"Singing forms the heart of the liturgy"

Fr. John Mayo, writing in the St. Louis Review, provides a beautifully compressed explanation of why singing in liturgy is important and what considerations must restrict its stylistic and textual components.

About

Catholic liturgical music is serious, solemn, transcendent, but Catholic musicians are never more fun and inspiring than when they are talking about what they love most. This is what happens at sacred music events around the world: the social and intellectual are critically important elements. The musicians (and music enthusiasts) at the Chant Café, a project of the Church Music Association of America, bring that sense of life and love to the digital world. As St. Augustine said, "Cantare amantis est."

Among the contributors:

Mary Jane Ballou, D.S.M., harpist, organist, director of Cantorae St. Augustine. specialist in sacred repertoire for women's voices | archive
Charles Cole, director of the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School | archive
Jennifer Donelson, D.M.A., managing editor, Sacred Music, associate professor at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie | archive
G Hildreth is an erstwhile Catholic music director and cantor who now sings where she may and blogs at scelata.blogspot.com | archive
Nathan Knutson, D.S.M., sacred music director at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia. Admin with wife Lisa, domenicozipoli.org.| archive
Kathleen Pluth (kathleenpluth.com), S.T.L., is the Hymn Consultant for Word on Fire’s Liturgy of the Hours. She is the author of Hymns for the Liturgical Year and Hymn Tune Introits: Singing the Sundays of the Liturgical Year. Her hymn texts and translations can be found in most issues of Magnificat, and she has written commissioned hymns for dioceses, seminaries, and parishes.| archive
Fr. Christopher Smith, S.T.D., pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Taylors, SC | archive
Mary Ann Carr Wilson, director of the San Diego summer Chant Camp | archive
Adam Wood, church musician and writer at Music for Sunday | archive

Also past contributors:

Charles Culbreth, "Mr. C" (1951-2018), longtime parish music director in Visalia, CA | archive
Jeffrey Tucker, writer, editor, entrepreneur, musician | archive
Nick Gale (1975-2015), organist, choral director, for 13 years Master of the Music at the Cathedral of St. George in Southwark | archive
Ben, schola director and organ student | archive

e-mail: contact@chantcafe.com