person, so full of jokes and good cheer, comes as quite a surprise to those who suppose that only the shy, sad, and retiring can qualify as saints. Born in Turin in 1901 to a well-known, affluent Italian family, Pier Giorgio grew steadily and deeply in the graces of his baptism, despite quite a few challenges surrounding him. His father, an agnostic, was the founder and publisher of a liberal Italian newspaper. His mother, more sensitive and artistic by nature than her husband, saw to the religious upbringing of Pier Giorgio and his younger sister; but she worried as the boy grew older that he was becoming unnecessarily “extreme” in his personal devotion to the sacraments, prayer, and acts of charity. The lived expression of his Catholic faith, however, continued to mature in Pier Giorgio as he himself matured, and God’s grace built firmly on his lively, sensitive nature. The fact that his parents did not understand this was often a source of personal struggle for the boy. He loved his parents deeply, and the strain he saw developing in their marriage was a great source of sorrow for him as he grew older.

Pier Giorgio was educated first at home, then at a state school, and finally in a Jesuit-run institution. While cultivating a natural love for beauty and the arts, he often found formal studies difficult, much to the disappointment of his success-driven father. As a teenager, Pier Giorgio became involved both in spiritual organizations open to students and in groups devoted to active works of mercy among the poor. Increasingly, we are told, devotion to the Holy Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary were the focus of his prayer. He began to develop a deep spiritual life, which he was never embarrassed to share with his friends. His love for God fed his devotion to the service of the poor and needy, and even drove him to political activism in support of the Church’s social teaching.

A young man with a vast capacity for both leadership and friendship, Pier Giorgio inevitably influenced the young people in his circle. Not only was he the instigator of practical jokes and fun (sports, the out-of-doors and mountains were his “passion”), but he also sought to draw them unashamedly to love God and live their faith. Young Frassati delighted in serving the poor, and looked upon his involvement in their lives as a privilege. His own parents often misunderstood the “excess” in him as an obstacle to his future and a sign of lack of ambition. We are told that Pier Giorgio at one point made the decision to forego the pure and tender love he felt for a young woman his age, because he knew their relationship would be cause for further tension within his own family.

At the age of 21, Pier Giorgio furthered his spiritual aspirations by becoming a member of the Dominican Laity. Here he found encouragement for his Eucharistic and Marian devotion, and further outlet for his works of mercy.

Shortly before he was to receive his degree, Pier Giorgio contracted a severe case of polio, probably caught from the sick to whom he ministered. We’re told that he neglected his own health because his grandmother was dying, and that after six days of intense suffering he died on July 4, 1925. His own family had not suspected how ill he was.

Pier Giorgio’s funeral was also a revelation to his family. The poor and needy whom he had served for so many years of his short life turned out in droves to mourn him. For their part, these poor were surprised to find out that this saintly young man who had been so solicitous for them was the son of such an influential family.

Pope John Paul II remarked in 1989, after visiting the tomb of Pier Giorgio, that he also had felt in his own youth “the beneficial influence of his example.” The pope beatified Pier Giorgio Frassati on May 20, 1990. “He left the world rather young,” the Holy Father said, “but he made a mark upon our entire century.”

Feast of Christ the King (vigil) -- Nov. 22, 2008

Processional: Crown Him With Many Crowns (BB 746)
Offertory: Hail Redeemer, King Divine (BB 743)
Communion: instrumental
Recessional: The King of Kings, Christ Jesus Reigns (BB 744)

"Behold ye now the Queen!"

"Therefore, make ye no mistake--is this not our Queen that stands before thee, majestic and yet as if she were a Daughter of Man? For born on earth she was, yet the Fairest of the Fair is higher than all the Powers that serve the King."--C.E. Davys

St. George slaying The Dragon

"... in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."--J.R.R Tolkien (Return of the King)

Psalm 102

O Lord, listen to my prayer
and let my cry for
help reach you.
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Turn your ear towards me
and answer me quickly when I call.

For my days are vanishing like smoke,
my bones burn away like a fire.
My heart is withered like the grass.
I forget to eat my bread.
I cry with all my strength
and my skin clings to my bones.

I have become like a pelican in the wilderness,
like an owl in desolate places.
I lie awake and I moan
like some lonely bird on a roof.
All day long my foes revile me;
those who hate me use my name as a curse.

The bread I eat is ashes;
my drink is mingled with tears
In your anger, Lord, and your
fury you have lifted me up and thrown me down.
My days are like a passing shadow
and I wither away like the grass.

Veil Flip to Adoro Te Devote

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 15, 2008

Processional: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (BB 424)
Offertory: At the Name of Jesus (BB 748)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: O God, Our Help in Ages Past (BB 442)

This is the last Mass of the quarter with our full choir. Once again, we'll not be able to practice; Thursday is a School of Music event (go hear Ross play at Mem Aud at 8 p.m.), and I'll be out of town for most of Friday. (I told some of you that we could practice on Friday, but I forgot I was leaving!)

If you're interested in cantoring this Mass and can practice Saturday at 5 p.m., email me.

Don't be surprised when the Obamessiah keeps his campaign promises.

Obama Solidifies Pro-Abortion Agenda with "Attack Dog" Rahm Emanuel for Chief of Staff
Pro-Life Movement faces another 100% pro-abortion leader

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 6, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Social conservatives expecting centrist policies in the Obama administration after repeated promises of “reaching across the aisle” may be taken aback now that President-Elect Obama has chosen Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., as his future Chief of Staff. Emanuel, a former Clinton advisor famous for his tenacious and sometimes rabid demeanor, sports an overwhelmingly liberal and 100% pro-abortion voting record.

According to an AP report, House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio called Emanuel "an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center."

Like President-Elect Obama, Emanuel has earned a 100% pro-abortion rating from NARAL - an early indication that Obama plans to stock his administration with figures as hostile to pro-life efforts as himself. Emanuel, a formidable man known for his almost coercive tactics as a fundraiser and whom the LA Times called a "political assassin,” will present Obama's opposition with a force to be reckoned with.

As an Illinois Congressman, Emanuel has voted against abortion restrictions with the same gusto as Obama, including a vote to strike down the 2003 federal partial-birth abortion ban. That year, he also voted against prohibiting U.S. tax dollars from subsidizing abortions. In 2004, he voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which nonetheless passed.

Another similarity between Obama and Emanuel lies in their support for homosexuality: in both 2004 and 2006 Emanuel voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment. Obama also refused to protect true marriage in his years as a legislator.

In 2005, Emanuel voted against parental notification and consent laws regarding abortions for minors. He then voted to protect federal funding of Planned Parenthood in 2007.

Throughout his congressional career, Emanuel consistently supported embryonic stem cell research and human cloning.

Emanuel first made waves as a Clinton campaign fundraiser, from where he eventually ascended to Director of Finance in the Clinton White House.

Emanuel's fiery temper and drive to succeed have become almost legendary. As reported by the Telegraph, Emanuel's associates recall that, as a Clinton advisor, Emanuel once grew so enraged during a discussion of the president's political opponents that he grabbed a steak knife, stood up and began reciting a list of the opponents' names, shouting "Dead! Dead! Dead!" after each, accompanied by a thrust of the knife into the table.

In 2005, Emanuel became the "golden boy" of the Democratic Party when as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee he helped launch the Democratic Party into a majority in the House in 2006.

Having accepted a position of power in the U.S. government frequently equal to or greater than that of the vice presidency, few doubt that Emanuel will make his presence known.

"Congressional Republicans respect what he has been able to do," John Feehery, a former employee for several congressmen including House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, told the L.A. Times. "They think he's a formidable opponent. ... They won't particularly love him, but if he's smart, they will respect him."

Examination of Conscience

There are lots of examinations of conscience online. This is only one of them, but it's fairly thorough. It's NOT for young eyes, though, because it's explicit in places. But hey - it's nine pages long, so there's lots to think about.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - (Vigil) November 8, 2008

Processional: Faith of Our Fathers (BB 488)
Preparation: All People That On Earth Do Dwell (BB 313)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: Holy God We Praise Thy Name (BB 200)

Phyllis Yerian Funeral -- October 31, 2008

Phyllis was a great lady, and she will be missed by many, many people. Requiescat in pace. Here's the music we did.

Prelude: Flutes (Clerambault)
Processional: All Creatures of Our God and King
Psalm: The Lord is My Shepherd
Offertory: Come My Way My Truth My Life
Communion: Jesu Dulcis Memoria
End: Song of Farewell

Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Dim Bulb tells us HERE.

Feast of All Souls - (Vigil) November 1, 2008

Processional: For All the Saints
Offertory: The King of Love My Shepherd Is
Communion: Antiphon
Recessional: Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones

I'm still trying to figure out where I can fit in an In Paradisum or Dies Irae. Or something similar.

Thank God for Bishop Martino

Scranton Bishop Unexpectedly Visits Forum, Repudiates False Teachings on Catholic Voting
Comments expose long-festering problem of bishop's conferences and their often liberal bureaucracies

By Hilary White

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, October 22, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An unexpected visit by the bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania to a parish forum on the upcoming elections, has resulted in a small firestorm of controversy, after the bishop forcefully repudiated the idea that Catholics can vote for pro-abortion politicians. Some of the bishop's comments exposed a long festering problem since the Second Vatican Council over bishops conferences and their often liberal bureaucracies. The conferences, which have no actual teaching authority, quickly assumed a far greater role in the Church than was intended by the Council, often replacing the authority and obligations of local bishops on many issues.

Parishioners of St. John’s church in Scranton were discussing a statement that had been produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that some argue lends itself to the interpretation that Catholics can vote for pro-abortion candidates under certain circumstances. They were taken aback, however, when Bishop Joseph Martino arrived at the forum unannounced and told his flock, “No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese. The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.”

An eyewitness said that the bishop told his audience that he had voted against the USCCB statement, titled “Faithful Citizenship,” and described it as a consensus document “written to mean all things to all people.”

“The only relevant document ... is my letter,” he said. “There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”

Bishop Martino was referring to a pastoral letter he issued earlier this month that rejected a trend in the US Catholic Church, sometimes bolstered by official USCCB statements, that claims that abortion and euthanasia are moral equivalents to other issues such as war and economic injustice. According to this theory a Catholic can in good conscience vote for politicians who are pro-abortion but hold acceptable views on other “peace and justice” issues.

In his letter, Bishop Martino called legal abortion “injustice of the worst kind” and said that laws that create a situation in which “the weakest and most vulnerable are denied, because of their age, the most basic protection that we demand for ourselves ... is discrimination at its worst, and no person of conscience should support it.”

Bishop Martino specifically cited and strongly refuted the common argument that says while abortion is wrong, it is not “the only relevant ‘life’ issue that should be considered when deciding for whom to vote.” Morally equivalent issues, he suggested, might be euthanasia and destruction of embryos for research purposes, because these involve the direct killing of human beings. However, while health care, education, economic security, immigration, and taxes “are very important concerns,” he said, “the solutions to problems in these areas do not usually involve a rejection of the sanctity of human life in the way that abortion does.”

A statement from the diocese later confirmed the Bishop’s comments at the forum, as reported in the media. The diocesan statement said Bishop Martino had been “concerned because of the confusion and public misrepresentations about Catholic teaching on the life issues.”

“Certain groups and individuals have used their own erroneous interpretations of Church documents, particularly the U.S. Bishops’ statement on Faithful Citizenship, to justify their political positions and to contradict the Church’s actual teaching on the centrality of abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research,” the statement said.

“When Bishop Martino heard how some of these issues were being presented at the forum, he determined that he must address the forum to fulfil his obligation as the authentic teacher of the Catholic faith in his diocese.”

In recent years, Catholics have received conflicting messages from their Church’s leadership over whether it is permissible to vote for a politician who, while supporting abortion, is supportive of efforts to help the poor, or of other “peace and justice” causes.

Bishop Martino’s letter is regarded as one of the stronger statements refuting and condemning the erroneous, but nevertheless popular, so-called “seamless garment” theory that downplays the unique evil of abortion. “Consider this,” the bishop wrote in his letter, “the finest health and education systems, the fairest immigration laws, and the soundest economy do nothing for the child who never sees the light of day. It is a tragic irony that ‘pro-choice’ candidates have come to support homicide – the gravest injustice a society can tolerate – in the name of ‘social justice’.”

He added, “Even the Church’s just war theory has moral force because it is grounded in the principle that innocent human life must be protected and defended.”

Pro-life advocates have noted that during the current US general election cycle, the tone of statements from the Catholic bishops has been considerably stronger than in the past.

Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, told LifeSiteNews.com today, “There’s no question that the Seamless Garment was a convenient catch all term to describe things that are not morally equal.” But Euteneuer said that the wind is certainly shifting in the Catholic hierarchy.

Fr. Euteneuer said that statements such as the one from Bishop Martino are becoming more common. “The internal culture of the bishops’ conference itself seems to be changing and that is a good sign, because they seem to be immune to external influences.” Scandals, pressure from lay people and even massive law suits, Fr. Euteneuer said, have not had a profound effect on the Bishops’ conference, but “when the bishops themselves start to move in right direction, things begin to change.”

Fr. Euteneuer said the change in the US bishops has certainly been more noticeable since the visit this spring of Pope Benedict XVI. Their shift towards greater orthodoxy can be put down to the leadership of Pope Benedict, he said, who as a fellow bishop has the insider’s ability to break into the conference’s closed shop.

Such change is slow, he said, but comes as “more bishops are formed in orthodoxy and given a chance to act. The Catholic Church, because of its hierarchical structure has the capacity to reform itself like no other institution.”

Read the full text of Bishop Martino’s letter:
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=29838

Straight from Obama's mouth

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hear Choir Here

By popular request (!), here are recordings of some Mass music from this past month:

October 4, 2008
At the Name of Jesus
Ave Maria chant
Glory to God
Gospel Acclamation
Great Amen
Holy Holy Holy
Lamb of God
Now Thank We All Our God
O Saving Victim
Memorial Acclamation
Postlude: Clerambault "Basse de Cromorne"

October 11, 2008
Come My Way My Truth My Life
Postlude: Clerambault "Recit de Nazard"
Prelude: Clerambault: "Flutes"
Holy Holy Holy
Psalm
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus

Sorry -- the Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (the last one on the list) is in Windows Media Format. If you're using a Mac and really want to hear it, I'll convert it to an mp3.

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 25, 2008

Processional: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (BB 556)
Offertory: Hymn of the Year of Paul
Communion: Antiphon
Recessional: O God, Our Help in Ages Past (BB 442)

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time -- October 18, 2008

Processional: Faith of our Fathers
Offertory/Prep: At The Name of Jesus
Communion: a new and pretty antiphon
Recessional: Holy God We Praise Thy Name

Since you're reading this, say a prayer for my Mom and Dad, who are celebrating their 57th Wedding Anniversary today.

October 11, 2008 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: Holy Holy Holy (BB 209)
Offertory: Come My Way My Truth My Life (choir)
Communion: antiphon (probably the last week for this one)
Recessional: Alleluia Sing to Jesus (BB 747)

We'll have practice Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Music for October 4, 2008 -- 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: Now Thank We All Our God (BB 202)
Preparation: At the Name of Jesus (choir only)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: Sent Forth By God's Blessing (BB 369)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELESTINE!

It's yet another birthday for the aged lady. And, perhaps not coincidentally, it's also the Feast of the Holy Archangels!

Happy Birthday, O Awesome One!

You -- yes YOU -- are invited!

Betcha didn't know that 2008 is the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE ORGAN!! And to celebrate, the Southeast Ohio Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will be hosting the Pipe Organ Spectacular on October 19, 2008.

I -- yes I -- am one of the featured organists. At Galbreath Chapel, I'll be playing the awesome and wonderful Choral III in A Minor by Cesar Franck. Aditionally, choir member Ross Schmittgen and I will be playing an organ/oboe piece written specifically for the International Year of the Organ.

Flowers, chocolates, and preferential treatment will be given to any choir member who attends; just mention this ad.

For more info, go to the Southeast Ohio AGO Chapter website.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 27, 2008

Prelude: Agnus Dei based on Allegri's Miserere
Processional: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (BB 741)
Preparation: Hymn of the Year of Paul
Communion: antiphon (see last week's post)
Crown Him with Many Crowns (BB 746)

Presidential Elections

I could survive for 1 minute, 19 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 20, 2008

Prelude: Ave Maria (chant) (BB 701)
Processional: Holy, Holy, Holy (BB 209)
Preparation: Hymn of the Year of Paul
Communion: antiphon(see below)
Recessional: To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King (BB 739)

I have a different Lamb of God for this week. Methinks that the Haugen Massive Cremation Lamb of God is too ingrained in people's minds for us to use with my (alternate) approved text. We will be using one by Jeff Ostrowski (Corpus Christi Watershed) that's easy for everyone to learn, but one that has almost surely not been heard by any of us.

I've also got a cool setting of "Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord", also by Jeff Ostrowski, for use as a Communion Antiphon. I intend to use it for four consecutive Sundays (at least). This is how people learn - repetition!

So, class, today's Latin phrase is: Repetitio mater studiorum - "repetition is the mother of learning".

Just one guy's opinion....

and one with which I am inclined to agree.

No More Roadblocks.

September 13, 2008 -- Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Processional: Alleluia! Alleluia! (172)
Preparation: Hymn of the Year of Paul (Thaxted Tune) (front cover of Blue Books)
Communion: Humbly Lord We Worship You (208)
Recessional: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (747)

Choir People, let's meet on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. This won't necessarily be our permanent time.

I'll be having an "introductory" meeting for our schola (choir) a week or two after Sign-up Sunday, which I believe is this weekend.

Outta here next weekend!

The Family (mine!) will be out of town next weekend. We're going to BrickFest 2008 at the Lego Museum in Bellaire. (No - it's not called the "Lego Museum", due to copyright issues. Instead, it's called the "Plastic Brick Museum". But we know it's really a Lego museum, right?)

Of course the primary purpose of our travel is visiting family, which we haven't done a lot of lately.

Have a great Labor Day!

On Singing Chant

Chant, as the modern world knows it, is a rather easy thing--you drone a bunch of words on a note and blah-dee-blah. Contrary to popular belief, chant is not a slow, monotonous thing that goes on forever and ever in endless boredom.
Let's start with a bit of history, shall we?
Gregorian Chant is named after Pope Gregory the Great. The actual date of invention is unknown, as some people do not ascribe Gregorian Chant to Pope Gregory at all, but with quite an amount of evidence for it, it seems unlikely that Gregorian Chant was composed by anyone other than Pope Gregory.

Chant divided into eight modes, two of which brought forth the notion of major and minor scales. The eight-tone scale we use today is based upon a different principle than chant, which is based upon a six-note pattern called a hexachord. The main notes in a hexachord are the "dominant" and "final", and depending on where the final falls in the sequence the mode can be called authentic or plagal (giving rise to a "plagal cadence"--also called the Amen Cadence for the very simple reason that it is used as an Amen frequently!).

Gregorian chant is notated most authentically in neumes, which fall upon a four-line staff with a small clef symbol notating 'do' (or 'ut'). Neumes differ from modern notes in that there is no 'half note' or 'whole note', or quarter or so on (in addition to the detail that neumes are square, instead of round). Here is a good guide for reading chant notation especially if you have no prior experience in reading chant.

Singing chant itself takes a great deal of discipline, and far more patience than one would expect. Long lines with very little time to breathe are common (we here see the roots of coloratura), and patience is necessary--most human beings need to look at chant quite intensively before they can sing it properly.
To sing chant in a stylistically correct manner, a few things are necessary. Straight-tone is preferable, but if vibrato cannot be restrained entirely then at least a minimal amount of vibrato. Singing in a bold manner--that is, with strength without being garish--is also good when one does not have a choir of five hundred monks. One's feet out to be at least shoulder width, and speaking of shoulders, when one breathes one's shoulders should not move. Not only does it look funny, it's fairly wrong as well. Most people naturally breathe upward--that is, their chest raises up when they inhale, and their shoulders move with them. When singing, one needs to breathe outward with one's stomach (not one's anatomical stomach, but the general lower abdomen area!).

Perhaps more important than breathing in chant is knowing what one is doing. That is--when you sing chant, you are singing for God. All personal gain must be thrust aside, and you cannot think of your own vocal production for the sake of it being your own vocal production. Thinking of how you sound to try to sound as beautiful as you can for God--that is admirable. But thinking about how you sound so that your Aunt Dolly will compliment you is not right. The primary goal of Gregorian Chant is to give glory to God, as all sacred music ought.

Therefore, do not sing chant for your own glory. Do not try to sound like a fabulous famous singer with the voice that gets praising reviews in the New York Times.

Sing with love, for you are singing for God.

August 31, 2008 -- 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: Come Thou Almighty King (717)
Offertory: O Jesus, How Our Spirits Sing (BB 364) (Jesu Dulcis Memoria)
Communion: Qui Vult
Recessional: I Sing the Mighty Power of God (412)

Monks singing Qui Vult Venire.

Since the antiphon is short, I'm not doing recordings this week.

This is probably the last antiphon from the Graduale Romanum. It was fun while it lasted. We'll be doing English antiphons starting in Advent, and continuing through Easter Season.

If you're a choir member, and you'll be at this Mass, please let me know soon so I can schedule a practice. As far as I can tell, the choir's out of town this weekend (with the exception of my family.)

August 23, 2008 -- 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (BB 741)
Preparation: Oh God Beyond All Praising (BB 548)
Communion: Antiphon
Recessional: Alleluia Sing to Jesus (BB 747)

Here's the Communion Antiphon.

Here are the monks singing the antiphon. (Go to the bottom of the page and click on De Fructu)

Here are my (slower) recordings for ease of learning:

De Fructu Phrase 1
De Fructu Phrase 2
De Fructu Phrase 3
De Fructu Phrase 4
De Fructu Phrase 5
De Fructu Phrase 6

Verse 1
Verse 2
Verse 3
Verse 4
Verse 5
Verse 6
Verse 7
Verse 8

Gloria Patri Mode VI

August 16, 2008 -- 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King (BB 739)
Preparation: Where Charity and Love Prevail (BB 415)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: Sent Forth by God's Blessing (BB 369)

Here's the Communion Antiphon.

Here are the Brazilian Monks singing the antiphon. (You'll have to click on the Domus Mea link.)

Domus Mea phrase 1
Domus Mea Phrase 2
Domus Mea Phrase 3
Domus Mea Phrase 4
Domus Mea Phrase 5

Verse 1
Verse 2
Verse 3
Verse 4
Verse 5
Verse 6
Verse 7

August 9-10, 2008 -- 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

SATURDAY 6 p.m.:

Processional: Beautiful Savior (204)
Preparation: O Jesus How Our Spirits Sing (364) (uses Jesu Dulcis Memoria tune)
Communion: antiphon
Recessional: Holy God We Praise Thy Name (200)

SUNDAY 9 & 11 a.m.:

Processional: Beautiful Savior (204)
Preparation: All Creatures of Our God and King (550) (after the baptism)
O Jesus How Our Spirits Sing (maybe for the Mass without the baptism)
Communion: Humbly Lord We Worship You (208)
Recessional: Holy God We Praise Thy Name (200)

Sound files for August 9, 2008 -- 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The music for the Communion Antiphon, Panis..., is found here at Musica Sacra.

The Gloria Patri tones are found here.

Panis phrase 1
Panis phrase 2
Panis phrase 3
Panis phrase 4

Verse 1
Verse 2
Verse 3
Verse 4
Verse 5
Verse 6
Verse 7
Verse 8
Verse 9
Verse 10
Gloria Patri...

Music List for April 2, 2008, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prelude - Clerambault
Processional - Praise My Soul the King of Heaven (BB 564)
Preparation - O God Beyond All Praising (BB 548)
Communion - antiphon from the Graduale Romanum
Recessional - Now Thank We All Our God (BB 202)
Postlude - More Clerambault!

Music List for July 26, 2008 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional -- All Creatures of Our God and King (BB 550)

Preparation -- O Breathe on Me, O Breath of God (BB 655) (I hope they sing this tune better than last week)

Communion -- antiphon (Simile est regnum caelorum....)

Recessional -- Praise to the Lord (BB 201)

I'll probably play Vierne for a prelude. Not sure yet about a postlude.

Tales from the Choir Loft

Heavy Sigh. Can't the 6 p.m. Mass come earlier in the day? Maybe Saturday morning would work better. (I know -- I'm kidding!!!!)

The day started out with -- you guessed it -- sanding the latest drywall project. I really enjoy this job, and there's certainly nothing like the constant smell of drywall dust in your nose, and probably not much to compare to drywall dust in the lungs. Yes, I did wear a mask, which enhanced the sense of smothering. As I said, I love sanding drywall.

After the job was done, I got to do a partial clean-up on the floor -- picking up plastic and drop clothes that had on them what was left of our formerly-textured ceiling.

"What does this have to do with the choir?" you say.

This: I wore myself out.

I got to church quite early, as usual, to practice. Then we (the choir) practiced the communion antiphon. I could feel my voice cracking.

Mass started. Opening hymn: went fine. Preparation hymn: I had practiced O Breathe on Me O Breath of God, which has the same tune, St. Columba. I'd had Daughter find the music for The King of Love My Shepherd Is, but I didn't look at it. I started to play, and Lo And Behold, the accompaniment was completely different (except the melody). It took a few verses to catch on, but I wasn't able to sing. Bummer. Communion: this was the first Sunday of using the Communio Antiphon, which is written with neumes, in Latin, and is not easy. Well, I messed up, and also started to lose my voice, but happily the choir rolled with my punches. (I will blame my trouble on the drywall dust, because it's a convenient excuse.) The recessional hymn went okay, then I made the bad decision to go ahead with my Bach Prelude in C. It went badly. I was just too doggone tired to play it. Live and learn.

End of sob story.

Music for July 19, 2008 -- 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (BB 576)
Preparation: The King of Love My Shepherd Is (477)
Communion: Antiphon
Recessional: Holy God We Praise Thy Name (200)

Funeral Mass music 7-18-08

This was the music played at Jean Sprague's funeral. Requiescat in pace.

Processional: Sing With All the Saints in Glory
Preparation: I Heard the Voice of Jesus
Communion: Humbly, Lord, We Worship You
End: Song of Farewell

I played two Bach chorale preludes and a Clerambault piece before Mass. Afterwards, I played "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones", then "I am Black but Comely, Ye Daughters of Jerusalem" by Dupre.

My Chant "Oops"

Now that I have your attention, I should mention that the chant links I included two posts down are NOT for a "beginner". I found this chant to try to learn how to sing some of the more obscure (to me) symbols. I'm a beginner myself, but I've agreed to be thrown headfirst into doing the Communion psalm from the Communio; this means the psalm will be chanted in Latin. Thanks to Nick S. who asked for us to do it.

If you, gentle reader, have the interest, musicasacra.com is your one-stop chant and sacred music resource.

On the Pipe Organ

Exactly a week ago I set out upon the epic task of reading "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" which I finished in the same day, as I liked it a great deal. Something occurred to me, however, and it struck me as being quite odd.

Captain Nemo, who seems to be a very interesting chap to know if you aren't in his way of vengeance, happens to play the organ (how he fit it on a submarine, giant though it may be, I would be quite interested in learning). To my own organ-interested senses this is a perfectly natural thing, and yet I am struck that whenever one hears of the organ these days it is in direct connection with some sort of villain. Ignoring the obvious (our lovely opera-house-dwelling friend by the name of ________) there seems to be a connection between the organ (presumably not the organ played with soft flutes) and villains or extremely withdrawn heroes.

Of course, if I can hear the organ played with a million and a half reeds, then I'm quite happy, no matter who's playing (heroes v.s villains; I wouldn't like to hear a pianist playing with it--it usually ends up all clunky).

A relative admits that she associates the organ with the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and the big Cathedral, et al, ad infinitum. And, of course, there is the fact that almost everyone on the earth has visions of bad guys when Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor starts playing (in spite of the fact that in Bach's time D minor was not considered a 'sad' key in the least).

There is something about the organ that causes people to associate it with villains. This could be due in part to the fact that some organists do indeed lurk in shadows and play at the wee hours of the night, but somehow I doubt it. Now, I shall be fair to all the organ-playing bad guys--the organ is awesome. And they tend to play it well. It's not their fault. Though, indeed, I think a far more evil villain would be one that plays the organ badly.

It could be due, in part, to the monstrously large and fantastic sound that the organ gives off, or the visions and thoughts and emotions that are betrayed when one plays it (After all, music is the most expressive form of what-have-you imaginable). The organ has a very emotional nature, making it the most dangerous of all instruments. Whether this is related to its literary use in connection with lurking heroes or otherwise shady villains is unknown to me; at any rate I'll leave that to people who are good at theorizing with that kind of thing (someone ought to do a psychological profile of people for a paper and see if there is any particular reason that organists tend to have a flair for the dramatic, which they do in, mostly, silence with the exception of the reeds at 2 AM when most people are trying to sleep*).

The ending word is: If bad guys play the organ, all it means is that they have good taste.

The Author, who has written a story containing over 150 uses of the term 'pipe organ', is not responsible for any playing of the organ in the middle of the night that may occur after the reader gets insomnia and can't fall asleep. The Author also is not responsible for any grumpy neighbors that may come over to one's house and unplug the speakers to one's electronic organ. Or, if one happens to be lucky enough to have a pipe organ in one's living room, the angry mob might then shove socks down the pipes of the 8' and 4' pipes.

*The author spent last night lying awake until about 2 AM, during which time she could have listened to the whole of Bach's organ works, but instead decided to listen to her perennial Lullaby (which, she insists, is the greatest song written [for tenor] in musical theatre, but that's irrelevant).

Messiaen's Own Description of "Apparition....."

"It is the Bride of Christ made of heaven's stones, which are the souls of the elect."

From Olivier Messiaen: The Organ Works; commentary by Paul Griffiths:

"Now at La Trinité, Messiaen created here a piece in chords that move slowly and with the utmost determination. Harmony and implacable rhythm together provide an image of the unalterable edifice appearing from out of confusion. The work is an "enormous and granite-like crescendo", in which the church comes ever nearer until it blinds us with C major [pure white light, according to his colour code] long sustained by both manuals and pedals. There is then a corresponding departure."

A Blurb

Well, no, it's not related to the Organ or to the choir...but it's my Blurb and I can do what I like with it!

“Tell me, Monsieur,” said Rose angrily, “Do you ever think?”

“What?” Said Daimhin, looking up, “Think? No; it half-maddens me and is altogether quite an unpleasant experience. I prefer to just go along without doing that problematic thing called thinking.”
Rose snorted into her glass of water, “So you go looking to the end of the world for something interesting to do so that you don’t have to think?”

“No; the end of the world is far more interesting than the beginning is. Everyone is still stuck at the beginning, but the end is far more colorful. Shades of purple on the grass, the sky being a colorful red, and the water turns silver.”

“In other words, it breaks the monotony of normality?”

“Normality doesn’t exist, I’ve noticed. One person’s idea of normal contradicts directly with someone else’s idea of normal, just like one person is unique—like everybody else—and before long things are so absurdly tangled that nothing is normal and nothing is unique and it’s all crazy, stirred together like some kind of insanity stew. I don’t know, I think insanity stew would be an odd yellow color, and I’ve never eaten yellow stew. Have you? I don’t think you would eat it, should it be presented to you…”

Rose stared at him, believing wholeheartedly he had, in fact, run into some of that insanity stew long ago.

“At any rate, there’s nothing more interesting at the beginning of the world.” he finished.

Rose coughed, “Well, then you intend to resume wandering about the forgotten places of the world?”

“What else is there to do? Unforgotten places are well-populated and loud and bothersome; forgotten places, if they are forgotten enough, are just the same as undiscovered places—new and wild and exciting.”

“But they can’t be. Forgotten places once were not forgotten.”

“Well, they are now; for all intents and purposes, therefore, they are somewhere new. And if the whole of Europe doesn’t find out about them, then they will remain so, and thus uncluttered.”

“What if Europe needs these uncluttered places?”

“Well, they can live without it! Because they will be mine. The first land will be Daimhin One, and the second Daimhin Two, ad infinitum… What do you think?”

“I think maybe you ought to name one of them Rose.” Said Rose in a perfectly normal voice.

“Oh! Maybe. It depends on whether I can find one to name Rose or not.”

“Why don’t you take Daimhin One and name it Rose?”

“Well, then Daimhin Two wouldn’t make much sense, now would it?”

“Well, it does make much sense, because there is a Daimhin one—you!”

“I’m not a location.” Exclaimed Daimhin.

“Oh. Well, then do it in even-numbered islands—Daimhin Two, Daimhin Four, Daimhin Six, Daimhin Eight…”

“I don’t like even numbers, though.” Declared Daimhin thoughtfully, “For they never end.”

“Do Odd numbers end?”

“I can’t say.”

copyright Midnight 2008

Aural Heaven

Most of you know I'm totally crazy about polyphony, and here's a wonderful example from this year's Sacred Music Colloquium. These folks, both trained musicians and complete novices, learned this piece in one week! I'm hoping to go next year.

Ave Maria (interpreted by Francisco Guerrero)

Benedict XVI recalls his experience of the joy of God

Castelgandolfo, July 8 (CNA).- On Saturday morning at Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father received a group of pilgrims from Regensburg, Germany and spoke to them of how singing to God gave him an experience of God as joy.

In brief remarks to group of faithful, the Pope recalled the "marvelous day" in September 2006 when he blessed the new organ - the "Benedikt-Orgel" - in the "Alte Kapelle" of Regensburg, of which his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, was once director.

"I have an indelible memory", said the Holy Father, "of how - in the harmony of that wonderful organ, of the choir conducted by Mr. Kohlhaufel, and the luminous beauty of the church - we experienced the joy that comes from God. Not just the 'spark of the Gods' of which Schiller speaks, but truly the flame of the Holy Spirit which brought us to feel in our innermost being what we also know from the Gospel of St. John: that He Himself is joy. And this joy was communicated to us."

Benedict XVI spoke of his contentment "that this organ continues to play and so helps people to perceive something of the splendor of our faith; a splendor ignited by the Holy Spirit Himself. Thus the organ has an evangelizing role, in its own way it announces the Gospel."

UPDATED Music List for July 12 -- 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prelude - Flûtes from Suite Du Deuxième Ton (Clerambault)

Processional - We Gather Together
Preparation - The Word of God Was From the Start
Communion - Jesu Dulcis Memoria (chanted by Carissa, Rachel, and Mary)
Recessional - Sent Forth By God's Blessing

Postlude - Basse de Cromorne from Suite Du Deuxième Ton (Clerambault)

Reflections

What Man hath lost in Battle's strife
given unto him, the gift of life,
depicted through the Arts, held still dear,
when other joy refuses to come near.
Beautiful tones float through the air,
causing people to stop and stare,
abhorred by one and loved by the next,
indescribable by any human text,
this is music and this is love,
Looked for and sought of,
but here is all you ever need--
go wherever He doth lead.
The most beautiful music tells a story--
and this is of He.

copyright 2008 by Midnight Inc.

HUMOR -- Three Notes Walk Into a Bar....

A C, an E-flat, and a G go into a bar. The bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve minors." So the E-flat leaves, and the C and the G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and the G is out flat.

An F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough. A D comes into the bar and heads straight for the bathroom saying, "Excuse me. I'll just be a second."

Then an A comes into the bar, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor.

Then the bartender notices a B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and exclaims, "Get out now. You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight."

The E-flat, not easily deflated, comes back to the bar the next night in a 3-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender (who used to have a nice corporate job until his company downsized) says, "You're looking sharp tonight, come on in! This could be a major development."

This proves to be the case, as the E-flat takes off the suit, and everything else, and stands there au natural.

Eventually, the C sobers up, and realizes in horror that he's under a rest. The C is brought to trial, is found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of DS without Coda at an upscale correctional facility. On appeal, however, the C is found innocent of any wrongdoing, even accidental, and that all accusations to the contrary are bassless.

The bartender decides, however, that since he's only had tenor so patrons,and the sopranout in the bathroom, everything has become altoo much treble; he needs a rest, and closes the bar.
...courtesy of Erich Wolz.

(Courtesy of Ye Olde Organist's Humor Page)

HUMOR -- Guide to Understanding Your Organist

Bach Prelude and Fugue: Organist is happy

French Toccata: Organist is very happy

French Toccata at double speed: Organist went to Donkey Coffee during sermon

Improvisation on hymn: Organist has lost glasses

Improvisation on popular song: Organist has lost temper

Long chord cluster: Organist has gone to sleep

Silence: Organist has gone to Donkey

(courtesy of Ye Olde Organist's Humor Page)

Note: New Blog Member

In case you hadn't noticed, the exposition below is written by Rachel, not Mary. (Mary can't write!)

She'll be posting her musings semi-regularly.

Apparition De L’Eglise Eternelle: Dissonance and the Eternal Church

In 1932 a twenty-four-year-old Olivier Messiaen wrote a piece that received two of the strongest sentiments of which mankind is capable—love and hate. Easily one of the only pieces that causes some people to sigh and collapse with joy and others to wail in anguish, Messiaen’s Apparition De L’Eglise Eternelle is indisputably one of the finest works for organ that has come out of France within the past hundred years.

Apparition stands aside from Messiaen’s other works, being unlike his later works in style and overall tone. But the most important thing about Apparition is that it crosses boundaries that other music…can’t.

Many musicians have acknowledged the organ as being the most magnificent—more or less. Mozart called it ‘The King of Instruments’. Berlioz called it ‘The Pope of Instruments’. Most, if not all, classical composers played the organ. So what is it that this fantastic instrument has that draws people to it so?

The organ has the incredible ability to either snare someone in its grasp, or repel someone so viciously that they dislike the very thought of it. The latter tends to happen when an individual hears the organ being played incorrectly, thereby resulting in a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare.

Apparition exemplifies the organ in its highest form, its most glorious form—one of the heights of organ music. Yet some people continue to hate it. Why is that?

The first possibility is that Apparition begins with heavy, heavy dissonance. Upon hearing it the first time, I found it actually painful to listen to—and then to my surprise—it resolved to a partial first inversion of a C major chord. It returned to the opening chord, and resolves to fifth. It continues on in this way, and changes in the 12th measure, continuing the dissonance—but by this point, it ceases to be a shock. It progresses onward, and resolves. By the end of the 17th measure, it has resolved altogether to a fifth, giving a restful, peaceful sound. And then—
There comes the dissonance again!

It is not surprising, nor even slightly offensive, that many people find the initial dissonance painful. But the resolutions make the pain worthwhile—such curious, innate beauty that it compensates, and somehow feels very much like an elaborate story—something standing through the darkest hours to grace the earth, triumphing in glory, surviving when nothing else can, a single candle remaining lit when other lights are smothered and put out—like the Eternal Church.

There are major chord sprinkled throughout—rising climaxes, so gloriously triumphant, filled with such power and strength that it almost makes one cry. They are preceded by dissonances that seem to weep and burn and nearly die and are sometimes to filled with tragedy that it brings tears to your eyes—and when the climax comes, it makes it all the more glorious.

Like I said, the dissonance begins as being painful, even bordering on ugly. But one forgets that…which is what Apparition does, it cries, weeps, burns, forgets, laughs, rests, triumphs…and even the dissonance is beautiful now. Any wincing that occurs at the half-step clashes will vanish; there is no horror in it anymore. There is only resplendent, everlasting, true glory, true beauty, unlike anything that the world could possibly know. While it is true that people can learn to love the most horrific of things if they try hard enough, it never happens like—this.

So why is it that Apparition, which some people find so intoxicating, torments other people like the very fires of Hell?

We read often, in the Bible, of the Angels singing, and almost everywhere you turn music has been used as a higher form of expression, especially in worship, spanning not only the Catholic faith but other cultures as well. What is this connection—music with worship?

It is hardly any secret that music can move people to tears. Such a thing, I am told, happens every time that newly wed couples hear All I Ask Of You, though I’ve cried at more horrific sounds as well (imagine, if you can, someone trying to sing descant who oughtn’t have ever been allowed outside of the parlor-lounge music division). A famous director once said that, in musicals, people sing when the emotion is too great to be explained with speech—following it with, of course, ordinary people don’t burst out into song (a statement that I find most unreasonable)—but there’s something more than that. Music is so terribly interconnected with man’s emotions, with the very soul, that, when administered just so, it causes an overwhelming surge of—something—and touches one’s heart and mind in a way otherwise unreachable.
Perhaps it would be a good time to mention some of the people who had such a hard time with Apparition. Several were well-known atheists, others Christians in direct opposition to the Church's teachings.

Oh, of course there were people who disliked Apparition that were perfectly pleasant. There’s always going to be people who will disagree. But the fact that such an overwhelming majority of people that were not exactly friends with the Church hated it…

I am so interconnected with my faith that it is a part of me. In Apparition I see the very story of the Church—how it survived impossible situations, how it stands so strongly in spite of the fallibility of its members, how it triumphs over all, and how after two thousand years we haven’t broken it down. Apparition is an extension of that—it reaches not only to my heart and mind, but into my soul, in the most literal sense. It puts to sound what words could never describe, what could never be expressed in any other way. In many ways, Music is the Angels’ art. In Apparition is something otherworldly, something that is not solely on the plane of this mortal earth. In Apparition, I can hear the sum of everything I believe and love. In Apparition, a piece that extends beyond the physical, I hear God.

June 29, 2008 - Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - UPDATED

Prelude - Apparition De L’Eglise Éternelle -- Olivier Messiaen

Processional - Take Up Your Cross
Preparation - O God, Beyond All Praising (BB 548)
Communion -
Recessional - Sing With All The Saints in Glory
Postlude - Jubilate Dei Omnia Terra (Paul Benoit) played by guest organist (and my mom) Cynthia Law

Nota Bene: I decided to do an instrumental at Communion because during the Summer months, the church is a bit less than full. The likelihood of anyone singing is slim to none. I guess I could do a hymn after everyone has received, though. Fr. Pat, if you're reading this, let me know if you'd like to have the hymn.

People generally have a quite visceral reaction to the Messiaen piece ("Apparition of the Eternal Church"). I think it's absolutely fantastic, and I loved it the first time I heard my mom play it. Others really hate it. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. Here's hoping that folks don't give Fr. Pat a hard time if they hate it!

Listen to Daniel Roth play Apparition...

Ross Schmittgen on Oboe

Choir Member Ross played this piece for Performance Lab in early June. I accompanied him on piano. The recording starts slightly after the beginning of the piece (blame Linda. I won't tell you which Linda, but she knows who she is! Hi Linda!). This was Ross's first performance in front of a lot of people and he did an excellent job.

Telemann Oboe Concerto in F Minor

June 22, 2008

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: Praise My Soul the King of Heaven (BB 564)
Preparation: O God Beyond All Praising (BB 548)
Communion: Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All (this will be an instrumental, since this gorgeous hymn is not in the OCP book. Heaven knows why not.)
Recessional: I Sing the Mighty Power of God (BB 412)

June 15, 2008

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional -- Holy Holy Holy
Preparation -- O God Beyond All Praising
Communion -- Humbly Lord We Worship You
Recessional -- Holy God We Praise Thy Name

I played Clerambault for a prelude, and a Bach Prelude for a postlude.

Carissa and Sarah are graduating!

Yes, it's true; the two of them are moving on to the post-OU phase of their lives. I'm trying to not be selfish and think about how much I'm going to miss them.

So, ladies, congratulations on your graduation! Please keep in touch with us and visit when you can. And please sing in the 6:00 choir when you come back! You have been a wonderful blessing to the choir, and to us individually.

Perhaps you can keep us updated on your lives by leaving comments here..... ;-)

God bless you both!

June 7-8, 2008

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Choral III in A Minor – César Franck

Processional	Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (BB 556)
Gloria	Janco
Psalm	Respond & Acclaim p. 94
Gospel Acclamation	Respond & Acclaim p. 95
Preparation/Offertory	Where Charity and Love Prevail (BB 415)
Sanctus	Holy Holy Holy BB 882
Memorial Acclamation	Christ Has Died BB 883
Amen	Amen BB 884
Agnus Dei	Chant BB 869
Communion	O Sacrament Most Holy (BB 320)
Recessional	All Creatures of Our God and King (BB 550)

Prelude in C Major (BWV 545) – J.S. Bach

May 31 - June 1, 2008

St. Paul’s Saturday Choir

May 31-June 1, 2008

Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I am Black but Comely, O Ye Daughters of Jerusalem (Dupre)

O Mensch, Bewein….. (Bach)

Processional	Praise to the Lord (BB 201)
Gloria	As Usual (Janco)
Psalm	Respond & Acclaim p. 92
Gospel Acclamation	Respond & Acclaim p. 93
Preparation/Offertory	Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life (Saturday) The King of Love My Shepherd Is (BB 477)
Sanctus	Holy Holy Holy BB 882
Memorial Acclamation	Christ Has Died BB 883
Amen	Amen BB 884
Agnus Dei	Chant BB 869
Communion	Humbly, Lord, We Worship You (BB 208) This is a chant, so sing in unison.
Recessional	Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (BB 566)

Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, der den ___ (Bach)