Discover the Ward Method! Free Online Info Session March 21, 2023

by | Mar 12, 2023 | News, Uncategorized

Reserve a spot.

Developed in the early part of the 20th century for use as a Catholic school music curriculum, the Ward Method is a comprehensive music education system designed to promote the active participation of children in the sacred liturgy through the singing of Gregorian chant.

Starting from the premise that all children can sing, the method presents vocal technique, ear training, music reading, phrasing, rhythm, and improvisation in the form of short games and activities which progress from the known to the unknown.

At the heart of the method is the development of the musicianship and spiritual disposition needed for the singing of the Church’s Gregorian chant in the sacred liturgy.

Learning how to teach using the method is accessible to classroom teachers, parish music directors, and parents alike. The Ward method is an engaging methodology that can form the basis for any Catholic school curriculum, parish children’s choral program, or music class in a homeschool co-op. Some elements of the pedagogy are even useful for the instruction of adults in Gregorian chant.

Join Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka (William P. Mahrt Chair in Sacred Music, Program Director of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park) as she presents a free online information session about the method.

Participants will discover answers to the following questions:

  • What is the goal of the Ward Method?
  • What are the basic principles of the Ward Method?
  • What are the elements in a lesson?
  • How can I use the pedagogical methodology in rehearsals with older students and adults to learn chant?

The information session will include a discussion of the method, demonstration videos, and an opportunity for questions and answers.

Participants will also find out more about the July 10 to 14 class of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, “Teaching Gregorian Chant to Children,” which focuses on fully equipping and training teachers to use Book 1 of the Ward Method, among other topics.

Spaces in the online information session are limited to 99 participants. The information session will be presented via Zoom.

Participants who RSVP will receive a link to login to Zoom for the live session.

Interview with Faculty Member Prof. Charles Weaver about the “Solesmes School” of Singing Chant

by | Feb 28, 2023 | News

A member of the Institute’s faculty, Prof. Charles Weaver (Juilliard, CUNY) was recently interviewed on Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast about the topic of his upcoming summer course. Professor Weaver’s course will cover Mocquereau’s “classical Solesmes” approach to rhythm through a deep discussion of its philosophical and musical underpinnings. He will also work to contrast it with other styles of singing chant. The course, “Advanced Seminar in Gregorian Chant: Approaches to Gregorian Rhythm” will take place on the mornings of July 3 to 7. From the course description:

For students who have taken Introduction to Gregorian Chant or who sing Gregorian chant on a regular basis, this seminar explores complex issues in the study of rhythm. Beginning with the problematics of “authenticity,” oral transmission, and the relationship between notation and performance practice, this seminar will provide an overview of various approaches to rhythm in Gregorian chant, both historical and current, with an eye to developing the ability to sing chant according to several methods. Special emphasis will be placed on the approaches the writings of Doms André Mocquereau and Eugène Cardine. 1 credit or audit. Synchronous online or in-person 8 to 11:30 a.m. PDT.

To apply to this or another course click here.

Summer Application Available!

by | Feb 20, 2023 | News

We are excited to be able to begin accepting applications for our Summer 2023 sacred music courses. Even more exciting is the fact that the summer 2023 term features FREE tuition!

Apply now!

Our brochure is available on our website, and it features a very helpful FAQ to answer your questions about the program, course formats and delivery, room and board, etc.

Follow our events on Eventbrite!

by | Feb 20, 2023 | News

Interested in our free events? One of the best ways to get notified about upcoming events (talks, concerts, workshops) that are free is to follow us on Eventbrite. Click here to access our profile.

For other events (workshops, summer classes) and announcements, sign up for our email list using the pop-up on our homepage. We’ll keep you in the loop! And we never share your information.

Call for Participation – Nov. 2023 Conference Celebrating the Work of Dr. William Mahrt

by | Feb 7, 2023 | News

The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park is proud to announce its co-sponsorship of a November 2023 conference celebrating the work of Dr. William Mahrt. The Institute has issued a call for participation, inviting proposals for academic papers, lecture recitals, and panel discussions. Details are available on the conference website, where the call for participation can also be downloaded. The deadline for the submission of proposals is April 24, 2023.

catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/conference

The Musical Shape of the Liturgy: Celebrating the Life and Work of William P. Mahrt

Call for Participation

November 7–9, 2023
St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, California

Sponsored by:
The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music at St. Patrick’s Seminary
The Church Music Association of America
Stanford University
The St. Ann Choir

Having devoted his life and scholarly activity to the study and praxis of the Roman rite and its music, the work of Dr. William Mahrt has become a touchstone for countless scholars and active church musicians. Professor Mahrt’s insights into the characteristics of the various forms of Gregorian chant have elucidated the nature of the chant as integral to the sacred liturgy, and even explicated the nature of the sacred liturgy itself. Too, his exposition of the nature of beauty and its embodiment in Catholic sacred music, liturgical gestures and symbols, and architecture has served as an important guide in the Church’s understanding of the purpose of artistic beauty in Divine worship. His work with the polyphonic masters of the Renaissance has illuminated the performances and scholarship of many choirs and students, and his devoted direction of the St. Ann Choir and Stanford Early Music Singers remains a pillar in the practice of sacred music in the United States.

On the occasion of the 150th volume of Sacred Music, which Dr. Mahrt has edited since 2006, upon the establishment of a new chair in sacred music at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park in his name, and on the occasion of the 125thanniversary of the founding of St. Patrick’s Seminary, the organizing committee announces a conference entitled “The Musical Shape of the Liturgy: Celebrating the Life and Work of William P. Mahrt.”

This two-and-a-half-day conference will feature:

  • Keynote addresses (William Mahrt, Joseph Dyer, Kerry McCarthy, Sr. Maria Kiely, O.S.B.)
  • Papers, lecture recitals, and panel discussions on topics related to the conference theme
  • Masses and the sung Divine Office led by the St. Ann Choir and the Schola Cantorum of St. Patrick’s Seminary
  • Opportunities for informal discussions over included receptions and lunches on November 7, 8, and 9
  • Banquet on the evening of November 8