2018 catholic favorites

Jennifer Pascual has been the Director of Music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City since 2003, and is the first woman to hold the position. She has earned degrees in organ and piano performance, as well as music education, culminating in a Doctor of Musical Arts in organ performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. She hosts Sounds from the Spires on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM, where she interviews musicians and music lovers of all stripes.

The new volume of Responsorial Psalms for the 3-year Lectionary by Luke Mayernik is receiving rave reviews as an excellent resource for psalmody. This post continues to explore the practice of responsorial psalm singing in the context of Roman Catholic liturgy using The Five Graces Psalter for reference. We hope that these reflections will be helpful to cantors and accompanists, no matter where they are on their liturgical music journeys.

Composer Paul Bouman will turn 100 on August 26, 2018. In a century he has certainly built a legacy, particularly in Lutheran church music. In 2015 the Center for Church Music produced an interview with Bouman (led by another MorningStar composer, Michael Costello), providing a great resource in getting to know the composer quite well in just an hour. We also love this article by Northwestern Magazine, which details Bouman's connection to composer Michael Wolniakowski.

This month we got to know composer Michael Burkhardt, who is particularly known for his skill as an organist, choral clinician, hymn festival leader, and for his creative work with children.

How did you first become involved with music?

MorningStar has recently published a new volume of Responsorial Psalms for the 3-year Lectionary cycle by Luke Mayernik. In this series, we will explore the practice of responsorial psalm singing using the Five Graces Psalter for reference, in the context of Roman Catholic liturgy, while acknowledging that other traditions also use responsorial forms. Whether singing/playing responsorial psalms is new for you, or whether you are experienced, we believe these reflections will contribute to this aspect of your ministry.

At MorningStar, we strive to publish liturgical music that makes a meaningful contribution to the repertoire. As you prepare for Lent and Easter, perhaps looking for some new ideas, take a few minutes to explore these tried and true editions, from Hal Hopson’s subdued Lenten Prayer to Randall Thompson’s iconic Alleluia.