Interview on Sacred Music with Holy Family Radio
Two weeks ago, James J. Richardson, the director of Sacred Music & Organist at St. Augustine Cathedral in Kalamazoo, MI, was hosed by Deacon Jim Thorndill & Vince Gale of Holy Family Radio and joined by two choir members, Stephanie Keeler and Tony Ratti, to discuss Sacred Music, and the changes taking place at the cathedral in the last year. The audio of that interview is reproduced below.
This discussion touches on many topics, but focuses on what it means to have truly "sacred" music at Mass, (ie- sacral / set apart exclusively for holy use) as well as some of what the Second Vatican Council *actually* had to say on this matter, particularly regarding Latin and Gregorian Chant.
Two pieces of music are featured during this broadcast:
1.) Exaltabo te, Domine, (34:53) as performed by Cappella, the University of Mary (Bismarck, ND) chapel choir under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Raber. This piece was composed by James and is available for FREE here.
2.) Psalm 146, (51:18) "Praise the Lord, my soul." as featured previously on this site. That score is available here.
Topics covered:
03:15 • How did James come to St. Augustine?
05:58 • The Nature of Sacred Music
08:18 • yearning in young people for beauty and tradition (no 'My little pony' mass!)
09:57 • Sacrosanctum Concilium (V2 proclamation on Sacred Liturgy) & Liturgical Tradition
12:02 • Liturgy forms the "Sensus Fidelium" (an anecdote from the mouth of babes)
13:51 • Synergy between the Loft and the Altar
18:44 • Crisis of catechesis about Liturgy & Music
20:36 • What does "Sacred" actually mean?
23:03 • What is the Mass at it's core? [Corporate LATRIA] and Can we know how God wants to be worshipped?
25:00 • Tra le Sollicitudini (No pianos or drums at Mass!) and what JPII had to say 100 years later
27:43 • objective measures to liturgical music (not a matter of opinion)
30:01 • Did you know? There is OFFICIAL MASS MUSIC (and the GIRM reiterates this)
31:38 • Catholic means 'universal' and our music should be universal too
33:35 • Intro & Exaltabo te, Domine
41:49 • People have different gifts... & what does "active participation" actually mean?
47:09 • a modern *chant-based* approach to psalmody in the new rite
51:18 • Psalm 146, "Praise the Lord, my soul." (based on Lauda anima mea Dominum)
54:24 • reiterating the principle that modern liturgical music needs to approach the "gregorian model in its form and savor" (Piux X / JPII)
55:30 • Choir members' advice on joining choir (give it a try!)
We encourage you to have a listen if you didn’t catch the broadcast live. It is reproduced here, thanks to the generosity of Holy Family Radio.
For more information about James' ministry, SUBSCRIBE to the ServiamScores YouTube channel, and explore this site.
And a special THANK YOU to HOLY FAMILY RADIO! https://www.holyfamilyradio.net/about-us/
