Time to Prepare
First Sunday of Advent – Year A In addition to being a time to prepare for Christmas, Advent begins a new liturgical year, inviting us to reflect on the entire Christian journey of faith to its end goal. On the … Read More
We give thanks
Thanksgiving Day It’s fitting we close this basic instruction manual for liturgical music ministry on the day we give thanks as a nation, for giving thanks is the core of what we do as Christians. It is what celebrating the … Read More
Jesus led from the cross
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe We’ve explored some basic liturgical music skills, and with consistent attention, you will master these elements. But there’s one skill that will always challenge you. That is to lead as Jesus led … Read More
Understanding sacred silence
33rd Sunday Ordinary Time – C One significant element in both music and liturgy is silence. In musical performance and in ritual prayer, silence is more than the absence of sound or a passive pause in action. It is the … Read More
The climax of the liturgical year
32nd Sunday Ordinary Time – C My piano teacher taught me that getting the notes right wasn’t enough to make music. I had to keep in mind the musical “line.” Every piece typically begins with a theme, builds it to … Read More
A solemn litany
All Saints/All Souls The Litany of Saints is not a once-a-year text, but we sometimes think it is because we encounter it most often only at the Easter Vigil. But the Litany of Saints has a rich tradition of being … Read More
Presenting the sequences
31st Sunday Ordinary Time – C One way the church highlights the preeminence of the Easter season in the liturgical year is by prescribing two special sung texts called sequences to bookend the season on Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday. … Read More
The Sacrifice of Praise
30th Sunday Ordinary Time – C In the spirit of progressive solemnity, let’s look at texts that are only sung at the most important days of the liturgical year. These texts do not accompany any ritual action because the singing … Read More
Following “Progressive Solemnity”
29th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Not everything that can be sung should be sung, nor should it be sung the same way every time. We need to follow a principle of “progressive solemnity.” Think of it like musical dynamics … Read More
What you don’t sing
28th Sunday Ordinary Time – C We’ve focused on what to sing from the Mass ordinary and propers. Let’s take a look at what you don’t sing. This happens mostly in Advent and Lent. For some background, we turn to … Read More