Join us for a guided tour through the liturgical changes of Reformation-era England through the lens of the composer Thomas Tallis. Our guest, Dr. Kerry McCarthy, offers a look at the challenges these times posed for musicians, for Catholics, and for the modern scholar studying them today.  Buy Dr. McCarthy's book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/tallis-9780190635213?cc=us&lang=en&  Learn more about summer classes at St. Joseph's Seminary here: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

What was sacred music in America like in the mid-20th century? Dr. Francis Brancaleone, former head of the department of music at Manhattanville College, shares with us his experience as a boy being educated in the Palestrina Institute of Liturgical Music in Detroit, and his research in the history of the remarkable Pius X School of Liturgical Music at Manhattanville College in New York.  Read more from Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year here: http://www.liturgialatina.org/lityear/ Subscribe to the CMAA's journal Sacred Music here: https://musicasacra.com/about-cmaa/membership/  Access the archives of Sacred Music here: https://musicasacra.com/journal/archives/ Access previous installments of Dr. Brancaleone's Chronicle of the Pius X School here: https://media.musicasacra.com/publications/sacredmusic/pdf/sm146-1.pdf https://media.musicasacra.com/publications/sacredmusic/pdf/sm145-1.pdf https://media.musicasacra.com/publications/sacredmusic/pdf/sm139-2.pdf Find out more about summer sacred music study at St. Joseph's Seminary here: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/dunwoodie-music-classes

Do some aspects of the meaning in Gregorian chant seem difficult to understand? Join us as we take a look an approach to understanding the chant through understanding the music theory it's built on. Our guest today is Dr. William Mahrt of Stanford University.  A few handouts for this episode are available here: https://sacredmusicpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Table-of-Modes.pdf https://sacredmusicpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Modes.pdf https://sacredmusicpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Archetypal-Melodies.pdf Check out the brochure for the summer sacred music classes at St. Joseph's Seminary: https://www.dunwoodie.edu/documents/2021/3/Summer-2021-Brochure%2018Mar2021.pdf 

Join us for our Christmas special, highlighting chants of the Christmas midnight Mass with Dominican rite and chant expert, Fr. Innocent Smith, O.P.  Innocent Smith, O.P., is a doctoral student in Liturgical Studies at the Universität Regensburg and is an associate member of DFG Research Group Metropolität in der Vormoderne. His research interests are at the intersection of liturgy and theology, including liturgical manuscripts, scholastic theology, ecclesiology, and sacred music. He is a Roman Catholic priest and a member of Province of St. Joseph of the Order of Preachers. He is presently assigned to the Priory of St. Kajetan in Munich, Germany, where he assists at the Theatinerkirche.

Dr. Jay Hershberger joins us to share the story of his conversion to the Catholic faith by way of the Anglo-catholic tradition. We also discuss his work in developing the sacred music program at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo, North Dakota.  Learn more about Dr. Hershberger here: https://www.concordiacollege.edu/directories/faculty-staff/details/dr-jay-a-hershberger/ View Dr. Hershberger's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/jayhershberger Listen to our season 2 interview with Dr. Hershberger which paints a Catholic portrait of Franz Liszt: https://sacredmusicpodcast.com/se02-ep15-a-catholic-portrait-of-abbe-franz-liszt-with-dr-jay-hershberger

Fr. James Bradley, J.C.D., an Assistant Professor of Canon Law at The Catholic University of America and priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, joins us to discuss his musical upbringing in the church of England and his conversion to Catholicism. Possessing a masterful knowledge of canon law, the sacred liturgy, and sacred music, he shares his thoughts about musical gems from the Anglican patrimony in the life of the Ordinariate, as well as their use in the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms of the Roman rite.  Fr. Bradley's faculty webpage is available here: https://canonlaw.catholic.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/bradley-james-rev/index.html More information about the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter is available here: https://ordinariate.net Information about the Spring 2021 class "State Persecution of the Church in Modernity: An Historical Study through the Lenses of Source Documents and Film" co-taught with Dr. Jacek Nowicki at St. Joseph's Seminary is available here: https://jenniferdonelson.com/classes 

What is a motet? Where did this musical genre come from? What has the word "motet" meant throughout history? What can motets of the past teach us about incorporating non-obligatory texts into the sacred liturgy? How can the music and texts of motets make the other texts of the Mass, especially those of the lectionary, come to life? We explore these questions with Dr. Aaron James, the Director of Music for the Toronto Oratory of St Philip Neri, serving the music program at Holy Family Church in Toronto. He’s a graduate of the Eastman school of music, earning there both the PhD in musicology and a DMA in organ performance. He shares helpful scholarly insights which help illuminate the path for music directors as they make repertory choices. Too, we hear some recordings produced by the singers in his excellent parish music program.  The Oratory's YouTube channel is available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRRUmJAW2o_nh74VB3ijYxQ The website for the music program of the oratory is: https://oratory-toronto.org/holy-family-parish/choirs/

A brave man and heroic witness for the freedom and rights of the Church in China and Hong Kong, His Eminence, Joseph Cardinal Zen, joins us for a discussion about music while growing up in Shanghai, in his formation as a Salesian, and in seminaries in China. 

One of the most prominent composers of our time, Sir James MacMillan has written for concert hall and stage as well as for the Church. A devoted Catholic, Sir James joins us for the opening of season three to discuss transcendence, beauty, spirituality, and universality in music, particularly focusing on the ability of music to speak to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Check out Boosey & Hawkes' website for more information about Sir James and his works: https://www.boosey.com/composer/James+MacMillan.

The largest recording project in history is coming to life in an excellent new app for sacred musicians and those wishing to learn to pray and sing Gregorian chant in the Mass and Divine Office. In this episode we dive into the story of the monastery, the singing of the nuns at Notre Dame de Fidélité in Jouques, France, their sister monastery in Bénin, and the exciting new Neumz project with two of the main figures behind the project, John Anderson and Alberto Díaz-Blanco.  Check out Neumz at their website: https://neumz.com  Correction for this episode: while Andy Bloomfield spent time in the abbey of Fontgombault, it was his brother Benjamin that developed the GABC chant tools.