Saints Joachim and Ann Catholic Church
(Aldergrove, British Columbia)

Rev. William Ashley: Pastor Podcast
Alleluia

Mass Propers: Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite
(Sundays @ 9am and 11am; Saturdays @ 5:30pm)

Mass Propers: Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite
(Sundays @ 1pm)

Neumes Neumes Neumes

Music for our next schola practice

Ianua Coeli Schola Cantorum

Ianua Coeli Schola Cantorum frequently employs organ accompaniment to the Gregorian melodies, in the style of the Belgian school.

"Among the musical instruments that have a place in church the organ rightly holds the principal position, since it is especially fitted for the sacred chants and sacred rites. It adds a wonderful splendor and a special magnificence to the ceremonies of the Church. It moves the souls of the faithful by the grandeur and sweetness of its tones. It gives minds an almost heavenly joy and it lifts them up powerfully to God and to higher things."—Pope Pius XII, Musicae Sacrae n.58

Aspiring new members are asked to contact us to arrange for an audition time. [Practice at home listening to MP3 audio files. Auditions are held at the beginning of each academic semester.]

Members please bring this music to our next rehearsal: [Pentecost (May 27, 2012)]

Ianua Coeli Schola Cantorum

Organist/Cantor: Angela Morrissey

"The schola is composed of a group of singers, who are more gifted vocally, more experienced, and who place their musical talents at the service of the sacred celebration, thereby accomplishing a genuine liturgical ministry. The repertoire of the schola is musically more elaborate, consisting of the processional chants: the Introit, the Offertory and the Communion.
Among the members of the schola we find true specialists, the 'soloists.' The Gregorian repertoire reserves to them the most difficult pieces with the most highly ornamented melodies: the chants between readings. As all are seated, they actively listen to what is, in fact, 'the musical homily.'
The Gregorian repertoire, thus, comes to us bound intimately to the liturgy of the Roman Church. As the Fathers of the Church were producing the exegesis of Divine Revelation through rhetorical and literary processes, another commentary on Divine Revelation was being elaborated at the same time, one of a lyrical and musical type: a 'musical patrology.'" —Gregorian Chant: A Guide, by Dom Daniel Saulnier

Question: Are There Parts of the Mass that Women Are Not Permitted to Sing? [Answer]

29. "be deeply imbued with the spirit of the liturgy"

30. To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.
114. The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted [Scholae cantorum assidue provehantur], especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs, as laid down in Art. 28 and 30.
118. Religious singing by the people is to be intelligently fostered [Cantus popularis religiosus sollerter foveatur] so that in devotions and sacred exercises, as also during liturgical services, the voices of the faithful may ring out according to the norms and requirements of the rubrics.
120. In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem [magno in honore], for it is the traditional musical instrument [instrumentum musicum traditionale] which adds a wonderful splendor [mirum addere valet splendorem] to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things [mentes ad Deum ac superna vehementer extollere].

– Vatican II Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium

Biblically-inspired liturgical song
70. As part of the enhancement of the word of God in the liturgy, attention should also be paid to the use of song at the times called for by the particular rite. Preference should be given to songs which are of clear biblical inspiration and which express, through the harmony of music and words, the beauty of God’s word. We would do well to make the most of those songs handed down to us by the Church’s tradition which respect this criterion. I think in particular of the importance of Gregorian chant. — Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini