An Open-Source Conference

Here is an initial round of recordings of the music at the Sacred Music Colloquium in Chicago, a gathering of 250 musicians along with Masses in the ordinary and extraordinary form, including one celebrated by Cardinal George. The Haydn Mass included orchestra. The Requiem Mass used a polyphonic ordinary written 500 years ago but never before heard in North America. The final Mass was the Byrd Mass for 5 voices. All readings were sung. All propers were sung in Gregorian chant. The Masses themselves were expertly crafted with ceremonial detail provided by priests and brothers of St. John Cantius.

Many more recordings will posted, along with video and interviews. All are completely open source. Click them to your hard drive. Share them. Use them for any purpose you want to use them for without asking any permission. The same is true for all scores which are online for free download.

As a funny side note, on the last night of the conference, I notice a new conference arriving on campus, mostly people in the 70s and 80s. It looked like about 40 people arriving to discuss spiritual renewal. All very nice and the attendees seemed like sweet people.

But to my surprise, I was looking through the latest issue of Pastoral Music under events and I saw that very conference listed as something to attend. There was no note about age, so it turns out not to be an age specific event. Meanwhile, there was not one word about the Sacred Music Colloquium, in this publication wholly devoted to Catholic music. The unannounced Colloquium was so large that it nearly took over the campus. And so it goes in the course of human events.