We are glad to share some photos from the liturgical celebrations held last week during the Church Music Association of America’s 36th Annual Sacred Music Colloquium at the St. John Newman Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign. The event took place from June 22 to 26, and drew over 200 participants, who gathered to learn more about the Church’s treasury of Sacred Music through chant, polyphony, and organ repertoire.
On Tuesday, June 23, a Votive Mass of the Holy Angels was celebrated in English and Latin, with a new English Mass Ordinary, the Missa Mystica, commissioned by the CMAA and composed by Christopher Mueller. The propers were sung in both English and Latin by the Men’s Schola, directed by Dr. David Hughes, and by the Women’s Schola, directed by Fr. Mark Bachmann, OSB. Our section-leader ensemble was directed by Paul French, who sang a motet by Guerrero, while Christopher Berry directed all the participants in singing a motet by Peñalosa. The organist for this Mass was Michael Olbash..jpeg)
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On Wednesday, June 24, a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Usus Antiquior was celebrated for the feast of St. John the Baptist. The ordinary of the Mass was Gregorian Mass III (“Kyrie Deus sempiterne”) and Credo V, sung by all the participants. The introit was sung by the Chant Conducting choir under the direction of student directors trained by Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka. The Gradual and Alleluia were taken by the Men’s Schola under Dr. Hughes while the Women’s Schola, under Fr. Bachman, sang the Offertory and Communion. One polyphonic choir, directed by Paul French, sang two communion motets, one by Isaac and another by Séverac. The other polyphonic choir, under Christopher Berry, sang an offertory motet by Marenzio. The organist for this Mass was Dr. David Hughes.
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On Thursday, June 25, a Votive Mass of the Most Holy Eucharist was celebrated in Latin. The ordinary was the Missa Lauda Sion by Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina. The Intermediate Chant schola, directed by Samuel Schmitt, sang the introit. The Men’s Schola sang the Gradual, while the Women’s Schola sang the Alleluia and Offertory. The Beginning Chant Schola, directed by Dr. Lucas Tappan, sang the Communion antiphon. The polyphonic choir, directed by French, sang the Kyrie and Agnus Dei from the Missa Lauda Sion, and “O Sacrum Convivium,” composed by Frank LaRocca. The polyphonic choir, under Berry, sang the Sanctus from the Missa Lauda Sion, and the motet “Lauda Sion,” which serves as the musical basis for the Mass setting, also composed by Palestrina. The organist for this Mass was Aidan Hill.
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On the evening of the same day, Vespers were celebrated in the Usus Antiquior. The Men’s and Women’s Scholae sang the psalmody and the Magnificat antiphon, while the section-leader ensemble, this time under the direction of Christopher Berry, sang the Magnificat octavi toni by Nicola Gombert. Christopher Berry also served as the organist during this office.
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On Friday, June 26, we concluded the Colloquium with a Requiem Mass in the Usus Antiquior for all the deceased members of the CMAA. All of our participants sang the setting of the Requiem composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, accompanied by a 22-piece orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Alfred Calabrese. The Conducting Choir, under Dr. Donelson-Nowicka, sang the Gradual, the Men’s Schola, under Dr. Hughes, sang the Tract, and the Women’s Schola, under Fr. Bachman, sang the absolution responsory “Libera Me.”
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