The Composer as Contemplative
A weekly podcast
The Composer as Contemplative
Episodes
The Composer as Contemplative
A weekly podcast
Episodes of The Composer as Contemplative
Mark All
With Episode 24, Season 1 of "The Composer as Contemplative" is in the books! What a season it has been! We’ve covered quite a lot of ground, touching on everything from Barry Manilow and the "Copacabana" in Episode 1, to The Cure in Episode 2,
Our five-part series on the Ordinary of the Mass concludes with an in-depth look at the "Agnus Dei," or the "Lamb of God." The text both draws upon the other texts of the Ordinary and on the Scriptural image of Christ as Lamb, most prolifically
The "Sanctus," with a text joining the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 6:3 and John 12:13), is a beautiful and jubilant reminder of the heavenly presence of our liturgical celebrations. This week we continue our series on the "Ordinary of the Ma
Did you know that there is a long tradition of singing the Creed during the Mass? Many of us will not have had the chance to experience that in our lives yet, but it is a beautiful and solemn thing! Listen to part 3 of our series on the Ordinar
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men'" (Luke 2:13-14). Those words are transposed into the mouth of the people i
The Mass is a miracle every time it happens. Whether we like the priest, the homily, the music, the church or not. Christ truly becomes present in his Word and in his Body and Blood. What is the "Ordinary" of the Mass, then? Is anything about t
Why does the organ have pride of place, at least among instruments, in the Latin Church? This week's episode leads a tour of Church history, followed by a meditation on Tradition and the ability of musical improvisation, such as Maurice Duruflé
The four-part series on Olivier Messiaen concludes with a reflection on the vocation of the artist. By linking his love of nature to his faith, Messiaen, in Des Canyons aux étoiles..., presents the world as the theatre of God's creativity, and
This week, we look at Olivier Messiaen's other great musical inspiration: nature, and specifically birdsong. Though distinct from his faith, his liturgical and religious spirit runs clearly through even the most "secular" of works, including hi
We continue our deep dive into the creative life of Olivier Messiaen with his Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine (1945) for female choir, strings, and percussion. This work is emblematic of his entire output, fusing orthodox theology
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was one of the most influential and highly-revered composers of the 20th century, seemingly despite the fact that he was overtly Roman Catholic and his work was very often based on Scripture. This first entry gives
An encore performance of my brand new work, this is the night! Performed and recorded on August 30, 2020 at St. Anselm's Abbey in Washington, D.C., this is the night is written for soprano, violin, and organ and is a setting of excerpts from Sw
Does it matter whose words we're singing when we sing? Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/connermccain)
The second part of my two-part series on the four Marian Anthems takes you on a tour of Western history, featuring a 6th century legend about St. Gregory the Great and the "Regina Caeli," the amazing 1953 book by Fulton Sheen "The World's First
Did you know that the "Salve Regina," or "Hail, Holy Queen" is only one of four Marian anthems chosen by the Church to be sung at the end of the Liturgy of the Hours? This episode is an introduction to the four Marian anthems, focusing on the "
Taylor Swift's music is so popular because it is emotionally resonant, and her new album, folklore, is no different. We hear her stories and they make sense in our lives. They touch us and help us to know we aren't alone in the things we go thr
Check your sacred music buzzword bingo card for this classic: the Antiphons! Part 3 of this three-part series on the Second Vatican Council concludes with an introduction to the Antiphons of the Mass in light of the meditation on participation
The second episode in a three-part series on the Second Vatican Council focuses on participation. In Luke 10, Christ himself says that Mary, who sits at his feet rather than help her sister, Martha, "chose the better part." Is she doing nothing
Why does a council of bishops from almost sixty years ago matter to us today? In what ways did it change the Church? Part 1 of a three-part series on the Second Vatican Council reflects on the state of the world after the two World Wars, with B
The three-part series on the History of Hymns concludes with a discussion of the role of the intellectual and the emotional in our faith, facilitated by the writing of Talking Heads singer David Byrne, and leads to a startling realization about
The second episode in a three-part series on the History of Hymns features discussions on the ways in which popular music continued to grow away from liturgical music during and after the Middle Ages (featuring a Scottish folk ballad) and the w
Episode 3 is the first part of a three part series on the History of Hymnody, starting with one of the oldest hymns in existence, written by the 14th century B.C. pharaoh Akhnaten, taking a short detour through the work of contemporary minimali
Finally, some chant! Part 2 of the two part special on chant features the Offertory Antiphon for Corpus Christi, and predictably weaves in a discussion of that quintessential eighties band, the Cure. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/co
For the inaugural episode of my "Composer as Contemplative" Podcast, the first part of a two part special on Gregorian Chant, I talk about the relationship between music and its text, using examples from Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" to the hymn
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