David Clayton and Andrew Goldstein will speak on the theme: Beauty, Truth and Goodness
I look forward to attending and speaking at the annual festival of the Anglican Ordinariate of England, Wales, and Scotland. The three-day program is shown here.
I will give three presentations on art in the liturgy, with particular reference to what forms might be appropriate for this Use of the Roman Rite; how artists today can adopt this style as their own and, perhaps, even establish it as the Ordinariate’s characteristic tradition. I have in mind here something in the realm of visual art that is akin to the powerful example of A. W. Pugin, who re-established a Catholic Christian tradition of architecture in the early 19th century. In the wake of the reestablishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England, he looked to pre-Reformation churches for inspiration. His analysis of the essential features of England’s great Gothic cathedrals, published in books such as The True Principles of Pointed Architecture and A Treatise On Chancel Screens and Rood Lofts: Their Antiquity, Use, and Symbolic Signification, became the template for a revival of the English Gothic style as a living and vibrant tradition, and influenced the design of religious and civic buildings across the English-speaking world and beyond from then until the mid-20th century. These texts are still available today.The liturgy over the three days will include three celebrations of Mass, two of Matins, and two of Evensong. After the first Evensong, Andrew Goldstein, my co-author of the book Musica Domestica (to be published by Word on Fire Publications in February, 2027) of the Vigil Project, will give a presentation on the book and how this might enrich the liturgical life of the families and parishes of the Personal Ordinariate in the British Isles. The music for the liturgy will draw heavily on Musica Domestica, especially Volume 2, which includes the psalms and canticles of the Old and New Testaments, pointing for chanting at home or in parish, along with Gregorian tones that can be applied to the text.
I am especially pleased that we will present, for the first time, examples of settings of those Musica Domestica Gregorian tones by the American composer Paul Jernberg (Composer in Residence and Music Director of Wyoming Catholic College). My wife, Margarita Clayton, and I commissioned these arrangements from Paul through our non-profit, the Scala Foundation. The Scala Foundation's mission is to transform American and Western culture through beauty in liturgy and education. We hope - always aiming high - that our efforts to commission art and music from prominent artists and composers will inspire others to consider patronizing the liturgical arts themselves and so contribute to a new creativity in the Church. We have also commissioned a motet from Sir James MacMillan, the world-renowned Scottish Catholic composer and conductor, setting a text adapted from Augustine's famous hymn to beauty from his Confessions (more about that in the next few months).
We hope to see some of you there!
I am especially pleased that we will present, for the first time, examples of settings of those Musica Domestica Gregorian tones by the American composer Paul Jernberg (Composer in Residence and Music Director of Wyoming Catholic College). My wife, Margarita Clayton, and I commissioned these arrangements from Paul through our non-profit, the Scala Foundation. The Scala Foundation's mission is to transform American and Western culture through beauty in liturgy and education. We hope - always aiming high - that our efforts to commission art and music from prominent artists and composers will inspire others to consider patronizing the liturgical arts themselves and so contribute to a new creativity in the Church. We have also commissioned a motet from Sir James MacMillan, the world-renowned Scottish Catholic composer and conductor, setting a text adapted from Augustine's famous hymn to beauty from his Confessions (more about that in the next few months).
We hope to see some of you there!
