The Spirit of Lent Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5-4) Capturing the … Continue reading The Spirit of Lent: Two Choruses from Handel’s Messiah
Fear and Hope: Confutatis and Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem
Fear and Hope are the twin themes of the "Confutatis and Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem. If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope . . . (Psalm … Continue reading Fear and Hope: Confutatis and Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem
Music for Lent: When Jesus Wept
I just ran across the beautiful Lenten song "When Jesus Wept" just within the past week, although it has been garnering more attention in Catholic circles in recent years (my sons tell me they sang it in choir at their faithful Catholic college). It was published in 1770 by American composer William Billings. The melody is … Continue reading Music for Lent: When Jesus Wept
Feast Your Ears and Rest Your Eyes: Sacred Music and Catholic Culture Podcasts
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. (1 Corinthians: 4-6) St. Paul, in the well-known passage above, reminds the Corinthians that the Lord … Continue reading Feast Your Ears and Rest Your Eyes: Sacred Music and Catholic Culture Podcasts
The Last Chance Before Lent: Haydn’s Te Deum
Lent is approaching fast: Ash Wednesday is just over a week away. This is one of our last chances to get in a joyful sacred composition by our old friend Joseph Haydn before the penitential season begins. Today's selection is a setting for the ancient prayer Te Deum (see my discussion of the prayer itself below … Continue reading The Last Chance Before Lent: Haydn’s Te Deum
Before the Storm: The Finale to Haydn’s The Creation
We've been looking at selections from Haydn's oratorio The Creation over the past few weeks . Last week we saw the overture, "Chaos," a musical representation of the state of disorder that prevailed before God created the universe. The selection before that was "The Heavens are Telling," based on Psalm 19. This piece comes at the end … Continue reading Before the Storm: The Finale to Haydn’s The Creation
A Musical Evocation of Chaos by Joseph Haydn
Last week’s musical selection was “The Heavens are Telling” from Joseph Haydn’s masterpiece, an oratorio called The Creation. There are three parts to the oratorio as a whole. The first part deals with the creation of the heavens and earth, and inanimate things such as light, water, land and plants.The subject of the second part … Continue reading A Musical Evocation of Chaos by Joseph Haydn
Sacred Music With an Edge – “The Heavens Are Telling” from Haydn’s The Creation
Do you want to talk about living on the edge? "Few composers can boast on their curricula vitae," wrote R.J. Stove in Catholic World Report a few years ago, "a deliberate and successful avoidance of gelding. Haydn could." Indeed he could: it was only through the timely and forceful intervention of his father that … Continue reading Sacred Music With an Edge – “The Heavens Are Telling” from Haydn’s The Creation
The Drama of Salvation: Agnus Dei from Mozart’s Coronation Mass
Catholic Christianity has been blessed with a vast array of artists of every sort whose manifold talents have brought glory to God. There are poets as different as Dante Alighieri and Gerard Manley Hopkins, we have Carravaggios and Michelaengelos in the visual arts, and there are a whole list of Catholic composers including Monteverde, … Continue reading The Drama of Salvation: Agnus Dei from Mozart’s Coronation Mass
4th Day of Christmas: Holy Innocents and the Saving Power of Christmas Carols
Herod's worldly strength was no match for the might of the little baby born in Bethlehem. Likewise, the Holy Spirit working through sacred Christmas songs changed hearts that were not moved by human arguments.