Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
by Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
You've got questions about sacred music? Here's your chance to learn what the Church teaches and envisions for music in the sacred liturgy.Welcome to Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast with your host Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka. We address topics of interest both to priests and liturgical musicians, as well as a general audience of Catholics interested in learning more about the Catholic Church's teachings and treasury of sacred music. Our topics range from discussion of Church documents on sacred music, to the music of certain composers or eras, Gregorian chant, the role of music in Catholic education, and techniques for directing a better choir rehearsal. We'll interview bishops, priests, music directors, composers, teachers, philosophers, and theologians. We'll talk to people who found a home in the Catholic Church because they heard the call of Christ in the Church's sacred music. We'll ask questions about how really great music programs are doing their work. We'll introduce
Episodes
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SE08 EP15 - The Solar Horarium & Monastic Fast According to the Rule of St. Benedict, Plus Praying the Chant & Making Beer - with Fr. Augustine Wilmeth, OSB, Prior at the Benedictine Abbey in Norcia
Fr. Augustine Wilmeth, OSB, Prior and Choirmaster of the Abbey of San Benedetto in Monte in Norcia, Italy, joins us to discuss the rootedness of monastic life in the daily ebb and flow of sunrise and sunset, and how that changes throughout different seasons of the solar and liturgical year. We…
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SE08 EP14 - Conflict Resolution, Work-Life Balance, and Avoiding Burnout As a Church Musician - with Angela Rosson
Burn-out, conflicts, and lots of responsibilities often afflict the church musician. Counselor Angela Rosson joins us to talk about strategies for setting up personal boundaries, positively resolving conflicts with superiors and those under our charge, and how to tell if one is getting burned out...
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SE08 EP13 - A Masterclass in the Magisterial Compositions and Style of Palestrina - with Thomas Neal
Join us for a deep dive on the life and work of the most magisterial of composers, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Thomas Neal narrates a biography of Palestrina, touching on the composers who influenced him, how he learned music, his various posts at the heart of the Church in Rome, his...
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SE08 EP12 - Caring for Temples of the Holy Spirit: The Busy Church Musician's Guide to Nutrition, Health, and the Immune System - with Dr. Lizbeth Alter
A board certified physician in family medicine and in functional, anti-aging and regenerative medicine, Dr. Lizbeth Alter joins us to discuss some of the basics church musicians, often short on time and money, can consider in caring for their health through food, nutrition, and navigation of the...
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SE08 EP11 - Learning & Living Gregorian Chant as a Monk - with Fr. Mark Bachmann, OSB, Choirmaster of Clear Creek Abbey
Fr. Mark Bachmann, OSB, of Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma joins us to describe the origins of his Abbey, its rich chant history, and a monastic approach to learning and praying Gregorian chant. To learn more about Clear Creek Abbey, visit: https://clearcreekmonks.org/ To learn more…
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SE08 EP10 - All About Sarum: Ceremonial, Chant, Sources, and Processions from Medieval England - with Dr. Christopher Hodkinson
Sarum use or rite? Where did it come from? How was it governed? What's unique about the ceremonial? How does the chant sound? What's the deal with all the processions? Can one celebrate the Sarum rite now? Learn all about the medieval English rite in this episode with Dr. Christopher Hodkinson....
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SE08 EP09 – Is Beauty a Transcendental, Why Beauty Matters, and Can We Be Wrong About Beauty? Philosophical Questions Every Church Musician Should Consider with Dr. Margaret Hughes
Join us as we tackle some of the tough questions that inform how church musicians can help their parishioners love the Church's beautiful treasury of sacred music. Dr. Margaret Hughes, a tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in Massachusetts, joins us to discuss whether beauty is something superficial...
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SE08 EP08 - Chant Accompaniment, Organ Building, and Fundraising for Organ Projects - with Dr. Christopher Berry
Dr. Christopher Berry, Assistant Professor at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, joins us to discuss why we should learn to make up our own chant accompaniment, how to determine the course of an organ building project, and how to fundraise for said project. Learn more about Dr. Berry here:...
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SE08 EP07 - Developing Great Vocal Technique for Singing Chant - with Dr. Rosemary Heredos
Breath support, dynamics, tremulous notes, VIBRATO? How can we best sing the Church's chant with beauty, elegance, reverence, and good technique? Dr. Rosemary Heredos breaks it all down in the context of learning to sing through a semiological approach to chant, navigating working with different...
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SE08 EP06 - What Did American Sacred Music Sound Like in the 19th & Early 20th Centuries? A Snapshot from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York - with Salvatore Basile
Have you ever wondered how sacred music programs in America were run and what kind of music they sang in the 19th and pre-Vatican II 20th century? Salvatore Basile, author of Fifth Avenue Famous: The Extraordinary Story of Music at St. Patrick's Cathedral, joins us to discuss how sacred music...
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SE08 EP05 - Lenten Reflection for Church Musicians - with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone
Join Archbishop Cordileone for a Lenten reflection especially for church musicians and those who love the Church's sacred music. The reflection is followed by the recitation of a scriptural rosary. For more information on other upcoming events at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, visit...
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SE08 EP04 - From Chant to Counterpoint: How to Improvise Polyphony - with Dr. Charles Weaver
Dr. Charles joins us to bridge the gap between monophonic and polyphonic music through the practice of improvising choral music based on chant melodies. We talk about early techniques and how-to treatises from the 9th century, all the way through Baroque fauxbourdon, as well as the changes in...
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SE08 EP03 - The Art of Organ Improvisation: Insights from Martin Baker
Martin Baker, a distinguished choral conductor and organist, joins us to share insights on his improvisation at the organ, from his time as a young child, through his winning of the Tournemire Prize at the St. Alban's Competition and his time at Westminster Cathedral, through his current work as…
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SE08 EP02 - From Puebla Cathedral to Today's Spanish-Speaking Pews: The Legacy of Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla - with Fernando Gil
Learn about the musical practices, pedagogical processes, maestros de capilla, and composers of Mexico's cathedral in Puebla de los Angeles from Fernando Gil, who directed a schola cantorum there before coming to the United States. Gil, director of music at St. Peter's Cathedral in Kansas City,...
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SE08 EP01 - Building a Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum for Art and Music - with Elizabeth Lemme
Join us for this inspiring season opener to discuss curriculum which imprints on the child's senses, mind, and soul a longing for the source of all beauty, God himself. Musician, artist, and homeschooling mom Elizabeth Lemme shares her criteria for evaluating the worthiness of a work of art for...
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SE07 EP12 - A Feast for Ear and Eye: The Alamire Manuscripts - with Dr. Emily Thelen
Join Dr. Emily Thelen as she takes us on a tour of the masterfully illuminated manuscripts of the Alamire collection of Renaissance manuscripts from the Low Countries, and explains to us the Confraternity culture of Catholic society that brought about such wonderful masterpieces. Learn more about...
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SE07 EP11 - A Church Musician's Guide to the History of the Pronunciation of Latin - with Dr. John Pepino
Looking for a historical and ecclesiastical framework by which to understand performance decisions about the pronunciation of Latin? Join Dr. John Pepino as he explains the origins of the Latin language and how we know anything about the pronunciation of classical Latin, describes the style and...
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SE07 EP10 - Should Postludes Be Loud? And Other Organ Repertoire Questions for the Catholic Parish Organist - with Prof. Christopher Berry
Join us as we outline strategies for making playing great repertoire every Sunday and feast day possible, even if you're a really busy parish music director. Prof. Christopher Berry, who will be teaching the Organ Literature course this summer at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music takes us...
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SE07 EP09 - Meditating on the Mysteries of the Lives of Mary and Jesus: Music of Heinrich Bieber and Franz Joseph Haydn - with Fiona Hughes
Join Fiona Hughes, Artistic Director of Three Notch'd Road: The Virginia Baroque Ensemble as we discuss music which will help you meditate on the lives of Christ and Our Lady, as well as the Passion and Death of Christ. We talk about Heinrich Biber's Rosary Sonatas, as well as Franz Joseph…
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SE07 EP08 - A Catholic Curriculum: A Model Music Program in a Classical High School - with Dr. Alexis Kutarna
Looking for inspiration in building a Catholic school curriculum around the worship of God and the sacred arts? Join us for a discussion about the Ordinariate's Cathedral High School in Houston, Texas as Dr. Alexis Kutarna, Head of School, explains how they built both the building and structure…
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SE07 EP07 - Is Formality Inauthentic or Insincere? Understanding Excellence in Ars Celebrandi in American Catholic Parishes - with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone
What does the phrase ars celebrandi really mean and what does it have to do with the spiritual lives of priests and the lay faithful? What are means of acheiving excellence in ars celebrandi? Are there special challenges that American Catholics face in entering into the sacred liturgy celebrated...
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SE07 EP06 - The Liturgical Compositions and Eucharistic Poetry of St. Thomas Aquinas - with Fr. Innocent Smith, OP
Join Fr. Innocent Smith, OP, as he takes us on a tour of St. Thomas Aquinas' poetry and compositions for Corpus Christi. We discuss Aquinas' training in poetics, his liturgical horarium and experience, how the commission to write texts for Corpus Christ came about, and spend time on the rich...
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SE07 EP05 - Short on Singers or Dough? Enter Concertato Motets. - with Dr. Janet Hunt
Discover a genre designed for choirs with limited forces and money with our guest, Dr. Janet Hunt. We discuss the origins of the concertato motet, various composer who composed in this genre, texts set, and liturgical use of the pieces. Dr. Janet E. Hunt, FAGO, received performance degrees from...
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SE07 EP04 - When and Why Did Ut Change to Do? And Other Historical Questions about Solfège - with Dr. Charles Weaver
Dr. Charles Weaver joins us to outline a history of solfège and the practical and theoretical knowledge that arises from employing the early hexachordal system to understanding and singing Gregorian chant. Learn more about Dr. Weaver here: https://www.juilliard.edu/music/faculty/weaver-charles…
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SE07 EP03 - Singing the Credo: Historical Origins and Development - with Dr. Harrison Russin
What are the origins of the liturgical use of the Credo? Do we still have the original melodies to which it was sung? How did the singing of the Credo develop during the medieval period into the Renaissance? Dr. Harrison Russin joins us to answer these questions. Learn more about Dr. Russin here:...
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SE07 EP02 - How Did the Parts of the Mass Ordinary Get Arranged into Groups in the Kyriale? with Dr. Andrew Kirkman
How did we end up with a Kyriale in the Graduale Romanum, with its 18 Masses, group of Credos, and ad libitum section? Find out the specifics, as well as the general trends and conditions that brought about this organization in the liturgy. Find out more about Dr. Andrew Kirkman and his work…
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SE07 EP01 - Building a Great School & Parish Sacred Music Program in a Rural Community - with Kelsey LaCour
We're back with season 7 and we've got an inspiring story of building up people, a parish and school, and fostering vocations through a sacred music education program and some elbow grease. Listeners can learn more about the program profiled in this episode, and access LaCour's free-use lesson...
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SE06 EP17 - The "Viennese" Orchestral Mass and the Work of Johann Michael Haydn - with Dr. Erick Arenas
The 18th century orchestral mass repertoire comes with all sorts of questions for the liturgical musician. Is this repertoire properly called "Viennese"? Does this music really fit, in style and length, with the sacred liturgy? What does the Church have to say about this style of music? Are there...
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SE06 EP16 - Music and the Eucharistic Revival - with Bishop Earl Fernandes
For Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, sacred music and the Eucharistic revival are inextricably linked. When he was consecrated bishop at age 49 in 2022, he was the U.S.'s youngest bishop, and his experience with sacred music as a young person involved a mix of typical U.S. parish music…
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SE06 EP15 - Medieval Irish Chant: Sources and Liturgical Practice - with Dr. Ann Buckley
What do we know about music in the earliest liturgies celebrated in Ireland? Did sacred music and the liturgy develop as a distinguishable "Celtic rite" in Ireland? What impact did the Church in Ireland, and specifically the monastic impact of Ireland, have on the European continent? We discuss...
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SE06 EP14 - Liberal Arts and Fine Arts: Understanding the Trivium, Quadrivium, and the Place of Music in Catholic Education - with Mark Langley
Having worked in Catholic classical education for decades, Mark Langley knows the place of music in Catholic education, and has built schools in which every student is enabled to learn and sing chant and polyphonic works from the Church's sacred music treasury. Join us for a discussion about…
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SE06 EP13 - What is Sacred Music, & Why Does It Matter? with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone
Join us for a discussion with the Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore J. Cordileone, about principles every Catholic should learn so that they can think with the mind of the Church about sacred music. We discuss the purpose and nature of sacred music, how it sounds, what effect it has on us…
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SE06 EP12 - The Final Flowering of Late Renaissance Venetian Choral Music - with Charles Cole and the London Oratory Schola
Charles Cole joins us with clips from the recent release of the London Oratory Schola's album, Sacred Treasures of Venice. We discuss the crucial role played by Venetian music in the history of sacred choral music, and the particularly fertile atmosphere at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice at the…
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SE06 EP11 - Sacred Music and the "Sunday Experience" - with Bishop Michael Barber, SJ
How does the experience of Mass on Sunday at a parish affect the lives of Catholics, and what role does music play in that experience? How does sacred music bridge the gap between people of different languages, ethnicities, and backgrounds? Why does the Church spend money on beautiful things...
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SE06 EP10 - Integrating Scholarship and Praxis in the Life of the Catholic Singer - with Dr Charles Weaver
Where did the chant editions we sing from now come from? What choices were made in the making of those editions? Are other variants of the melody possible? What are the rhythmic implications that can be gleaned from comparing the same melody in different manuscripts? Why do these questions matter...
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SE06 EP09 - Gregorian Chant and the Art of Memory: Chant Books (Tonaries) and Florilegia - with Dr. Anna Maria Busse Berger
Join us as we talk about the interaction between music notation and memory, and the impact of that interaction on the spiritual lives of singers of Gregorian chant. Our guest is Dr. Anna Maria Busse Berger, Distinguished Professor of Music, emeritus, from UCDavis, and we dive into some of the...
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SE06 EP08 - The Sacramentality of Sound: Bells and Their Place in Catholic Life - with Fr. Christopher Gray and Carl Zimmerman
Join us as we dive into the role that bells have played throughout the history of Christianity in warding off evil and storms, signaling significant temporal and spiritual moments, and the consecration of bells in the Pontificale Romanum. Learn about the manufacturing process and the engineering...
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SE06 EP07 - Your Questions, Answered: Liturgical Q&A about Sacred Music - with Christopher Carstens
Join the editor of Adoremus Bulletin, Christopher Carstens, and Dr. Donelson-Nowicka as they chat about answers to some liturgical-musical questions: Can we use the organ or other instruments during Lent? During Advent? Where should the choir be placed in a church? Is there a list of songs that…
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SE06 EP06 - 3 Warmups, 3 Motets, and 3 Polyphonic Masses Every Choir Should Learn - Choral Institute Preview - with Prof. Christopher Berry
What are 3 great warm-ups you'll be able to fit into your busy parish choir rehearsal schedule? What are 3 motets that most choirs don't do, but that are definitely worth learning? What are 3 polyphonic Mass Ordinaries my choir should learn? Prof. Christopher Berry, an adjunct professor of the...
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SE06 EP05 - Tenebrae and the Lamentations of Jeremiah - with James Monti
Get ready for Holy Week with an episode about Tenebrae. Frequent author for Magnificat and The Wanderer, as well as multiple books available through Ignatius Press, James Monti, joins us to discuss the structure of Tenebrae, the historical origins of the particular practices surrounding Tenebrae,...
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SE06 EP04 - Fundraising for an Amazing Sacred Music Program - with Dr. Lucas Tappan
Budget crunch at your parish? Limited funding for your planned children's program? Join us for a discussion about fundraising strategies that are workable, easily manageable, and make it possible for you to build an amazing sacred music program. We also discuss models for a multi-parish…
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SE06 EP03 - Marian Chant: The Music of Lady Masses - with Dr. William Mahrt
Join us as Dr. Mahrt explains the liturgical practices surrounding the Lady Mass, especially in medieval Salisbury Cathedral. We discuss the texts of the propers of Marian votive Masses as well as the tropes and chants of the Mass ordinary that developed from the daily Lady Mass. Dr. William…
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SE06 EP02 - It's All Greek to Me (Until It's Latin): The Evolution of Language in the Roman Rite - with Fr. Nicholas Schneider
What were the earliest language layers of the Roman rite, and how do we know? What is the relationship between liturgical language and everyday speech? When did the Roman rite switch from Greek to Latin? Find out the answers to these questions and more. Our guest is Fr. Nicholas Schneider, who...
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SE06 EP01 - Priests and Musicians Working Together: Salaries, Contracts, and All the Practical Stuff - with Michael Olbash
Join us as we discuss the expectations musicians and priests should have in working together, and some best practices for working out all the practical details. Our guest is Prof. Michael Olbash, director of sacred music at the Boston seminaries of St. John Seminary and Pope John XXIII Seminary....
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SE05 EP16 - Charles Tournemire as Liturgical Organist: Improviser & Composer of L'Orgue Mystique with Kevin Faulkner
As he works on finishing up his biography of French Catholic organist, improviser, and composer Charles Tournemire, Kevin Faulkner joins us to discuss Tournemire's studies with Franck, his career as an organist, his improvisations, a look at his overall compositional output, focusing on works for...
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SE05 EP15 - All about Rogation Days - with Dr. Michael Foley
Coming to you on April 25th, the Major Rogation Day, we're joined on this episode by Dr. Michael Foley, professor of patristics at Baylor University, to look at the origins of Rogation Days, as well as their meaning, liturgical and paraliturgical observances, and significance in our lives today....
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SE05 EP14 - Sanctifying Time: The Hours of the Divine Office through the Day and through the Liturgical Year - with Dr. William Mahrt
In the midst of Holy Week, we invite you to join Dr. William Mahrt (Stanford) for a tour in time through the lens of the Divine Office. We discuss theological thoughts on time by St. Augustine, natural vs. supernatural senses of time, the structure of the Divine Office throughout the course of…
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SE05 EP13 - Becoming a Sacrifice of Praise: Advice for Choral Directors for Pursuing Musical Excellence & Developing a Polyphonic Repertoire in Parish Choirs - with Christopher Berry
Looking for fresh ideas about how to take your parish choir to the next level, developing a repertoire of well-prepared polyphonic motets and ordinaries, helping your singers develop their technique and musicianship, and integrate it all into the bigger spiritual picture of the offering of one's...
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SE05 Bonus 1 - The Role of Beauty and the Church's Sacred Music in the Spiritual Life, Intro to the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music - with Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka
We've combined two episodes here of another podcast, A Culture of Beauty with host Sequoia Sierra, in which our host, Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka was interviewed. She's talks a little bit about her experience of growing up Catholic and discovering the Church's teachings on music later in life,...
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SE05 EP12 - The Lives and Musical Education of Child Oblates in Medieval Monasteries - with Dr. Susan Boynton
The medieval practice of the giving of children as oblates to monasteries affords valuable insights into education during the Middle Ages, as well as into the development of pedagogical techniques for teaching the liturgy, Latin, and sacred music to children. Join us for an episode in which Dr....
About this show
You've got questions about sacred music? Here's your chance to learn what the Church teaches and envisions for music in the sacred liturgy.Welcome to Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast with your host Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka. We address topics of interest both to priests and liturgical musicians, as well as a general audience of Catholics interested in learning more about the Catholic Church's teachings and treasury of sacred music. Our topics range from discussion of Church documents on sacred music, to the music of certain composers or eras, Gregorian chant, the role of music in Catholic education, and techniques for directing a better choir rehearsal. We'll interview bishops, priests, music directors, composers, teachers, philosophers, and theologians. We'll talk to people who found a home in the Catholic Church because they heard the call of Christ in the Church's sacred music. We'll ask questions about how really great music programs are doing their work. We'll introduce
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Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
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