Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast

We're back with season 7 and we've got an inspiring story of building up people, a parish and school, and fostering vocations through a sacred music education program and some elbow grease.  Listeners can learn more about the program profiled in this episode, and access LaCour's free-use lesson plans and resources by visiting http://epiphanysacredmusic.org, or by visiting their YouTube Channel: @epiphanysacredmusic. Find out more about the Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit here: http://liturgysummit.org/ Find out more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

The 18th century orchestral mass repertoire comes with all sorts of questions for the liturgical musician. Is this repertoire properly called "Viennese"? Does this music really fit, in style and length, with the sacred liturgy? What does the Church have to say about this style of music? Are there any of these Masses that I can do with my choir? Dr. Erick Arenas of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music joins us to answer these questions, and to talk about the wonderful oeuvre of Johann Michael Haydn, the younger brother of the more famous Haydn.  To learn more about Dr. Arenas, click here: https://sfcm.edu/study/faculty/erick-arenas To learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, please visit: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

For Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, sacred music and the Eucharistic revival are inextricably linked. When he was consecrated bishop at age 49 in 2022, he was the U.S.'s youngest bishop, and his experience with sacred music as a young person involved a mix of typical U.S. parish music, but also special liturgical and musical experiences sought out by his parents, and this has shaped in him a deep understanding of the importance of sacred music. Join us as we discuss the role he sees for sacred music in reviving faith in the presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. 

What do we know about music in the earliest liturgies celebrated in Ireland? Did sacred music and the liturgy develop as a distinguishable "Celtic rite" in Ireland? What impact did the Church in Ireland, and specifically the monastic impact of Ireland, have on the European continent? We discuss these and other questions with Dr. Ann Buckley, a visiting research fellow in the Medieval History Research Centre of Trinity College Dublin.  To learn more about Dr. Buckley and her work, please visit: https://www.tcd.ie/medieval-history/expertise/ann-buckley.php To see an edition of the sequence for St. Patrick, edited by Dr. Buckley, click here: https://sacredmusicpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PATRICK_MS-78_Responsory.and_.prosa_.pdf To learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, visit: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Having worked in Catholic classical education for decades, Mark Langley knows the place of music in Catholic education, and has built schools in which every student is enabled to learn and sing chant and polyphonic works from the Church's sacred music treasury. Join us for a discussion about where music figures into the educational structure, and some problems in the modern conception of the nature of music that prevent Catholic education from giving music its proper due. Learn more about Mr. Langley and his work here: https://olwclassical.org/faculty/ Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Join us for a discussion with the Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore J. Cordileone, about principles every Catholic should learn so that they can think with the mind of the Church about sacred music. We discuss the purpose and nature of sacred music, how it sounds, what effect it has on us, and how it expresses time, culture, and emotions.  To learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, please visit: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Charles Cole joins us with clips from the recent release of the London Oratory Schola's album, Sacred Treasures of Venice. We discuss the crucial role played by Venetian music in the history of sacred choral music, and the particularly fertile atmosphere at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice at the end of the 16th century.  Learn more about the London Oratory Schola here: https://www.londonoratoryschola.com/ Purchase the new album here: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68427  Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

How does the experience of Mass on Sunday at a parish affect the lives of Catholics, and what role does music play in that experience? How does sacred music bridge the gap between people of different languages, ethnicities, and backgrounds? Why does the Church spend money on beautiful things instead of only on material goods for the poor? We tackle these questions and more in this interview with Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, bishop of Oakland, California.  To find out more about the music program at St. Patrick's Seminary and the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, please visit http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/. 

Where did the chant editions we sing from now come from? What choices were made in the making of those editions? Are other variants of the melody possible? What are the rhythmic implications that can be gleaned from comparing the same melody in different manuscripts? Why do these questions matter to the modern Catholic singer of Gregorian chant? What's a healthy approach to integrating manuscript study and the singing of chant? We explore these questions and more with Dr. Charles Weaver, as he gives a preview of the "Advanced Seminar in Gregorian Chant: Historical Notation Survey and Manuscript Study" that he'll be teaching this summer, July 15–19, at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music.  Find out more about the CISM summer courses here: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/

Join us as we talk about the interaction between music notation and memory, and the impact of that interaction on the spiritual lives of singers of Gregorian chant. Our guest is Dr. Anna Maria Busse Berger, Distinguished Professor of Music, emeritus, from UCDavis, and we dive into some of the topics from the first few chapters of her book, Medieval Music and the Art of Memory. Find out more about Dr. Busse Berger here: https://arts.ucdavis.edu/faculty-profile/anna-maria-busse-berger Buy Dr. Busse Berger's book here: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520314276/medieval-music-and-the-art-of-memory Learn more about the graduate coursework in sacred music at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Join us as we dive into the role that bells have played throughout the history of Christianity in warding off evil and storms, signaling significant temporal and spiritual moments, and the consecration of bells in the Pontificale Romanum. Learn about the manufacturing process and the engineering behind getting bells to sound beautiful, and discover how you might support the casting and hanging of new bells in your own church tower. Our guests are Fr. Christopher Gray of St. Mary of the Assumption in Park City, Utah, and Carl Scott Zimmerman, a campanologist and author at the extremely helpful website towerbells.org. Learn more about the Church's teachings on sacred music, and how to put them into practice, through the offerings of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. Sign up for an email list to stay up-to-date on our website: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Join the editor of Adoremus Bulletin, Christopher Carstens, and Dr. Donelson-Nowicka as they chat about answers to some liturgical-musical questions: Can we use the organ or other instruments during Lent? During Advent? Where should the choir be placed in a church? Is there a list of songs that are (or are not) permitted? Can paraphrased psalms be used at Mass? Should cantors be vested? To go deeper in your study of the sacred liturgy and its music, check out our summer 2024 graduate classes or the upcoming online fall and spring 2024–2025 graduate course offerings of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

What are 3 great warm-ups you'll be able to fit into your busy parish choir rehearsal schedule? What are 3 motets that most choirs don't do, but that are definitely worth learning? What are 3 polyphonic Mass Ordinaries my choir should learn? Prof. Christopher Berry, an adjunct professor of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music answers these questions, and we chat about the answers in a preview of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music's Choral Institute.  To learn more about the July 22–26 graduate-level Choral Institute and the audition requirements, visit http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

Get ready for Holy Week with an episode about Tenebrae. Frequent author for Magnificat and The Wanderer, as well as multiple books available through Ignatius Press, James Monti, joins us to discuss the structure of Tenebrae, the historical origins of the particular practices surrounding Tenebrae, and the profound meaning in the Lamentations of Jeremiah.  Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

Budget crunch at your parish? Limited funding for your planned children's program? Join us for a discussion about fundraising strategies that are workable, easily manageable, and make it possible for you to build an amazing sacred music program. We also discuss models for a multi-parish children's sacred music program. Our guest is Dr. Lucas Tappan, the founder and president of the Catholic Academy of Sacred Music, founder and director of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Schola Cantorum, and the Director of Liturgy and Music for Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Topeka, Kansas. Find out more about Dr. Tappan's work here: https://catholicacademyofsacredmusic.org/ Learn more about the "Teaching Gregorian Chant to Children" graduate course this summer, which prepares teachers to teach using the first level of the Ward Method of music instruction, by clicking here: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/.

Join us as Dr. Mahrt explains the liturgical practices surrounding the Lady Mass, especially in medieval Salisbury Cathedral. We discuss the texts of the propers of Marian votive Masses as well as the tropes and chants of the Mass ordinary that developed from the daily Lady Mass. Dr. William Mahrt is a professor at Stanford University and serves on the faculty of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. He is the president of the Church Music Association of America and the editor of its journal, Sacred Music. Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music and its summer graduate program here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/  Be sure especially to check out the class Dr. Mahrt is teaching July 15 to 19, 2024 on the Proper Chants of the Mass. 

What were the earliest language layers of the Roman rite, and how do we know? What is the relationship between liturgical language and everyday speech? When did the Roman rite switch from Greek to Latin? Find out the answers to these questions and more. Our guest is Fr. Nicholas Schneider, who holds a doctorate in sacred liturgy from the Atheneo St. Anselmo in Rome, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. He currently teaches as a Montessori guide for upper elementary students at Christ the King Catholic Montessori School in Mandan, ND. Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music and its summer classes here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/

Join us as we discuss the expectations musicians and priests should have in working together, and some best practices for working out all the practical details. Our guest is Prof. Michael Olbash, director of sacred music at the Boston seminaries of St. John Seminary and Pope John XXIII Seminary. Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music: http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

As he works on finishing up his biography of French Catholic organist, improviser, and composer Charles Tournemire, Kevin Faulkner joins us to discuss Tournemire's studies with Franck, his career as an organist, his improvisations, a look at his overall compositional output, focusing on works for the organ, and how his monumental composition L'Orgue Mystique fits into the sung Mass.  To learn more about L'Orgue Mystique, check out the collection of essays entitled Mystic Modern: https://shop.musicasacra.com/product/mystic-modern-the-music-thought-and-legacy-of-charles-tournemire-eds-donelson-schloesser/ To learn more about the Organ Improvisation Seminar as part of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music's Summer 2023 term, visit: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Coming to you on April 25th, the Major Rogation Day, we're joined on this episode by Dr. Michael Foley, professor of patristics at Baylor University, to look at the origins of Rogation Days, as well as their meaning, liturgical and paraliturgical observances, and significance in our lives today.  Check out Dr. Foley's books here: https://michaelpfoley.info/my-writings Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music's summer course, "History of the Roman Rite," July 24 to 28 here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/  

In the midst of Holy Week, we invite you to join Dr. William Mahrt (Stanford) for a tour in time through the lens of the Divine Office. We discuss theological thoughts on time by St. Augustine, natural vs. supernatural senses of time, the structure of the Divine Office throughout the course of one day, and the different intersecting cycles which make up the liturgical year. To learn more about this topic, check out Dr. Mahrt's summer 2023 advanced seminar on Chants of the Divine Office: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

Looking for fresh ideas about how to take your parish choir to the next level, developing a repertoire of well-prepared polyphonic motets and ordinaries, helping your singers develop their technique and musicianship, and integrate it all into the bigger spiritual picture of the offering of one's very self united to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross? Prof. Christopher Berry of St. Stanislaus Oratory in Milwaukee tackles all these topics, with advice about warm-ups, how to get through a bunch of repertoire with limited rehearsal time, and which motets and masses to start with.  To learn more about or apply for this summer's Choral Institute at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, please visit: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

We've combined two episodes here of another podcast, A Culture of Beauty with host Sequoia Sierra, in which our host, Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka was interviewed. She's talks a little bit about her experience of growing up Catholic and discovering the Church's teachings on music later in life, discusses some key concepts about that teaching and about beauty that she finds effective in helping other Catholics see the role of these things in the spiritual life, and gives an overview of the mission and offerings of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music.  Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/ 

The medieval practice of the giving of children as oblates to monasteries affords valuable insights into education during the Middle Ages, as well as into the development of pedagogical techniques for teaching the liturgy, Latin, and sacred music to children. Join us for an episode in which Dr. Susan Boynton, Professor of Historical Musicology and Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Columbia University, helps us understand the lives and place of children in medieval monasteries, what they sang in liturgies, and how they learned to sing this repertoire. The conversation also develops into a look at the training of children in cathedral schools. For more information about Dr. Boynton, see: https://music.columbia.edu/bios/susan-boynton To buy the book Young Choristers, 650–1700, a book co-edited by Dr. Boynton, visit: https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781843834137/young-choristers-650-1700/  For more information about the History and Principles of Sacred Music course being offered this summer at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, please visit: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

The remarkable life and work of Mary Berry is inspirational, especially for those experiencing trials or hardships as they work to promote the Church's own vision for Her sacred music. She offers lessons in persevering in one's vocation in the face of challenging circumstances, and the holiness that can and ought to flow from a life of scholarship, singing, and teaching of Gregorian chant. This interview with a former director of Mary's ensemble, the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, shares with us some of these lessons we can take away from her life's story and legacy. To learn more about the course History and Principles of Sacred Music offered this summer at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music at St. Patrick's Seminary, please visit: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Maybe you've thought about hosting a Chant Camp at your parish, or you're looking for ways to keep your young singers engaged as they grow up in the children's choir. The work of Mary Ann Carr Wilson and her apostolate Canticle is inspiring in the way it models catechesis through teaching chant, musical development, and the cultivation of student leaders. Join Mrs. Wilson for an episode in which she shares the story of her own learning and her work in teaching the Church's music to young people in San Diego.  Learn more about Canticle here: https://canticle.net/ Check out the summer courses of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/ Sign up for a spot in the free information session about the Ward method here: http://wardmethod.eventbrite.com

The long and impressive career of Dr. Christoph Tietze, Director of Music at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, makes for an interview that covers a lot of ground, including helpful tips for improving one's improvisation skills, steps to take if you're thinking about building a choir school, and an overview of his project on creating a collection of introits for congregational singing.  To learn more about Dr. Tietze and his work at the cathedral, visit: https://smcsf.org/ Find out more about the St. Mary's Cathedral Choir School at St. Brigid School here: https://sfchoirschool.org  If you're interested in Dr. Tietze's Organ Improvisation Seminar this summer with the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, you can learn more here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Questions about how to sing Gregorian chant can get a little thorny when people who love the chant and have a lot of experience singing it get together. For a newcomer to chant, these questions can seem irrelevant or overwhelming, especially when it's not clear what people are so passionately discussing.  In this interview with Prof. Charles Weaver (Juilliard), we break down the basics of one of the main school of chant performance practice, the "classical Solesmes" school established by Dom André Mocquereau. We look at the big questions Mocquereau was trying to answer, the role of the text and accents in the "classical Solesmes" school, and understanding the 2's and 3's within the context of the overall structure of a piece of chant, what Mocquereau calls the "greater rhythm."  To learn more about Prof. Weaver's work, please visit: https://www.juilliard.edu/music/faculty/weaver-charles To apply for Prof. Weaver's summer course at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, visit the Institute's website at: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

What was it like for a Renaissance-era composer to navigate the liturgical changes of an ecumenical council, and to have a theological outlook on Our Lady's Immaculate Conception (later vindicated as the Church's own view) that was different from that of his episcopal employer? We look at these questions, and hear about the adventurous and interesting life of lesser-known composer Juan de Esquivel in this episode with Dr. Michael O'Connor. Learn more about Dr. O'Connor here: https://www.pba.edu/directory/o-connor-michael.html Read some of Dr. O'Connor's articles here: https://pba.academia.edu/MichaelOConnor Check out summer classes at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

Starting from the impact of a post-war style of academic training on his compositional voice through his search for a greater capacity for expression in the use of tonality, Dr. Frank La Rocca narrates the journey he took from the influences of the severe style cultivated in universities to the freedom he experienced in the strictures of writing a cappella choral music. Accompanying this path was his reversion to the Catholic faith, and the possibilities opened up by writing sacred choral music, leading to what many listeners will recognize in the style of Dr. La Rocca's most recent Masses.  Find out more about Dr. La Rocca's work here: https://www.franklarocca.com/ Learn more about Dr. La Rocca's masses here: https://benedictinstitute.org/ Buy the recent #1 release of Dr. La Rocca's Mass of the Americas here: https://listn.fm/laroccamass/?mc_cid=0cb9d5c000&mc_eid=7669693fa1 Learn more about the composition seminar Dr. La Rocca will teach this summer, or the other classes of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/

His Excellency, Stephen J. Lopes, Bishop of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter and Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship, offers reflections on the work of God in the sacred liturgy, the relationship of artistic beauty to the truths of the Catholic faith and a life of charity, as well as a bit about the formation of the Ordinariate's liturgical books.  Learn more about the Ordinariate and Bishop Lopes here: https://ordinariate.net/bishop-lopes. Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

Our Christmas gift to you is one of the most special interviews we've yet had the opportunity to present on this podcast. Naji Hakim joins us to discuss the impact of the sounds of his youth on his musical imagination, his training as a young musician, his study with Jean Langlais, succeeding to Olivier Messiaen's post at La Trinité, and his own work as an improviser and composer.  Learn more about Mr. Hakim here: https://www.najihakim.com/ And be sure to tune in to his excellent YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/uyiai Keep in touch with Dr. Donelson-Nowicka here: https://jenniferdonelson.com https://www.stpsu.edu/

When listing the most stressful jobs one can think, church musician doesn't immediately come to mind. Even so, there are a huge number of stressors that lead to frequent burnout and high turnover rates, impacting parish communities, and even the spiritual lives of musicians. Join Dr. Kensley Behel, an expert in musicians' health, as we discuss the roots of these problems and what musicians and pastors can do to avoid burnout.  Learn more about Dr. Behel here: https://www.kensleybehel.com/ Keep in touch with Dr. Donelson-Nowicka here: https://jenniferdonelson.com https://www.stpsu.edu/

Have you ever wondered where and how Western musical notation originated and developed? How did it affect the learning and teaching of music? What are the limitations and contributions of notation to how the music sounds? Join Dr. Thomas Forrest Kelly, the Morton B. Knafel Research Professor of Music at Harvard University and author of Capturing Music: The Story of Notation, for a fascinating interview. Buy Dr. Kelly's book here: https://wwnorton.com/books/Capturing-Music/  Learn more about Dr. Kelly here: https://medieval.fas.harvard.edu/people/thomas-forrest-kelly Keep in touch with Dr. Donelson-Nowicka here: https://jenniferdonelson.com https://www.stpsu.edu/

Looking for inspiration about how to improve lackluster liturgies in your Catholic school? Fr. Christopher Smith presents myriad ideas which instill the faith in families and children, give a strong structure to the school schedule and curriculum, and bring people into your Catholic community. Fr. Christopher Smith is pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Taylors, South Carolina. Check out what's happening at Prince of Peace here: https://princeofpeacetaylors.org/ https://www.liturgicalartsjournal.com/2022/08/liturgical-arts-flourishing-at-prince.html https://www.facebook.com/princeofpeacetaylors Keep in touch with Dr. Donelson-Nowicka here: https://jenniferdonelson.com https://www.stpsu.edu/

How did the Franciscan missionaries of California engage the people they were evangelizing through music? How did their training in music enable their missionary work? What were the forms of music the missionaries used? What were the artistic cultures of the California missions like? Join us as we discuss these questions with Dr. Craig H. Russell, author of From Serra to Sancho: Music and Pageantry in the California Missions (Oxford Univ. Press). Check out Dr. Russell's book here: https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195343274.001.0001/acprof-9780195343274?rskey=yAse1t&result=1 Listen to Chanticleer sing mission music in their collaborative album with Dr. Russell, Mission Road: https://music.apple.com/us/album/mission-road-our-journey-back/288152035 

A leading expert in the work and approach to singing chant of Dom Eugène Cardine, Dr. Edward Schaefer (Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum) joins us to discuss the basics of semiology, the older styles of neumes, and how reading from these neumes can inform our singing of Gregorian chant. To learn more about Dr. Schaefer, please visit: https://www.edwardschaefer.net Check out Dr. Schaefer's online introduction to semiology here: https://gregoriansemiology.com Discover the Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum here: https://www.the-collegium.org Sign up for the CMAA's Sacred Music Colloquium, to be held at the Collegium in Hagerstown, MD here: http://musicasacra.com/colloquium Learn more about Dr. Schaefer's summer class at St. Joseph's Seminary here: http://dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes 

What are the limits of music in conveying meaning? Can one "do theology" musically? Join Dr. Robert Sholl (Royal Academy of Music) as we discuss Olivier Messiaen's search for a musical language which could convey the truths of the Catholic faith. Learn more about Dr. Sholl here: https://www.ram.ac.uk/people/robert-sholl Check out Dr. Sholl's work on Messiaen here: https://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/music/twentieth-century-and-contemporary-music/messiaen-studies?format=HB&isbn=9780521839815 or here: https://www.routledge.com/Messiaen-the-Theologian/Shenton/p/book/9781138248014 To find out more about or register for summer classes at St. Joseph's Seminary, please visit: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

Focusing firstly on the Psalms of Sunday vespers, Dr. Mahrt takes us through a tour of the Psalms and their antiphon pairings and how this helps us to understand the typological fulfillment of the Psalms in Christ, as well as the feasts of the liturgical year. We discuss the four senses of scripture and how singing the Divine Office opens up the meaning of the scriptures. To learn how to sing Gregorian chant, check out the Principles of Chant course this summer at St. Joseph's Seminary: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

What can a parish music director take away from historical research in terms of performance practice? Join Prof. Charles Weaver (Juilliard, CUNY) as we discuss phrasing, rhythm, vibrato, pitch, tuning, and other issues which inform the performance of Renaissance polyphony.  To learn more about Prof. Weaver's work, please visit: https://www.juilliard.edu/music/faculty/weaver-charles To download the app Prof. Weaver mentions, click here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pitch-trainer-harmonize/id965614965 To find out more about Prof. Weaver's summer class at St. Joseph's Seminary, please go to: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

We can learn so much from listening to the experiences of others, and this is particularly true when it comes to starting a new job, or just getting started in a professional field. Join us for this episode as we discuss training and formative experiences that help church musicians start off on the right foot in a new job or in the field more generally. Samuel Rowe is here to discuss his journey to Catholicism, things he learned in college and grad school that were important in his development, and how he has been working to invest his time and talents as the director of music at the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore.  To learn more about Sam's work, please visit: https://www.americasfirstcathedral.org/music/ To find out more about summer sacred music study at St. Joseph's Seminary, check out: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

The search for new styles or canons of artistic expression in the liturgy throughout the 19th and 20th centuries produced varied results, with some styles possessing little beauty or appropriateness for the sacred liturgy, while others captured something timeless and beautiful while utilizing a modern artistic grammar. The Beuron School, centered at a German Benedictine abbey, is a representative of the latter, and produced artworks of enduring beauty. Join Emily Sottile, the director of the Sacred Space Studio at Evergreene Architectural Arts, as we explore the ideas and canons of Desiderius Lenz and Gabriel Wüger, the founders of the Beuronese School.  To learn more about Emily's work, please visit: https://evergreene.com/people/emily-sottile/ To learn more about the summer sacred music program at St. Joseph's Seminary, go to: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

Looking for some great new repertoire for your parish choir? Join Dr. Aaron James from the Toronto Oratory as we discuss resources and tips for building up a body of pieces that your choir can sing well, and his suggestions for a few lesser-known motets that work well with amateur choirs.  Check out the YouTube page of the Toronto Oratory here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTorontoOratory  Learn more about Dr. James' music program here: https://oratory-toronto.org/holy-family-parish/choirs/ Find out more about summer sacred music courses at St. Joseph's Seminary here: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

Secular Music at Mass? In looking at how to deal with this issue now, it's important to understand how the Church and composers dealt with this issue in the past. Join us for an interview with Prof. Andrew Kirkman (University of Birmingham, Binchois Consort) as we look at the use of secular tunes in polyphonic masses of the 15th and early 16th centuries. Learn more about Prof. Andrew Kirkman here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/music/kirkman-andrew.aspx Check out the Binchois Consort here: https://www.binchoisconsort.com Find out more about the summer music program at St. Joseph's Seminary here: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

Are you interested in planning a really great event to introduce people to sacred music? This is the episode for you. We talk with Janet Gorbitz, General Manager of the Church Music Association of America, about the big idea behind an event, as well as the nuts and bolts of planning a successful workshop.  Janet's project-planning booklet: https://sacredmusicpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Chant-Workshop-Planning.pdf   Check out the website of the CMAA here: https://musicasacra.com   To learn more about summer sacred music courses at St. Joseph's Seminary, please visit https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes 

Join us for our season opener as we discuss leadership, service, formation, and what the word "pastoral" really means with the Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore J. Cordileone.  For more information on the graduate summer sacred music program at St. Joseph's Seminary, visit https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

What is the fundamental experience of music? How does a notated piece of music relate to that fundamental experience? What are the limits of musical notation in conveying sound? Why does all this matter for the Catholic musician? We look at these topics and more with Charles Weaver, who teaches in the historical performance program at Juilliard.  To learn more about the class Professor Weaver is teaching this summer, Medieval & Renaissance Music Notation Practicum, please visit: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

Join us for some good, old-fashioned love stories, the history behind finding a spouse in a Catholic choir, inspiration for lay vocations and family life, and the role singing can play in it all.  Check out summer sacred music study at St. Joseph's Seminary: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes Take a look at the mission and work of the New York Metropolitan Catholic Chorale: https://nymcc.org  

We look to a great Spanish saint for inspiration in his holy life, devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament, and his care for the sacred liturgy and its accompanying sacred arts. St. Juan de Ribera (1532–1611) is an inspiring example of establishing foundations which take seriously the role of beauty in cultivating worship in the faithful, and inspiring them to love Christ in all they do, and especially in the Eucharist. Join us for this conversation with James Monti, a true devotee of this great saint, as we look for inspiration in prayer and patronage of the sacred arts. Articles about St. Juan de Ribera: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.14315/arg-2004-0108/html https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=4541898 Books about St. Juan de Ribera: https://www.google.com/books/edition/El_B_Juan_de_Ribera_y_el_R_Colegio_de_Co/FmkAAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Vida_del_beato_Juan_de_Ribera/eFmn2xPm3OUC?hl=en&gbpv=0 Writings of St. Juan de Ribera: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Constituciones_de_la_Capilla_del_Colegio/9gJcQwAACAAJ?hl=en Learn more about summer sacred music study at St. Joseph's Seminary: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes  

Eminent chant scholar, Dr. Joseph Dyer, explains the Roman origins of Gregorian chant, the role of the Roman Schola Cantorum in the development of Roman chant, and what happened to that chant once it interacted with Franco-Gallican chant to become Gregorian chant. Join us for an episode which brings clarity to a complex history, and helps us better understand the roots of our Catholic sacred music traditions.  Follow Dr. Dyer's work at: https://um-boston.academia.edu/JosephDyer  Learn more about the summer sacred music study at St. Joseph's Seminary at: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

We venture east in this episode for a look at Russian Orthodox music that impacted the life and compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). Dr. Richard Fountain, professor of piano at Wayland Baptist University and convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, shares with us some of his insights into Rachmaninoff's piano works and his compositions for the Divine Liturgy. Visit Dr. Fountain's webpage here: https://richardfountainpianist.com View the complete video of Russian bell ringing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbn_Fzcxw3o