22 Early Sacred Rounds and Canons (14th-18th century)
A mix from the 14th to 18th centuries by legendary masters Dufay, Ockegham, Tallis, Palestrina, Byrd, and Telemann, and lesser-known but no
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angelamrocchio
- Aug 2
- 8 min
Top 5 mistakes people make when reading chant notation
If you already know the basics for sight reading chant notation, but still find it to be a struggle, this article is for you.
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angelamrocchio
- Jun 6
- 6 min
Gregorian Chants for the Sacred Heart
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is as old as the Christian Church. Here we see ancient melodies finding new voice in modern chants.
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angelamrocchio
- May 24
- 17 min
What the heck is a Sequence, and does it really matter today?
Sequence is derived from the Latin word sequor (to follow). What does it follow? The Alleluia chant. Here is where our disconnect begins.
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angelamrocchio
- Mar 27
- 6 min
Eastertide: 7 ancient choral works for modern-day choirs
Easter is more than a day; it is a whole season. Your choir will enjoy singing these 7 ancient choral works for Eastertide.
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angelamrocchio
- Mar 7
- 9 min
Vocal Care for Holy Week
Hard-learned tips and musings from this experienced (and perhaps somewhat battle-scarred) church musician and singer.
1,580 views0 comments
angelamrocchio
- Jan 17
- 8 min
7 things that Sung Vespers can teach us about life
Praying the Psalms is at the very heart of Hebrew and Christian worship. “Seven times a day I praise you,” the psalmist wrote. The Psalms te
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angelamrocchio
- Dec 28, 2023
- 3 min
Gregorian Chant & Early Sacred Music: a layman's lexicon for the parish musician
Date of first publishing: December 28, 2023 with 103 entries Jump to Lexicon. Welcome, reader! I have always held that there are three...
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angelamrocchio
- Dec 21, 2023
- 6 min
an Advent "Ave Maria", and the mysterious origin of the Offertory Chant and its verses
The offertory chant is the most splendid of all, setting precedent for similar musical largesse later in offertory motets, organ voluntaries
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angelamrocchio
- Dec 8, 2023
- 9 min
7 things you probably didn't know about being a cantor
Most of us have been drafted (more or less willingly, some even tricked into it!) due to some degree of singing talent, given a tiny bit of
1,239 views0 comments
angelamrocchio
- Oct 9, 2023
- 4 min
What *is* an Introit Chant? Si iniquitates (28th Sunday of Ordinary Time)
In the Christian tradition, Psalm 129 plays a pivotal role in the Office of the Dead, and just before the solemnity of Christ the King.
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angelamrocchio
- Sep 15, 2023
- 6 min
Adventide: 6 ancient choral works for modern-day choirs
This blog post is dedicated to a few musical gems of the ancient past which are suitable especially for Adventide.
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angelamrocchio
- Sep 7, 2023
- 3 min
5 reasons to plan a Festival of Lessons and Carols
It's going to be several more weeks before radio stations start to broadcast Christmas music, and the new choir year is only just...
305 views0 comments
angelamrocchio
- Aug 29, 2023
- 5 min
Marcel Pérès and Saint Louis IX: Royal French chants for a Royal French saint
Image: Marcel Pérès and the Cantores Sancti Ludovici singing for Mass in February 2023 August 25th is internationally observed as the...
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angelamrocchio
- Jul 29, 2023
- 3 min
"Margarita" Sunday? The Latin language and Gregorian chant
When studying Gregorian chant in its liturgical context, we discover that many feasts are named after the chants they contain. Laetare...
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angelamrocchio
- Jun 29, 2023
- 3 min
Too many notes?! Structural and ornamental pitches in Gregorian chant.
When first singing a new chant, sometimes the succession of pitches seems random, as though the composer picked up a paintbrush and...
170 views0 comments
angelamrocchio
- Sep 16, 2022
- 16 min
5 Short Lessons on Reading Chant Notation
Welcome to the International Chant Academy's first blog post. Our mission is to keep the beauty and meaningfulness of Gregorian Chant and...
2,439 views0 comments
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