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The new volume of Responsorial Psalms for the 3-year Lectionary by Luke Mayernik is receiving rave reviews as an excellent resource for psalmody. This post continues to explore the practice of responsorial psalm singing in the context of Roman Catholic liturgy using The Five Graces Psalter for reference. We hope that these reflections will be helpful to cantors and accompanists, no matter where they are on their liturgical music journeys.

We're looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the upcoming National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) conference in Baltimore in just a few short weeks! From July 9-13, MorningStar & E. C. Schirmer will have a booth at the event, and partner with NPM to present several sessions that are great opportunities for Catholic musicians to come together and learn from one another.

We are especially excited to sponsor local clinicians Dr. Eileen Guenther to share her knowledge and passion regarding Spirituals and their roots in slave narratives, and Dr. Stephen Caracciolo to share his expert techniques for successful choral conducting.

Showcases

MorningStar has recently published a new volume of Responsorial Psalms for the 3-year Lectionary cycle by Luke Mayernik. In this series, we will explore the practice of responsorial psalm singing using the Five Graces Psalter for reference, in the context of Roman Catholic liturgy, while acknowledging that other traditions also use responsorial forms. Whether singing/playing responsorial psalms is new for you, or whether you are experienced, we believe these reflections will contribute to this aspect of your ministry.

Luke Mayernik's Five Graces Psalter is a collection of Responsorial Psalms for the entire three-year Lectionary cycle, and a welcome and worthy addition to the repertoire of Lectionary Psalms. The award-winning composer and organist has crafted memorable settings infused with harmonic freshness and melodic appeal—settings that bear the weight of the emotion and liturgical importance of the psalms.

When did you start composing?

As a child, I started taking piano lessons around the age of 8.  In just a few short years, I was already re-arranging and discovering chord substitutions for all of the piano music Beryl Flemming (my piano teacher) would assign to me.  Every Wednesday evening I would to her house for my weekly lesson, excited to share my "improvements" of classical/contemporary