Missa Cantata

If you have the opportunity, don't miss the re-broadcast of the Missa Cantata High Mass in the extraordinary form for Good Shepherd Sunday on EWTN. The live airing was this morning at 8:00 AM from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL; the re-broadcast will be at 12:00 AM.

HE IS RISEN! Alleluia, Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured; Alleluia!
Now He rules, eternal King, Alleluia!
Where angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal, as God's love; Alleluia!
Sing in praise, you heavenly host,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!

Latin carol, 14th century
Lyra Davidica, London 1708
Psalmodia Evangelica, London 1789
Stanza 4: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Boom-whackers

I recently attended a workshop for teachers of the Visual and Performing Arts. While the presentations weren’t all that great, some of the sample lessons and activities were. I especially liked the instructions on how to make your own Boom-Whackers.

What are Boom-Whackers you say? Boom-Whackers are colored tubes of different lengths that when they are whacked on the floor produce sounds. Each student is given a tube to learn how to play scales and songs. However, there are a couple of problems with them. The B-W are made of thin plastic that will bend and break over time. Also, the B-W are not that loud. This recipe for homemade B-W solves both of those problems.

Materials:

• Three – 4” PVC Pipe (they come in 10’ lengths)
• One – 4” PVC Cap for each note
• PVC Glue to attach the caps
• One small Carpet piece for each note (protects floor and prevents the cap from breaking)
• Duct Tape (to attach the carpet pieces)

Pipe 1: C (51 ½") F (37 ¾") A (29 ¾")
Pipe 2: D (45 ¼") E (40 ¼") G (33 ¾")
Pipe 3: B (26 ½") C (25") F# (35 ¾") Bb (28")

If you go to Home Depot or Lowe’s, they will cut the Pipes for you.

in Just- spring...

Morning has broken,
like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken,
like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning! Praise for them springing,
fresh from the Word

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven.
Like the first dew fall
on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden.
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, Praise ev’ry morning.
God’s recreation of the new day!

Written by Eleanor Farjeon in 1931 and published in The Children's Bells anthology under the original title "A Morning Song (For the First Day of Spring)" published by Oxford University Press in 1957. It was written to fit the traditional Gaelic tune "Bunessan".

P.S. The post title is of course from ee cummings

No Patty Fingers in the Holy Water, Please…It’s St. Patrick’s Day!

I may not be Irish, but today, in my house we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, keeping alive our very own traditions. There’ll be no corned beef and cabbage but rather a very hearty Guinness stew followed by Irish soda bread. While the stew braises, the CDs in the background will be:

• Irish Heartbeat-Van Morrison with the Chieftains Big favorite in our house since we're both big fans of Van Morrison and the Chieftains. Favorites are "Carrickfergus" and "She Moved Through the Fair"
• Celtic Woman Some good stuff and some insufferable
• The Chieftains 4 Any Chieftains CD is a winner but this one includes the absolutely gorgeous and haunting “Mna Na Heireann” (Women of Ireland) used by Stanley Kubrick in his 1975 movie Barry Lyndon
• The Irish Isle-James Keane Traditional instrumental Irish tunes including a lovely "Carrickfergus" with harp
• Windham Hill Samplers-We play the Celtic Christmas III and IV on St. Patrick’s Day; the music transcends the season
• Gaelic Storm You might recognize this band as the Irish party band in the 1997 movie Titanic
• Herding Cats-Gaelic Storm This one has a personal meaning as my copy of the CD was given to me by the band, while I was studying music at Edinboro University in PA. I assisted the band in multiple ways when they performed at the school. In other words, I was their "roadie" for the night. I fondly recall Patrick asking me if I wanted to go to the Pub with them after the concert. Unfortunately, I had to turn him down, as I was 2 months shy of turning 21
  
  We’ll toast my Aunt Maria’s beloved Richard, who died two months before they were to be married, with the leftover Guinness from the stewmaking. And then, of course, there’ll be the annual watching of Richard’s favorite film, The Quiet Man. We'll recite the dialogue along with the movie in our pathetic Irish brogue imitations, sing along to “The Wild Colonial Boy” and tap along to the infectious "Gary Owen" theme.
  
  Favorite lines from a movie with a treasure trove of great ones:
  Mine: “Who taught ya to be playin' patty fingers in the Holy Water??”
  Aunt Maria’s: “So the I.R.A. is in this too, is it?”
  ”If it were, Red Will Danaher, not a scorched stone of your fine house would be standing".
  Richard's: "It's a nice soft night, so I think I'll join me comrades and talk a little treason."