This charming song is Last Night on the Back Porch by Paul Whiteman's Orchestra. This was recorded in 1923 and is accompanied by equally charming pictures of couples on porches.

This reminds me of a time when air conditioners, computers and televisions did not exist and people enjoyed each other and the out doors on their porches.  These porches were the center of social existence during the hot summer days.

Today's Music Monday features a Medieval Ave Maria done in Gregorian chant.

Saturday was the feast of St. Gregory the Great, who tradition points to as the final arranger of Roman Chant.

This particular chant is an Ave Maria, in honor of the birthday of Our Lady on September 8th.

The YouTube video shows an original Medieval copy of the plain chant notation, which is still used in some chant choirs and monasteries today.

See if you can follow along!

Today's Music Monday celebrates the close of summer with the 1926 Carousel and 1915 Wurlitzer Band Organ at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, PA. It's been 40 years since I've been there, but it brings back nice memories of times with friends. Enjoy, everyone!

As my parish, and all English-speaking parishes throughout the world, prepare to implement the new Mass translation, I thought I'd post an example of the new Mass setting for Music Monday.

This one is the Mass of Saint Gregory the Great by Luke Mayernik. Our diocese has asked all parishes to become familiar with this (and one other--the Mass of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini) setting. Our parish won't be using it initially, but may introduce it around Christmas 2012.

The setting I'm planning to use, by the way, is the Sing Praise and Thanksgiving Mass, which isn't on YouTube, so I couldn't share it with you.

Notice the new English translation used here--new words in the Gloria, Holy Holy and  the Memorial Acclaimations.



Here are the new translations for the Gloria, Holy, Holy, and the Memorial Acclaimations with new words in bold.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

A – We proclaim your death,
O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again.

or B – When we eat this Bread
and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death,
O Lord,
until you come again.

or C – Save us, Savior of the world,
for by your Cross
and Resurrection,
you have set us free.

This Old Roman chant is from the 6th century, when Saint Benedict of Nursia was living and being educated in Rome.   He soon fled the worldliness that he saw there to seek solitude.

You can hear how ancient this is!  Very, very like the eastern Christian chants, and much like other chants from that region as well.   Memorizing.  Modern music just doesn't compare to this.

Here are the lyrics and translation.

Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante leciferum genui te.

You shall have sovereignty in the day of your power
in the beauties of holiness:
you are my son, born before the morning star.

This haunting piece is the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens," from the Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin. The tune is also used for the song, "Stranger in Paradise from the musical Kismet (1953).

I woke up after having dreamed of listening to this piece the other day and decided it had to go in a Music Monday! I could even hear the double reed solo in my dream. (DH tells me it is English Horn).

As a child, my ballet teacher used this as the accompaniment to our "Swan Lake" dance.

Close your eyes and enjoy.

This song by Francis Lai is called A Man and a Woman.  It's haunting melody evokes quiet nights dancing under a bright moon.  It brings back memories of my childhood when it played on the stereo in our living room.

This song always struck me as the epitome of what it was like to spend a hot summer in a highly populated area. This summer, it seems even more apt.

I always loved the way they used the suggestion of traffic noises throughout.

The lyrics are descriptive too: hotter than a match head!!

Stay cool everyone!

July just seems to lend itself to Aaron Copland. Today's Music Monday is Fanfare for the Common Man, written by Copland and commissioned by conductor Eugene Goossens for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to stir patriotic spirit after America's entry into the second world war.

You can hear the percussion mimicking the startling roar of the guns in the opening measures and then their echo fades slowly away.

Today is the final section of Vivaldi's Gloria: Cum Sancto Spiritu.  I almost hate to post this, having mislead you into thinking that we were finished with Vivaldi!  Enjoy nevertheless.  It is a wonderful piece.



The Gloria that we used to celebrate Easter, has taken us through the month of June and into July. Let us pray that God indeed gives our United States an infusion of the Holy Spirit (Sancto Spiritu).

Lincoln Portrait was written by American composer Aaron Copland and is one of the premiere pieces of American music.

Today is the 235th anniversary of the founding of the United States and this weekend was the 148th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War so I thought it would be appropriate to use this piece, which remembers Lincoln in words and music, played by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and narrated by Gregory Peck.

We are coming to the home stretch with Vivaldi's Gloria. Today we listen to the entire choir sing Quonium Tu Solus Sanctus.

This is another powerful alto solo in the Vivaldi Gloria: Qui sedes ad dexteram patris.

For today's music monday, we continue with Vivaldi's Gloria. Today we hear Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi. Short and sweet, we are back with the whole choir.

Qui tollis peccata mundi means, who takes away the sins of the world.

This section of Vivaldi's Gloria features a hauntingly beautiful alto solo: Domine Deus.

This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the Vivaldi Gloria to sing:  Domine Fili, Unigenite.  We are back again to the full choir in this section.

Continuing our look at Vivaldi's Gloria, today's section is Domine Deus, Rex Caelestis, featuring soprano soloist,  Judith Nelson.

Part IV of Vivaldi's Gloria is Propter Magnam Gloriam Tuam. It is fairly short and energetic, and performed by the whole choir.

Part 3 of Vivaldi's Gloria is the famous duet, Laudamus Te.