THANK A CHURCH MUSICIAN TODAY! Thank your choir! Church musicians put in long hours away from family, missing weekends and evenings. They don’t get paid much money even when at the highest levels of their profession and art. But making music for God is in their blood. They know no other way to live! “Playing…
The Greatest in the Kingdom
FOR OUR FIRST CHILD, our daughter, I composed a hymn based on the story found in three Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) about the disciples arguing over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus then shows them a little child: Matthew 18: 1-5: At that time the disciples came to Jesus,…
The Seraphim Singers • World Première of work by Adam Wood and Richard J. Clark
HAVE LONG ADMIRED the writing of poet Adam Wood (b. 1982); his poetry, prose, and commentary are distinct, stemming in part from eclectic passions which include liturgy, theology, technology, economics and the Open Source. The results of such combination of interests are fascinating. When Jennifer Lester, Director of The Seraphim Singers, asked me to compose…
Communion Antiphons for Advent • World Library Publicatons
ORLD LIBRARY Publications, the music and liturgy division of J. S. Paluch Company, Inc. has recently released my collection of Communion Antiphons for Advent. WLP will follow up shortly with my settings of communion propers for Lent. The antiphons are set from the English translation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, which during Advent are congruent…
Music for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
F YOU ARE LOOKING FOR some last minute selections of sacred music for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, look no further: Download here several FREE Responsorial psalms from the Chabanel Psalm Project — settings by Jeff Ostrowski, Royce Nickel, Arlene, Oost-Zimmer, Aristotle Esguerra, Richard Rice, and Sam Schmitt, and yours…
The Lord Is My Shepherd | SSA Choir
HE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD is now available for digital download. Composed for SSA choir and piano, it can be learned quickly in one or two rehearsals.The text from Psalm 23 is taken from the universally known King James Bible. You may purchase a downloadable Digital PDF of the score. Upon purchase, you will receive…
Lumen Christi—Paschal Candle Procession
Follow @RichardJaClark Lumen Christi is available exclusively through CanticaNOVA Publications 2010 Translation of the Roman Missal: “Lumen Christi. The Light of Christ. Deo Gratias. Thanks be to God.” Gary Penkala writes: “The Paschal Candle Procession at the Easter Vigil is a solemn and joyful liturgical moment. After having struck the New Fire and prepared the Paschal…
Helping Your Deacon, Priest, or Cantor Learn the Exsultet
EGEND HAS IT that Mozart would gladly have traded all his works if he could claim to have written the first line of the Exsultet. Even Wikipedia states, “Here the language of the liturgy rises to heights to which it is hard to find a parallel in Christian literature.” But singing this can be intimidating!…
I Am Risen, Resurrexi
Follow @RichardJaClark AM RISEN, RESURREXI for SATB and Organ has been featured on Dr. Jennifer Pascual’s on Sounds from the Spires. The text is from the Introit for Easter Sunday morning.: Psalm 139: 18, 5, 6 & 1-2: I am risen, and I am always with you, alleluia; you have placed your hand upon me, alleluia;…
Mardi Gras and Burying the Alleluia
HE HEBREW WORD, “הללויה” or “Hallelujah,” is a word of unsurpassed joy. It is an acclamation of praise, thanksgiving and victory. “Hallelujah” is really a two–word phrase meaning “Praise Yah.” It is a joyous and unabashed song of praise to God and appears many times in the Book of Psalms, most prominently in Psalms 111-117…