Sacred Polyphony « The Recovering Choir Director (est. 2002) - Gregorian Chant & Catholic sacred music

SMTV Vol. III, No. 4.1 – Tristis est anima mea (Lassus)

April 2, 2010 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 0 comments.

Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem. Sustinete hic et vigilate mecum. Nunc videbitis turbam quae circumdabit me. Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis. [Sorrowful is my soul even unto death. Stay here, and watch with me. Now you shall see the mob that will surround me. You shall take flight, and [...]

Filed under: Recordings; Videos.
Tags: Church of Notre Dame (Manhattan); Good Friday; Lent (Quadragesima); New York; Orlande de Lassus; Sacred polyphony; YouTube.

The CMAA Colloquium XIX Documentary

January 24, 2010 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 1 comment.

SACRED, BEAUTIFUL, & UNIVERSAL: Colloquium XIX from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo. See also the Sacred Music Colloquium FAQ.

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Arlene Oost-Zinner; Church Music Association of America; Corpus Christi Watershed; Fr. Jeffrey Keyes CPPS; Horst Buchholz; Jeffrey Tucker; Kevin Allen; Loyola University; Mary Ann Carr-Wilson; Roman Rite (Extraordinary Form; Usus Antiquior); Roman Rite (Ordinary Form); Sacred polyphony; Scott Turkington; Wilko Brouwers; William Mahrt.

Selected audio from the All Souls Day Pontifical Mass in NYC

November 4, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 2 comments.

Below are selected audio files from Monday’s Pontifical Requiem Mass in the Extraordinary Form, celebrated by James C. Timlin, Bishop Emeritus of Scranton at

Filed under: Uncategorized; Videos.
Tags: Amy Justman; Archie Worley; Bishop James C. Timlin; Bruce Rameker; Charles Sprawls; Chris Rosselli; David Adam Smith; Gregorian Chant; Gregory Purnhagen; Holy Innocents Church (New York City); Jamet Pittman; Katie Geissinger; Margery Daley; Marty Kruger; Pontifical Mass; Roman Rite (Extraordinary Form; Usus Antiquior); Sacred polyphony; Silvie Jensen; Tomas Luis de Victoria.

SMTV, Vol. II, No. 9.4 – Spem in alium (Tallis)

September 25, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 3 comments.

numquam hábui praeter in te Deus Israel qui irascéris et propítius eris et ómnia peccáta hóminum in tribulatióne dimíttis Dómine Deus Creátor coeli et terra réspice humilitátem nostram I have never put my hope in any other but in you God of Israel who will be angry and yet become again gracious and who forgives [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Phillip Cheah; Sacred polyphony; Thomas Tallis.

SMTV Vol. II, No. 9.3 – Nos autem gloriari (Desencios)

September 18, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 1 comment.

Nos aútem gloriári opórtet in crucem Dómini nostri Iesu Christi: in quo est salus, vita, et resurréctio nostra: per quem salváti, et liberáti sumus. Allelúia, allelúia, allelúia. Deus misereátur nostri, et benedícat nobis: illúminet vultum tuum super nos, et misereátur nostri. Glória Patri et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto: sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Alfred Desencios; Holy Thursday; I Ragazzi Cantori di San Giovanni in Persiceto; Marco Arlotti; Sacred polyphony.

English-language polyphonic Offertories by Richard Rice

September 17, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 1 comment.

Earlier today, Richard Rice released six Offertory settings on the MusicaSacra Forum: Not exactly new, just the latest sifting through the archives, which gave me a chance to rework these ten year old English Offertory settings. They are all SATB a cappella, strictly common practice, in the Tudor English Anthem vein (to the best of [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Advent; Christmas; Graduale Romanum; Richard Rice; Roman Gradual; Roman Rite (Ordinary Form); Sacred polyphony.

Chant, polyphonic propers, and motets for a Nuptial Mass (Ordinary Form)

September 11, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 0 comments.

This question was posed to me by a bridegroom-to-be[1]: I was wondering if you had any suggestions for what to use for a Gradual during a nuptial mass [Ordinary Form]. Oh, and any motets? Motets would be good too. Firstly, here are the options for chanted propers for the Ordinary Form Nuptial Mass((Source: Graduale Romanum [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Gregorian Chant; Nuptial Mass; Palestrina; Roman Rite (Ordinary Form); Sacred polyphony.

SMTV Vol. II, No. 9.1 – Veritas Mea (Dufay)

September 4, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 0 comments.

Véritas mea et misericórdia mea cum ipso: et in nómine meo exaltábitur cornu eius. My truth and My mercy shall be with him: and in My Name shall his horn be exalted. Scripture: Psalm 88(89):25 Liturgical Function: Offertory Ordinary Form: Common of a Martyr outside Paschal Time[1] Extraordinary Form: Common of a Bishop Martyr[2] Composer: [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Alexander Blachly; Dufay; Graduale Romanum; Pomerium; Roman Gradual; Sacred polyphony.

Liveblogging the CMAA Sacred Music Colloquium XIX

June 22, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 1 comment.

This week, starting now, I will be writing from the Sacred Music Colloquium of the Church Music Association of America, held at Loyola University Chicago’s Lake Shore Campus for the second consecutive year. The schedule is rather tight, as you can see from the calendar, so you may also wish to follow me on my [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Church Music Association of America; CMAA Colloquium XIX (2009); Gregorian Chant; Loyola University; Sacred Music Colloquium; Sacred polyphony.

SMTV Vol. II, No. 6.2 – O Sacrum Convivium (Morales)

June 12, 2009 by Aristotle A. Esguerra — 1 comment.

O sácrum convívium! in quo Chrístus súmitur: recólitur memória passiónis éjus: mens implétur grátia: et futúrae glóriae nóbis pígnus dátur. Allelúia. O sacred banquet! in which Christ is received, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory to us is given. Alleluia. Lyricist: Saint [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized.
Tags: Cristobal de Morales; James O'Donnell; Sacred polyphony; Saint Thomas Aquinas; Westminster Cathedral.