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We had a bit of fun with the musical selections at Westminster Cathedral last week, but the pope's visit to London, and specifically to Westminster Abbey was a big deal.

Highlights, from the Abbey's YouTube channel. The Dean points out the 20th century martyrs over the west door of the Abbey. These 10 minutes are recommended ecumenical viewing:

The choir sings some great rep for the service, solidly Anglican, of course. Beati Quorum Via of Stanford as dignitaries arrive, "Prevent us, O Lord" of Byrd as men in red smocks run around looking for something to do, and a new work by Gabriel Jackson that is really really conservative.

For me, Henry G. Ley's chant in D Major is the icing on the cake. This was the first Anglican chant I ever accompanied (to Psalm 29), and it holds a special place in my heart.

Prevent us, O Lord

Beati Quorum Via

New work by Gabriel Jackson

Sounds a bit dated, doesn't it?

Let's try again, shall we?

Fun! Sounds like he may have been eavesdropping in Westminster Cathedral at the MacMillan rehearsals.

Psalm 138 (Ley)

Stanford in A, Magnificat

I have to admire the work of Philip Stopford in getting so many of these videos online. If you haven't heard of him, you just have.

That is all.

Labels: Anglicanism, Byrd, church music, Ley, Roman Catholocism, Rowan Williams, Stanford, Westminster Abbey

Context is everything, dear readers, and if you haven't already found it, there's a related video for the menacing Gospel procession I posted on Wednesday.

It makes much more sense if heard, as it would have been, after the Papal entrance anthem.

Here's "Tu es Petrus":

Comes across mostly as serious and grand in this context. Seeing the procession helps. (Here's another copy that's not interrupted by the commentator. Sound quality isn't as good, though.)

What's next?That sustained organ pedal G isn't explained by either clip. It would be interesting to know what happens to that -- if it's simply held and dies out, or if the organist is transitioning into something else. There's more to the story here, and we just aren't getting it from these YouTube clips. I guess liturgy really is the work of the people and not the internet.

Heard after this, the Gospel procession isn't as shocking. In fact, it's a little boring. We've already heard this stuff.

All told, I like MacMillan's music a lot, and his tweaking of the anthem to create this fanfare works well. I like the animated bit at the end (it is a bit John Williamsy, isn't it?), but I think I would like it more if the organist wasn't rushing.

Labels: church music, liturgy, MacMillan, Roman Catholocism

Apparently James MacMillan believes that Pope Benedict is Emperor Palpatine.

This is one creepy Gospel fanfare.

Labels: church music, MacMillan, Roman Catholocism, Star Wars

MusicaSacra is hosting the Liber Usualis online. Note that this is not a link to the file itself, which is 115 MB.

(via Hot Lutheran on Lutheran Action)

Labels: liturgy, Roman Catholocism, web

And now the latest installment in the ongoing battles between pious clergy and dirty, hippie-liberal musicians: St. Joseph's Catholic Church in New Franken, Wisconsin has removed their organist for selling sex toys.

This story has been picked up by the Associated Press.

Linette Servais, had been serving St. Joseph's as organist and choir director for 35 years (since she was 15 years old?). She was not salaried, and it sounds like she volunteered her services. Linette also "says she started selling sex toys after treatment for a tumor left her experiencing sexual dysfunction". She feels that the sex toy business is her "ministry".

Sounds like wrongful termination to me. Though, I must wonder how much of a "ministry" musicmuzak-making can ever be in the Roman Catholic church.

(via Boing Boing

And of course, leave it to CBS News to come up with Musician Canned For Focus On Wrong Organ

Labels: organists, Roman Catholocism