I thought I would share the music we are singing for the re-dedication of our diocesan cathedral next Thursday. Some of these are better than others, and there's still a ways to go as you'll see, but I think overall it's a big step up from what is normally sung for diocesan liturgies.
Prelude: "Ubi caritas" (Duruflé) "Ave Maria" (Andrews) "Cantique de Jean Racine" (Fauré) "The Letter of Jude" (Picher - local composer & former cathedral music director) "I Was Glad When They Said unto Me" (Parry)
Entrance: "All Creatures of Our God and King" Sprinkling Rite: "Springs of Water, Bless the Lord" (Trapp) Gloria: New Century Mass (Trapp)
Responsorial Psalm: English-Spanish setting of Psalm 19 (Your words, Lord, are spirit and life. / Tus palabras, Señor, son espiritu y vida.) (Berke - current cathedral music director) Alleluia: "Alleluia, Our God Is Speaking" (Haas) - proper verse replacing verses given in octavo
Litany of the Saints: Barbara Bridge setting (apparently our bishop nixed the RM chant) Anointing of Altar and Walls: "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place" (Brahms) Incensing of the Altar and Cathedral: Robert Twynham's setting of Psalm 141 Lighting of the Cathedral: "Out of Darkness" (C. Walker)
Offertory: commissioned multi-lingual setting of Psalm 147 by Wm. Osborne, another former music director of the cathedral Sanctus: Community Mass (Proulx) Mystery of Faith: Community Mass - When we eat this Bread... Amen: Community Mass Pater Noster: Steven Warner setting (demanded by the bishop) Agnus Dei: Mass XVI / Byrd (arr. Proulx) polyphony Communion: "Sicut cervus" (Palestrina) "Amén. El Cuerpo de Cristo" (Schiavone) "Viva con caridad" (Isele) "Panis angelicus" (Franck)
Choral Benediction (!): "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" (Rutter) Marian Antiphon: "Salve Regina" Recessional: "Hallelujah" from Messiah (Handel)
Assuming that the men in question are composers of some skill, I'm pleased to see commissioned works by present and previous directors of music.
What's the logic for a multi-lingual setting of the psalm, or multi-lingual anything else, for that matter?
It seems a bit .... what's the word .... incongruous to have Brahms, Franck, Parry and Byrd compete with Haas, Schiavone, Chris Walker and Proulx.
Here's a routine reminder: Avoid flames: critique principles, not people. Be discriminating but don't nitpick. Be academic not acerbic. Be principled not polemical.
@cgz We do have a substantial Spanish-speaking population in the diocese, so the bilingual Psalm setting was probably a response to that "pastoral need." And I'm not sure I'd put Proulx in the same boat as Haas except that they are published by the same publisher. I see him almost as an American version of John Rutter (I'll give everyone a moment to get the gasps and "what-is-he-thinking" thoughts out of the way).
MJO: I'll let you know how this "choral benediction" works out. I was surprised by it when I saw it, too. At least it's Rutter and not some thing found in Breaking Bread.
Proulx also wrote a lot of music you probably never heard of - art songs, music for orchestra. He was a legit composer. Go on youtube and search Proulx tribute video.
To participate in the discussions on Catholic church music, sign in or register as a forum member, The forum is a project of the Church Music Association of America.
