Noble and Accessible, Ever Ancient, Ever New
I am delighted to announce the release of new sacred music by American composer Andrew Dittman called The Kyrial. The settings are generally familiar melodies from Latin chants of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Agnus Dei, Pater noster etc), adapted to the English language, and given an Anglican flavour through four-part harmonies that are evocative of traditional Anglican chant.
Andrew has been choirmaster at The Chapel of the Cross Reformed Episcopal Church since 2013, and composes sacred music for weekly liturgical performance. His work is rooted in traditional forms and sung in English and Latin. He draws on a range of influences, including plainchant, Renaissance and Baroque counterpoint, creating compositions that are both timeless and approachable. Like Paul Jernberg, who composes for the Roman Rite and Roman Hurko, who composes for the Byzantine Rite, Dittman represents a new generation restoring sacred music to its proper place.
Historically, high culture and popular culture were not divided – composers like Mozart and Beethoven drew from a shared cultural font rooted in the sacred, resonating with both aristocracy and ordinary people. To restore this unity, we need fresh creativity in traditional forms of music that is both timeless and speaks to the current age, with sacred music within the liturgy reclaiming its role as the pinnacle of artistic expression. Andrew exemplifies a return to this ideal.
The collection is called The Kyrial and is available on Spotify, Amazon or Pandora. You can also listen to his work on YouTube at youtube.com/@aldittman
