Holy Week Chant

Holy Week is coming.  If you attend the traditional Mass and are looking for a book to sing from or follow along with, try checking out the Holy Week Gregorian Chant from Preserving Christian Publications.  You probably already have a missal, which is great.  But perhaps you don't realize that there are symbolic things going on in the music that you are missing.  This is the case at every Mass by the way.

So, check it out!

New Diurnal ordered

I've ordered one of those new Pocket Diurnals.  Apparently it takes almost a month to receive one however.  I plan on reviewing it here.  I have not been so excited for a new breviary since well, the Baronius.

I previously reviewed the larger version, put out some time ago by PCP.  You can read that review and see the photos here.  Since then, my diurnale was put on eBay so that I could save space and purchase other things.  I have regretted it ever since.  The diurnale was amazing and I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

Now along comes this new pocket edition and while it took me a few weeks, I decided to snag one.  Ordering it was extremely difficult.  So if you are planning to purchase one be ready for frustration.  Barroux's website errored repeatedly and I was forced to resubmit the order.  In the meantime my card was blocked and I received a fraud prevention phone call from the bank.  They were concerned because I was trying to buy something from out of the country.  Eventually I got through the mess and the order was completed.

Hopefully you'll all see the review on this blog when it arrives!  In the meantime, check out Maximus' review here.

A Favor To Ask

I have a favor to ask of everyone.  Would you please take a moment to watch and pass along this video from Gregory the Great Academy?  We are trying to found a new school in the same tradition as the old.  It is a cause that is very important to a lot of folks.

In a world and a Church which is lacking real men and true Catholic leaders, our school aims to form both.  We need help to do this.  Thank you!

Gregory the Great Promotional Video from Matt Williams on Vimeo.

DOW-ay Rheims and Knox Bible Video

The Knox Bible is out - no doubt everyone has seen that.  I don't have one to show you, because I am poor.  Still, here is a Youtube video from EWTN's Bookmark regarding Baronius' publication of both the Douay-Rheims and Knox Bibles.

The pronunciation here of DOW-ay Rheims in the video is something I have never heard before.  Is that the right way of saying it?  It sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

The whole interview seems overly scripted and preachy.  But I'm glad these great publications are being promoted.

Baronius to Release Knox Bible

Baronius Press is about to release its new edition of the Knox Bible.  This is a very exciting release and I encourage everyone to check out the site they have put up about it.  The Knox translation will be appreciated by those who want a solid version but is more readable than the Challoner-Rheims version.  It can be a little "free" at times, and I often think of it as a traditionalist's NLT.  It is a well respected edition and a lot of folks out there have been waiting for this.

I hope to show it to you on these pages when I can get a copy.

Regarding the Kindle

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I love my gadgets.  I surmise that I am not alone in that.  Many of us are addicted to computers, iPads and Pods, cell phones, and the like.  But there is no other device in my possession in which I feel more of an attachment to than my Kindle.  I like my iPad, I love my Kindle.

To be pried from my cold, dead, fingers.

The Kindle makes reading a whole lot easier.  I have never read so many books in my life.  Before purchasing my Kindle I had something called "Book ADD".  My shelf is absolutely filled with half finished books that for whatever reason could not keep my attention.  The screen keeps me focused.  The lightness of the device and shorter pages on the display combined with the click to turn mechanism keep me moving through the book.  It is to the point where I can read a novel a week if I set aside the time.

"But Matt, I like the idea of a Kindle, and it sounds great, but I would miss holding an actual book in my hands!"

So say you now.  Go get a Kindle and start reading.  I still appreciate fine binding, as everyone here knows, with leather covers and ribbons.  This is not an either-or situation.  The Bible and Breviary don't work well on the Kindle at all.  Nevertheless, a few weeks ago I purchased such a copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  It was my intention to read a nice hardcover.  Things were slow going and I got frustrated with my progress.  It is a nice edition of the book with near perfect typesetting, guilt edges, and sewn binding.  40% of the way through I downloaded it onto my Kindle for free and finished it shortly thereafter.  (Btw, as an aside - I was surprised to read anti-Catholic cliches in that book...)

For the past few years while teaching at a Classical Liberal Arts school I have realized that my public education gipped me out of an appreciation for good literature.  Now that is being fixed with the help my Kindle.  We read a few decent novels in our day but it was very "vanilla" in the sense that no real understanding or desire to go deeper was impressed upon me.  My college literature class was a five week summer course joke in which we were expected to read a book or two per week.  This was an impossible task for someone with other classes, a job, and a life.  We also read some real modern trash in that class.

Now I am challenging myself.  For years I have been unable to get through the Lord of the Rings.  I just started yesterday and am speeding through it.  Thank you Kindle.  I can't wait for the new Paperwhite, for which I will use an Amazon gift certificate.  I will miss the buttons and audio but the light is well worth it.  If you like reading, go get a Kindle.

Whither the blogger?

A reader recently sent in a comment, asking where this blog has gone.  Basically, it has gone nowhere recently.  There are several reasons for this.

I normally don't post personal things here because the internet is a scary place.  But in this case and since I did actually gain a good number of followers here, I'll indulge a little.

Over the past year things have been relatively tumultuous.  The school I worked for (which many of you know) closed.  It was the greatest job I ever had.  I was teaching Gregorian Chant and Sacred Music at a traditional Catholic boarding school.  There was a bit of tumult with the closing as you can imagine.

Then we tried to found another school with many of the same folks, but under a different religious group.  For a long time, things were going rather smoothly - and I was very busy.  Then all of a sudden, with a huge thud, they dropped us.  No school and everyone out of a job again.  I had also turned away another job for it, which would have been a huge opportunity.  That was my choice though and I was comfortable making it.

So now I am trying to figure out just what the heck I'm suppose to be doing.  I have another job, a church gig, and my own TLM parish where I sing and sometimes play the organ.  But its really just not enough.  Things can get rather depressing at times. I'm still busy but blogging hasn't been a priority.

There also isn't a lot of good news lately in the Catholic fine books publishing world.  All of the "excitement", if there be any, is in new editions of the NABRE and NRSV.  But even there the options aren't that great. I really want to show you a particular NABRE.  Perhaps I'll get to that at some point.

I have all but stopped using my Baronius Breviary set, but I hope to pick them back up at some point.  The main reason comes down to the form factor.  They are large books to carry around.  The second reason is all of the commentary in them.  Just give me the psalms and be done with it.  I have been using other breviaries instead. Its unfortunate but that's really the case.  Oh and btw, I did Exacto knife the ribbons, and put a card down the spine from CPB.  Works great and looks even better.

So for now I can't tell you how often I will be posting.  Perhaps I can find another topic to run with for the blog.  Although, I really enjoy looking at fine publications here with everyone.  I also want to tell you about my train ride I took to Utah this summer. We'll see.

On my way to Colloquium

I'm on my way to the Sacred Music Colloquium. But I've already had one near disaster and three irritations. God is allowing trials to keep me on the narrow path! 50 miles into the trip my car broke down. So a family member came to the rescue and traded me cars so I could catch my train. After another 50 miles I hit a nasty traffic jam on i80. I hate traffic jams more than anything, especially on interstates. I hit another traffic jam here in Pittsburgh and then went to the wrong parking garage. Finally getting here, my train is delayed by an hour. Huzzah.

Summer Reading

I have been looking forward to the Summer so that I can assimilate some good literature.  Right now I am reading The King's Achievement by one of my favorite authors - Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson.  His Come Rack! Come Rope! and The Lord of the World were two of the best books I have ever read.  The King's Achievement is about Henry VIII's destruction of the monasteries.  In addition to the Benson I am also making my way through the very short Dominus Est - It is the Lord by Archbishop Athanasius Schneider.

Another summer book will be The Path to Rome by Hillaire Belloc.  I am going to save that for my trip next week to the Colloquium.  The book is about a journey so I thought it was appropriate.  On the list for July will be Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz and some other secular classic yet to be chosen.  That will take me all the way up to the beginning of the school yet no doubt.

Updates

A reader asked in the comments if  the new Latin-English breviary be the one I regularly use?  Honestly - I don't know.  It is certainly too big to be a summer travel companion - even taking it to church with me is a haul.  That being said, it has been the one I've been using since I got it save for a few days.  It has become easier to get around in, and the psalter-up-front has become less annoying.  When I get a chance I hope to add a part 2 to my review of it.  Things are still a bit hectic.

Some of you know that the school I worked for just closed.  Graduation weekend was an incredible success.  But afterwards, we all had to move out of our offices, get our grades in, and whatever else needed to be done.  Graduation was a happy occasion but the closing of the school itself was not.  Life goes on.

Now another one is opening and I've been helping a bit to get that set up.  I hope to continue my music role there as well.  Things will be different but there is a lot of hope, grace, and good will flowing.

If you would like to support the new school, and get something in return, you can purchase our new CD!  It has music by yours truly on it that I wrote for the students.  Please be forgiving with the shipping speed - it will get to you shortly - but the office is not yet finished being set up.

In a few weeks I'll be attending the Sacred Music Colloquium.  I'm a pretty stoked about that because I am in serious need of a vacation.  Colloquium is anything but a vacation, however the trip out there itself will be my time off.  That is because I have decided to take a train across the country.  Can't wait.

Review: Baronius Press Latin-English Breviary (pt 1)

After long wait, Baronius Press has at last released its 3 volume Latin-English 1962 Breviary.  This set, for many Catholics, is the most important release in years.  Those in religious orders now have a new edition to use liturgically with English helps and rubrics which will make switching to the Extraordinary Form office less daunting and more accessible.  The laity have a beautiful new English version that has an imprimatur with which to follow along or use privately.

I have been using this for the past two weeks and have found it a pleasure to use.  They have done a nice job in so many ways.  There are a few things that could have been done better and I'll discuss those as the review moves along.  None of the small issues I have would preclude me from heartily recommending the BP Breviary.  They should be seen as recommendations for future releases.

The slip cases are nice and worth using while you are storing the two unused volumes.

The IHS symbol is nice and shiny.  However I could just as easily do without it.

Here we see a closeup example of a Matins lesson.  Some ghosting is seen here.  But its not too bad.

A non-closeup of the same Matins lesson shows the page layout for this hour.  From a distance the pages look rather busy. But as you use it you will realize it isn't.

The three above photos show the position of the Psalter in the breviary.  I am not a fan (as readers know) of the Psalter being in the front of the book. It is one of the reasons I stopped using the Anglican Breviary.  It can be very tough on the spine over time.  The BP breviary is by far the best example of having the Psalter in the front of the breviary.  It moves far enough into the book to not be a downer or irritating.  However, I still prefer the Psalter in the middle because I find it difficult to remember the placement of the other sections.  Some day I will try to do a post solely on why psalter up front it best.  

The artwork is, of course, done extremely well.

Comparison of size to the modern Liturgy of the Hours.

The above two photos are a comparison on the BP Breviary and the modern Liturgy of the Hours.  They are both nice for different reasons.  I post this only because it is an interesting study in Divine Office typesetting.

I have been reading complaints about the ribbons around the internet.  They aren't great, thats for sure.  I suspect future printings will fix this.  In the meantime...mine will probably be cut out and replaced with a  card down the spine set.  If you do that, make sure you get ones that are long enough.  

The level of flexibility of the leather.  No breviary-yoga with this set!  That's ok of course.  The size of the books requires a slightly more firm cover.  I think you will be happy with the covers.  They are very appropriately done.

Side view, just because.

The Rituale excerpts are in Latin only.

I love the fact that the common parts such as the Venite, Benedictus, and Magnificat are in the back pages.  No reason to use cards!

Well, ok.  It comes with a TON of cards.  BP did a nice job giving you a card for every and any contingency.  You really get a lot for your money!

The books layer flat for me just minutes after opening.

This shows the thickness of the books.  Each volume is roughly the same thickness of the Anglican Breviary.  They are rather large but don't feel too big.  

Don't they look nice?

Three cheers for Baronius Press.  I have been using this set for the past two weeks and am very happy with it.  It is extremely pleasant to use and worth every penny you will spend.   There is more I will say in part 2 of my review.  Stay tuned!

Comments on this Blog

I just realized that Blogger changed its comments method.  When I first started this blog I allowed anyone registered with Blogger to comments. Then they got bought by Google and anyone on that was allowed.  Then I switched to moderate everything because chinese spammers were getting through.  Then I allowed anything within the last two weeks to be freely be published by registered folks.

Now it appears the publish button in my comment email is removed and only a "moderate" button is present.  This is annoying because I didn't realize that comments weren't getting through.  My apologies.  I am going to try to change this and allow comments again.

Please join me in praying against the intentions of the irritating and useless Chinese comment spammers.

Its Here!

My Baronius Press Breviary has arrived, and along with my celebration I had a fresh cup of Midnight Vigils Blend.   This has been a long time coming and so I am very excited to share this new set with everyone.  

Please be patient for a full review.  I am extremely busy this weekend.  Some of you I know "IRL" are aware that I will be performing in the Brahm's Requiem (chorus member) tomorrow night with the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic.  That is taking a lot of my extra time.  

I have a few initial impressions:

• The books are very nice.  
• The print is easy on the eyes, but there is a bit of ghosting.
• I was nervous of the leather when I saw the NLM photos.  My fears were unfounded.  You will be pleased.
• The books are rather large and heavy.
• I really like the common texts put into the back of the book.
• The ribbons leave much to be desired.  
• This set is worth the money.

Almost here...

UPDATE:
I received a note in my email from Baronius yesterday saying the breviaries have cleared customs and will begin shipping this Friday (April 19th) from the warehouses.  I assume that means those who ordered them should receive them sometime next week, depending on where you are located.  

Original post:
Chatter regarding thew new Baronius Breviary arriving this week in the warehouses has been brewing on various forums and social networking sites.  Apparently some folks took time to call BP and ask.  However one of my readers pointed out to me that the books may still have to go through customs once they arrive on these shores.  If that is so there may be another delay.

For the traditional Catholic world, or even the mainstream one for that matter, this is one of the most important publications to come out in years.  It is understandable that so many are waiting by their door for the delivery man to arrive.  We've seen some pictures around the net (mine will be better), read some reviews, and now the waiting continues.

This breviary is one of the reasons I started doing reviews.  As the long wait crept from year to year I realized that my Divine Office collection was growing as I tried to satisfy the desire for this set.  So I decided to begin showing these things and helping people make better purchases.

And now we know this set is on the way.   It is actually going to arrive.  I feel like a kid who knows his parents already bought the Christmas gifts, knows where they are, but can't open them until the day comes.

Holy Thursday Altars of Repose in Scranton

On Holy Thursday it is traditional to visit seven churches to visit the Blessed Sacrament in its altar of repose.  I have heard this tradition reduced to three churches, which may be more realistic.  The last two years I was able to make it to seven, this year I accidentally skipped one and only made it to six.

Here in the Diocese of Scranton if you decide to make this little pilgrimage you won't be alone.  The churches are crawling with visitors moving from place to place.  It is nice to see folks taking part in this great tradition.

I took a photo of each altar last night.  They were more modest than usual.

St. Michael's Church (FSSP)

St. Patrick's Church

St. Ann's Basilica - (Passionists)

St. Peter's Cathedral

Nativity B.V.M. Church (Scranton)

Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Catholic Book Publishing - New Site

Catholic Book Publishing Corp. has a new website.  I point this out because they are one of the most important publishers of Catholic books out there.  True, they lean to the more "mainline" Catholic ethos (rather than the conservative or traditionalist) but they do have some important books and an important history.

The website looks a whole lot more interesting and up to date than the previous one.  It looks a lot easier to use as well.

My advice to CBP is to begin reprinting old editions.  I know their policy is to publish only books approved for use by the USCCB...but they'd do a whole lot of business by reprinting their myriad editions of1962 Missals and other resources.

One of the best old books they came out with was the St. Joseph Continuous Sunday Missal.  For the past couple of years I have used it during the Summer months when my choirs have off.  It is so easy to use when you just want to go to Mass and not have to flip back and forth.

If you want an old St. Joseph's missal you can find them around the internet, on the freebie table at your parish, or used book stores.  They are particularly nice for their larger print.

Benedictine Daily Prayer (and a new toy...)

In anticipation of the new Baronius Breviary, I've bought a new toy.  Here we see my first "test" of my just opened miniature photo studio.  I decided to show off a breviary that is very prevalent on the market: The Benedictine Daily Prayer.  A full post will hopefully be showing up here, but I will say a few things about it.

First lets take a look at the photo.  I did a little, very little, editing to take out the edges of the photo studio sides.  It was quick, but with more time it would be better.  The light is good.

The cover of the book is one of the best treatments for bonded leather I have every seen.  The burgundy color works well and makes for an attractive prayerbook.

The side lights on the studio provide the perfect amount of illumination, especially for my purposes.  Here we see the text of the breviary.  It is single column throughout with a standard serif font.  The text is moderately sized and well spaced.  Notice the hymn on the right...it is a translation of the Latin hymn for Epiphany.  The proper hymns are used throughout, not the like the ones in the Liturgy of the Hours.

The collects (example on the left page here) range from well done to ridiculous.  They are not the same old ICEL collects found in the Liturgy of the Hours.

Here is the texture of the cover.  You can also see the un-ironed floor of the photo studio, which were left on purpose for you to see.  I have some techniques to perfect.   

Here you see a comparison with Volume II of the Liturgy of the Hours.  It is shorter but about the same thickness.  

A couple more points about the BDP Breviary...

• The psalms are inclusive language version of the Grail psalms used in the LOTH.  Unless you know those well these don't really seem that bad.  I tend to dislike inclusive language used for its own sake.
• The antiphons are not new compositions from the 1970s, like the LOTH, but are translations of the traditional antiphons for the hours which go back in some cases to the first millennium of the Church.
• There are some readings at Vigils (Matins, Office of Readings) that come from magazine/journal articles and other sources.  No, I am not kidding, but it looks like they are alternate readings.  If you know how to avoid silliness you can.
• There are some feasts included that are "special" to non-Catholics.  This is meant to be ecumenical.
• This breviary is not approved for actual liturgy.

In short, there are many really really good things about the BDP.  With the exception of the non-Catholic and silly language problems, this is a better version of the hours than the LOTH.  The antiphons, hymns, and (some) of the collects are worlds better than the official version.  But because of the howlers and weirdness I cannot recommend it for everyone.  Catholics use with caution, if at all!

Pre-ordered

I submitted my pre-order today for the Baronius Breviary.  No doubt many of you have already seen Fr. Z's mini-review of the new set.  As promised, a larger and more robust review with many photos of the breviaries will appear on these pages.  When you google "Baronius Breviary" this blog shows up just under the Baronius site, so no doubt many will view this review.  Believe it or not, many folks still find this blog looking for TAN's Bibles and then stick around to view the other pages here.

One of the things I try to do here is to provide an accurate as possible testimony about important Catholic books on the market because I know money is tight for a lot of people.  Things have slowed a little because I am incredibly busy with my job.  Although, as some of you no doubt have read around the internet...that will soon be ending...

Your donations have helped defray some of the cost for me and I hope that will help you make a good buying decision.  Baronius Press worked hard and had many setbacks.  From the looks of things, they have put together a decent product.  I am looking forward to telling you about it as soon as possible.

TAN / SBP Lauch New Blog

I received a note from St. Benedict Press / TAN  that they have launched a new blog connected to their growing Catholic Courses program.  It is called the Faculty Lounge and will be having regular posts by their course instructors.  Go check it out!

https://catholiccourses.benedictpress.com/lounge/

Huzzah! Baronius Breviary Completed!

Go ahead and take a look.  Yes, I will be getting a set and showing it as promised!  Thanks to all who have hung around for this.

The site says "a few have been sent to reviewers".  Thus far, I haven't been contacted, and doubt I will be.   (small potatoes and all that) so the donations some of you sent in will be used for the purchase.  Thank you!

They also announce the Knox Bible will be sent for printing on Feb. 27th.  I am also very interested in that.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to show that here as well.

http://www.baroniuspress.com