NOW AVAILABLE!

Sung by the Mt. St. Michael's Parish Choir and the Marian Sisters*
 

· Over one hour of digitally remastered hymns and Masses recorded during the First Masses of Marian Priests*.

· Includes a polyphonic Mass and hymns written by the great Palestrina.

· Altar microphones allow you to hear the Latin prayers of the Mass, the incensation of the altar, and even the bells.

· Incredibly clear, this is a recording you will never tire of hearing.

 

 

This digitally mastered collection of hymns and Masses sung by the Marian Sisters of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI) and the Mt. St. Michael Parish Choir is the closest thing to being in the choir loft. The unique CD was recorded nearly 20 years ago on an Otari four track and brings you soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices in unparalleled clarity and warmth. Separate SATB CD’s will also be available so choir members can easily learn their separate parts by merely listening.
Most of the music was recorded during the First Masses of several CMRI priests. Altar microphones allow you to hear the Latin prayers of the Mass, the incensation of the altar and even the bells.
Two Masses are featured: Palestrina’s Iste Confessor and a TTBB version of the Mass In Honor of Our Lady Queen of the Franciscan Order. Three Palestrina polyphonic (multiple part) compositions and 14 Catholic hymns are also included.
The Latin title: Bone Pastor (pronounced bow nay pah store) and Haec Dies (pronounced ake dee ezz) mean the “Good Shepherd” (Jesus Christ) and “this day” (Easter Sunday).
The devotion and prayerfulness of the choir make this recording something heavenly and thoroughly enjoyable. Since nearly everything was recorded live, there are rare occurrences of slight background noise that is no deterrent to the quality of the CD. This is in contrast to the ideal, sterile conditions found in a recording studio.
It is no small miracle that this music was preserved. The tape even had to be cooked in a convection oven for hours to retain its contents. In spite of the age and natural deterioration of the original tape, the twin priests who made the final mix hope you enjoy this “little bit of Heaven.”


Track Listings

Listen to Sample tracks from High Mass Recorded Live
(Note: Quality has been reduced somewhat on these samples for quicker download)
1)
 Ave Maria
7)
 Exultate Deo
12)
 O Sacrum Convivium
13)
 Kyrie (Mass of Our Lady Queen of the Franciscian Order)
20)
 Gloria (Mass Iste Confessor)
24)
 Regina Caeli Jubila

 


Press Release

December 18, 2007

Wayne, MI:

A new CD has been released that captures the beauty and majesty of the traditional Latin Mass. High Mass Recorded Live is a compilation of acapella choral music sung by the Mount St. Michael’s Parish Choir and the Marian Sisters from the First Mass of two Marian priests.

This CD contains the works of such renowned composers as Palestrina, and includes many traditional Catholic hymns as well. This beautiful music would have been lost if not for the foresight and dedication of Father Francisco Radecki, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wayne, Michigan, with assistance from his twin brother, Father Dominic Radecki, pastor of Queen of Angels Church in Santa Clarita, California.

It is no small miracle that this music was preserved. The original live recording was done on an Otari four track (reel to reel) on May 29 and May 30, 1988. Two hymns (Ave Maria O Maiden O Mother and Holy God) were recorded a few months earlier at St. Joseph's Recordings Studio at Mt. St. Michael in Spokane, Washington.

Only four 2,500 foot reels were used for these recordings, but Father Radecki, who has a background in sound engineering, examined 10 reels for content. Much of the music was unusable due to the deterioration of the tape, loud background noise or other defects.

It took many hours to remaster the recordings. The tape even had to be cooked for hours in a convection oven! Father Francisco and Father Dominic Radecki had to listen to each hymn, name each Mass, note the length of time of each piece, and determine the vocal part (soprano,alto, tenor or bass) that was included on a track: one, two, three or four.

The hymns or Masses were then spliced and put on individual reels to keep similar hymns or Masses together. To complicate matters, the tape itself had no external markings or notations. The outside was black, the inside was brown, yet even this was difficult to decipher because of the age of the tape.

The result of this herculean effort is a recording that allows the listener to experience the music as if in the choir loft where the bells, prayers of the Mass, and even the incensor can be heard.

A Review

This CD of unsurpasses quality features a capella choir music by such luminous composers as Palestrina. The richness of the traditions of the Church shines throughout, and the tracks featuring the Latin Mass are unparalled in beauty. --Paula Marguerite Storm, M.I.L.S., Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University

Ordering Information

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Price: $15.00
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27 Tracks | St. Joseph Media

 

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Please add $2 shipping for each additional CD ordered.

Mail to:

St. Joseph’s Media
P.O. Box 186
Wayne, MI 48184

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