MARCH 24TH marks the anniversary of the assassination of Saint Óscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador. On Sunday, March 23, 1980, the day before his assassination, Romero addressed the soldiers in his homily: “En nombre de Dios, pues, y en nombre de este sufrido pueblo, cuyos lamentos suben hasta el cielo cada día más tumultuosos,…
Communion Antiphons for Lent & Easter • NEW • World Library Publications
I AM PLEASED to announce the release of my Communion Antiphons for Easter with World Library Publications. These thirteen antiphons are set from the English translation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition. All the verses set are those prescribed by Graduale Romanum. On a personal note, this is perhaps my favorite collection to date. You…
Nuptial Blessings • Practice Videos • Order of Celebrating Matrimony
R. JONATHAN GASPAR of the Archdiocese of Boston has kindly recorded the Nuptial Blessings of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony. The new English translation is according to the Second Latin Typical Edition, 1991. This revised rite has been mandatory for use as of December 30, 2016, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary,…
Sacred Music for Christmas on “Sounds from the Spires”
RECENTLY joined Dr. Jennifer Pascual, Director of Music for Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, on her program Sounds from the Spires. I am very fortunate to have been on the show several times. This will explain any drop in the ratings. Pascual’s weekly show can be heard on SIRIUSXM 129 Radio, The Catholic Channel, Saturday, 11pm-12am, Sunday, 6am-7am…
The Seraphim Singers Premiere “I Am the Land: A Poem in Memory of Óscar Romero” • E. Ethelbert Miller & Richard J. Clark
ENNIFER LESTER, director of The Seraphim Singers, molds highly adventuresome programming through faith and personal conviction. Seraphim’s upcoming program “Oppression, Exile, and Solidarity” will be another strong statement, musically and socially. From their website: This concert of musical works bearing witness and standing with human suffering includes James MacMillan’s Cantos Sagrados, on Argentina’s Dirty War;…
The Unhealthy Liturgical Obsession with Self
N OBSESSION with self-affirmation can lead to problems in everyday life. Those who do not need it, even in the face of adversity and criticism, tend to be happiest. (This is no easy thing and requires a lifetime of struggle.) Those who are in service to others tend to also be happiest. But those who…
The Power of Wordless Presence
ECENT GOSPEL passages have contained an interesting exhortation—one somewhat outwardly uncharacteristic of Jesus himself. Jesus tells a parable of the difficulty of passing through the narrow gate. When those knocking on the door, asking to be let in, not once, but twice, the master of house says, “I do not know where you are from…”…
Communion Antiphons for Advent & Christmas • NEW • World Library Publications
ORLD LIBRARY Publications, the music and liturgy division of J. S. Paluch Company, Inc. has recently released my collection of Communion Antiphons for Christmas. These nine antiphons are set to the English translation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, with verses according to the Graduale Romanum. • You may also learn about and listen to…
New Organ Work • Madonna & Child
HE CREATIVE process often takes time to evolve, always in surprising ways, and sometimes takes on a life of its own even after a premiere. I was honored to be part of a wonderful concert with so many amazing musicians. It happened to be on Father’s Day. With that in mind, I just had to…
Five Things Directors and Choirs Must Remember This Week
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christ Watershed’s, “Views from the Choir Loft” — published March 27, 2015. ELCOME TO Holy Week. For many, preparations have been well underway and are still ongoing. But once the onslaught of liturgies begins, it’s a bit like the morning of a final exam: One can’t study or prepare…