Vox Feminae

English Reproaches

2013-03-10T13:16:00.002-07:00

A simple recording of the English Reproaches from the Palmer-Burgess Plainchant Gradual.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted's series, Singing the Mass

2012-03-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of Bishop Olmsted's Series on Singing the Mass "Liturgical Music as Participation in Christ" Part 2 of Bishop Olmsted's Series on Singing the Mass "A Short History of Liturgical Music" Part 3 of Bishop Olmsted's Series on Singing the Mass "Sacred Music's Role in Evangelization" Part 4 of Bishop Olmsted's Series on Singing the Mass "Practical Points for Singing the Mass"

The Musical Shape of the Liturgy

2012-03-05T09:21:00.001-08:00

The Musical Shape of the Liturgy, by Dr. William Mahrt. This is a compilation of articles that were written by Dr. Mahrt over the course of many years. I believe most or all of the articles were originally published in the Sacred Music Journal, but seeing them all in one place is amazing. Check it out.

Day Seven - Colloquium 2011

2011-06-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm working on the files... but just had to post the Credo from the Byrd Mass for Four Voices. Dr. Horst Buchholz directed this polyphony choir for the Sunday Mass to end the week. Credo More files: Introit Kyrie, Byrd Mass for Four Voices

Day Five - Colloquium 2011

2011-06-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

We ended our day with a very beautiful Vespers service in the extraordinary form. It was conducted by Dr. William Mahrt, featuring his polyphony choir with the assistance of the Master schola, made up of Wilko Brouwers, Aristotle Esguerra, David Hughes and Paul Weber. The Vespers recording is the entire hour-long service. Vespers recording. Also during the day, at the Votive Mass of the

Day Four - Colloquium 2011

2011-06-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful day in Pittsburgh! We had a slight bit of drizzle in the afternoon, which did tend to increase the effect of the heat in the church in the afternoon... but nothing to complain of, really. Day four was a big day for singing for me. This year I was able to sing with Dr. Horst Buchholz' polyphony choir, and our polyphonic Mass setting, the Missa Brevis (Antonio Lotti 1665-1740),

Day Three - Colloquium 2011

2011-06-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Day Three was another beautiful day in Pittsburgh. The weather has been absolutely wonderful this year, sunny and warm, but not oppressively hot. After dinner this evening, Msgr. Wadsworth (ICEL) and Jeffrey Tucker gave a short presentation on the new Missal translation chants. Here is a photo of them in the middle of that... Today we celebrated Mass at the Church of the Epiphany again, today a

Day Two - Colloquium 2011

2011-06-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well... first off a photo of Dr. William Mahrt (President, CMAA) and Jeffrey Tucker (Editor, Sacred Music Journal) while they examine the first copies of the newly printed Simple English Propers. The book is listed on Amazon and is also being sold to Colloquium participants. .. I only have had a few minutes' time, but I have some recordings from this afternoon's Mass that may be of interest...

Colloquium in Pittsburgh 2011

2011-06-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Well... people began arriving at the Power Center at Duquesne University for registration shortly before 2:00 pm yesterday afternoon. It was wonderful to see friends from previous years as well as meeting people who were attending for the first time. After all the planning over the past months, it was very nice to be able to put faces with names. Dr. William Mahrt gave a welcoming address to the

Fun stuff...

2011-06-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that I enjoy singing with a small women's ensemble in Macon... well, I recorded a few things at our rehearsal this evening and thought I'd share. Obviously, the recording quality is not professional... and it was a rehearsal, after all, but... we are singing some fun things. We sang the Ave Maria chant as a beginning prayer... it is a bit different in the timing than I am used to,

The Colloquium is Filling Up!

2011-05-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

As we approach this year's Church Music Association of America's Colloquium (to be held in Pittsburgh's Duquesne University again), only a few more spots remain. <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */

St. Cecilia Ensemble

2011-05-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

This week's rehearsal of the St. Cecilia Ensemble (St. Joseph's Parish, Macon) was good fun. We are a small group, but seem to be getting a good ensemble sound with our singing. We will be singing at Mass at St. Joseph's on May 15 and June 5, so have been practicing music in preparation for those dates. Some of the music we'll be singing: Adoramus te (Palestrina) Ave Maria (Arcadelt) Ave Verum

Vatican II Hymnal

2011-04-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've been following with great anticipation the news about Jeff Ostrowski's new hymnal. For the first time ever, I have been using the OCP Breaking Bread book at the parish where I work now. It was already in place upon my arrival. While the book has a fairly large number of hymns in the back, and even some chants with English translations, I find the translations poor and the accompaniments not

Poor Clare Recordings - Roswell NM

2011-04-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Mid-January 2009, Poor Clare Monastery, Roswell, NM The much-awaited recordings from morning Mass with the Poor Clares has been loaded to another server. Links: Agnus Dei XVI Agnus Dei X Alleluia Haec est Vera Communio Omnes Gentes Fasciculus - Carol of the Drifting Snow Introit Introit Multae Tribulationes Introit O Admirabile Kyrie X Kyrie XVI Memorial Acclamation Sanctus X Sanctus XVI

Holy Saturday Vigil

2011-04-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Music Selections: Procession... Christ Our Light (to be sung by the deacon... Hurray) Exultet: Deacon to sing Missal version in English (Double Hurray) Psalms: Respond and Acclaim selections Gloria: Heritage Mass Alleluia: Respond and Acclaim selection Litany of Saints (chanted in English) Sprinkling: I Saw Water Flowing (this was the only decent English version of the Vidi Aquam I could find

Music for the Triduum

2011-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Holy ThursdayEntrance: Love Divine, All Loves ExcellingWashing of Feet: Ubi CaritasOffertory: What Wondrous LoveCommunion: One Bread, One Body (I know... not my favorite, but the parishioners love it)Transfer of Eucharist: Pange Lingua (English) and Tantum Ergo (English)My two boys will be altar servers at Mass and are looking forward to using the incense. Good FridayVeneration: Were You There (I

Palm Sunday in Georgia

2011-04-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Music selections this year:All Glory, Laud and HonorHosanna Filio David (blessing of palms), in EnglishSimple Propers Offertory antiphonO Sacrament Most Holy (Communion)O Sacred Head Surrounded (Recessional)The parish was unfamiliar with Hosanna Filio David... but I hope to establish this as one song that is used every year. I have the Latin version of it memorized, I like it so much. Its melody

2011-03-11T04:10:00.000-08:00

Check out these wonderful compositions by Jeff Ostrowski for the new Missal translation:New ICEL Translation of the Missal • Gloria ("Glory To God") from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.New ICEL Translation of the Missal • HOLY HOLY HOLY from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.To get more information about purchasing the music or downloading it for free use, visit the CCWatershed website.

Still Alive and Kicking...

2011-01-21T05:51:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it has been so long already. We are settled in here in Georgia and life progresses. Although I miss the schola in Ft. Worth, I've also been enjoying singing with a local women's polyphony group. We did very little over the holidays, so I look forward to singing with them for the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th.Life has been full of different things here. We've been

Change coming...

2010-07-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

We will soon be on the move again. We are being transferred again out of state, so will be finding out how things stand in our new place -- near Macon, GA. In the time that I have left, I'll be working with the FW Schola Gregoriana to try to make arrangements for them to continue singing after our departure... also will be working with a new group trying to get things kicked off for a new schola

Corpus Christi

2010-06-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

The Ft. Worth Schola Gregoriana was asked to sing for at Immaculate Conception Parish in Denton for today on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 6. Fr. Alfredo Barba called and invited the schola to sing for the first Mass of a newly ordained priest's (Fr. Amado Vallejo Garcia) first Mass there. The parish is much larger than San Mateo, with approximately 1200 parishioners at the 1:15 p.m. Mass.We

The Schola continues...

2010-04-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

As we continue into our second year with the schola singing every Sunday at Mass, I am constantly being surprised by how easy it is to sing propers that we learned last year. For any would-be chant directors: "Take heart! The first year is the hardest... it gets easier and easier every year!"We sang a fairly simple collection of chants during the Lenten season this year, integrating the

Ordinary Time

2010-01-25T07:03:00.000-08:00

As we are in the few weeks of Ordinary time between Christmas and Lent, our schola has been so happy to find old friends (chant propers) that we learned last year. This year we have been just adding to the repertoire that we began last year. With the addition of Offertory propers every other week or so, plus new chant Introit and Communion propers, we are gaining in experience with each passing

Snow storm rocks our world...

2009-12-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

Well... my earlier post was a bit too optimistic. I hope the music program went as planned, but I was not able to participate. We donned our Christmas best, hopped in the car (freshly printed music booklets and small gifts for the schola on board) and were completely unable to even get the vehicle out of our own driveway due to the amount of ice that lay beneath the snow.Now granted, if we had a

Christmas Vigil Chant Mass, Ft. Worth

2009-12-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

Once again, our schola will be singing for the Christmas Vigil Mass this evening at the 7 p.m. Mass at San Mateo. Some of us will also be returning to sing for the bilingual Mass tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. Our group size varies between six and eight members, depending on individual availability. Tonight I expect there will be six of us.Last year, when we first began singing together... when