Summer Reading
  • Erik P
    Posts: 152
    Two book recommendations:

    David Hiley's "Gregorian Chant"
    Ann Labounsky's Biography of Jean Langlais
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 203
    Thank you for the reminder of the Jean Langlais bio, I shall order it today! As for the Hiley book I just received it last week in the post and it looks great, though I'm not surprised, he really is a superb scholar. My other Summer read is YOUNG CHORISTERS 650-1700 edited by Susan Boynton/Eric Rice.
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    4-5 books are on my list.
    I just started the Hiley book last week as well, great so far. I also plan on reading Dom Saulnier's book on chant, the Mary Berry translation. And I must finish Reid's 'Organic Development of the Liturgy'.

    On the discipline side, I'm still working my way (again) through Gradus ad Parnassus, to keep my composition skills from getting too rusty. I find it really useful to revisit such things every few years, probably due to the weaknesses of my memory.

    If I have any funds left for Amazon, I would like to read Decadent Enchantments, hopefully as a way to balance out more heady chant reading. Can anyone recommend it?

    Should be a great reading summer!
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 203
    Mary Anne, I liked very much DECADENT ENCHANTMENT- as a matter of fact I read it twice!
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Well, that's all the endorsement I could ask for- thanks, Jeffrey.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Weigel's GOD'S CHOICE
    Cdl.Dulles' HISTORY OF APOLOGETICS
    and awaiting John Zmirak's latest BAD CATHOLIC'S GUIDE...
  • DougS
    Posts: 793
    David Hiley is a very personable fellow, too.

    Despite the seductive title, Decadent Enchantments isn't exactly easy, unfortunately.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    I'm tackling Jaime Lara's City, Temple, Stage and his Christian Texts for Aztecs: Art and Liturgy in Colonial Mexico. Both are beautifully written and sumptuously illustrated. Of course, you have to be interested in New Spain.

    And now I want to read what everyone else is reading, as well as more Daniel Silva thrillers and C. J. Sansome Tudor crime novels.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    The Hiley book is amazing. It filled many holes in my own knowledge. I'm much more comfortable on a range of subjects now that I've read it. The Decadent book is a joy to read too.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 783
    Being a student again, I'm finding myself with quite a bit of extra time this summer. You'll see I'm a little bit obsessed with a certain topic this summer but here's my list (including ones I've read already since being out of school a few weeks ago)

    Ratzinger's Spirit of the Liturgy
    The Liturgy Betrayed: Denis Crouan (purchased for $2 off amazon!)
    The Spirit of the Liturgy: Romano Guardini (Ratzinger mentions it a bunch in his book, bought brand-new with gift card. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how thin it is!)
    The Organic Development of the Liturgy: Alcuin Reid (also bought with gift card. However, *not* pleasantly surprised at how thick it is! This could take me awhile...)
    Sing Like a Catholic: Jeffrey Tucker (borrowed from a friend)
    The Difference God Makes: Francis Cardinal George (given to me and sitting on my desk since Christmas...)
    An Introduction to the Interpretation of Gregorian Chant: Agustoni/Goeschl (library)
    A Short Treatise on Gregorian Accompaniment: Bragers (library)
    What Happened at Vatican II: O'Malley (library)
    The Reform of the Reform--A Liturgical Debate: Kocik (ordered from ILL)
    Vatican II--Renewal Within Tradition: Lamb/Levering (library)
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,190
    I was studying with Ann when she was beginning the work on that book. Pretty exhaustive but from others who knew Langlais, there were some issues. But if you love Langlais, its nice to have. I also recommend Jon Gillock's book on Messiaen. With his wife Yvonne Loriod no longer with us (she died yesterday), the links to Messiaen continue to lessen. The book is like having a conversation about Messiaen. Truly a remarkable book and Messiaen was one of the great Catholic musicians of our time.
  • Randolph Nichols
    Posts: 398
    Nice to hear that Gillock's book is now out. At a workshop given at Old West Church in Boston last year he mentioned having some problem with Loriod (or her lawyers) about getting material released.

    An interesting bit of information about Jon Gillock: upon encountering Messiaen's music for the first time as a student at Juilliard, his impression was one of revulsion. He absolutely hated it. Now he has devoted his life to it.
  • DougS
    Posts: 793
    Loriod was sick for a long time and refused practically all requests to release archival materials during her illness. Definitely within her rights but made new Messiaen scholarship come to a standstill.
  • don roy
    Posts: 306
    for those wishing less substantive reading, just wondering how many of you have discovered the guilty pleasure of ellis peters wonderful cadfael murder mysteries.
    they are, in a word, delicious.
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    I've had the Hiley sitting on my desk for a month. Hope to get to it soon. Recently finished Gamber's Reform of the Roman Liturgy and Cardine's Gregorian Semiology. Also there's a new book out on Gilbert and Sullivan and how they marketed their product in 19th century England.
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Don, I'm with you. I probably won't read the Cadfael series, but sometimes you just have to read something outside of the discipline. Dr. Seuss always top on my list, too.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    One of my colleagues worked closely with Messiaen during his dissertation years. I'd be happy to forward any questions to him.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    I recently got 'Heart of the Christian Life' by our Holy Father, Benedict XVI. This is a small book of collected talks on Eucharist by the Pope. Very rich and powerful. I highly recommand for whoever wants to deepen the appreciation of the Eucharist and our faith. I love his writings, my priest told me that the Pope can say many things with a very few words. This is for a slow reading.

    I also oredered his books on "Apostles' and 'Church Fathers" Look forward to read them soon (ordered from amazon).

    'Ugly as Sin' by Michael Rose, which was posted here, was a very good reading too. (easy and sort of fun to read, but learned a lot about how the Church buildings truly inspire worshippers by its beauty and design. How we can restore. If you substitue 'music' instead of the 'architecture' in this book, it would be like talking about sacred music in our churches.
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