Program Note:

The Roman Catholic church’s liturgy, which lays out strict rules for how to carry out the ritual of the Mass, is not unlike the procedures of musicians. We plan rigorously for an event which will follow a certain order, using familiar objects and sayings, in a specific style. We keep things consistent. The buildings we use are specifically designed for us. Because of all these similarities, the musicians who call choir-lofts and organ consoles their home know the church and the stage aren’t the important things. The things which take place in those spaces – music, spirituality, divinity, art – they contain similar aesthetics. Especially to musicians who participate in both, music and liturgy carry emotional weight. The way in which those emotions change through the course of the ceremonies is not so different either.

These five pieces for Organ, named “Order of the Mass,” are a concert work. However, the ritual of the Mass mirrors the temporal aesthetic of a concert. The progression from beginning to middle to end (as well as the aftermath) of both ceremonies have similar curves. So, while this is a concert work, it is also in a way a liturgical work. The compositions may not exactly be suited for liturgical use, but their model creates a short ceremony in and of itself. The emotions felt at the end of a Mass are quite unique because of the events of the preceding hour. These works were composed in March/April of 2024.