A chant instruction program for children

Wilko Brouwers, a chant master in the Netherlands, has successfully dealt with the need for modern materials to raise children’s choirs, and put together this program based on a lifetime of learning and experience. The result is nothing short of brilliant. It includes a workbook and a teachers manual. The program is simple, short, and focused mainly on having the kids sing chant, one step at a time. Maestro Brouwers worked with translator and musician Arlene Oost-Zinner to produce a translation from Dutch to English. This was a harder task than it might first appear because music and text are inseparable. But after much back and forth, a stable English version emerged. The title is Words with Wings.

At last now parishes will have a place to begin, a method for getting started, a goal in mind, and materials that pull all of this together. This is more than a work of cultural reconstruction, though it is that. This is about the future of art in the liturgy, which is to say, the future of art and faith. It has to begin with the young if it is going to really take root in Catholic life.

But the usefulness goes beyond the Catholic parish. Since the ancient world, people have understood that music is an essential part of education. This simple and clear program of 20 lessons allows this wisdom to enjoy a new life within any educational context.
Instructor Book, 69 pages, Perfect paperback

Audio Library

The complete audio library, a companion for the book, is beautifully sung by choristers of the Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, under the guidance of the School’s music director Melanie Malinka. Here are some samples:

11: Litany of the Saints (Kyriale Simplex n. 39)

25: Puer natus in Bethlehem (verses 1-5)

53: Alleluia, haec dies quam fecit Dominus

94: Veni sancte spiritus

Download the practice tracks

The Audio Library is available for download as a zip file, or you can play the tracks individually through this page.

Complete audio tracks for “Words with Wings”

01: Virgo Maria, non est tibi similis

02: Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord

03: Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord

04: Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord

05: do-re-mi

06: do-re-mi-re

07: re-do-re-mi

08: Sancte Gregori

09: do-ti-la-sol

10: do-la-la-la-la-sol-la

11: Litany of All Saints (Kyriale Simplex n. 39)

12: Alleluia

13: Joseph, fili David

14: Salve radix, salve porta

15: Kyrie eleison

16: Benedictus es

17: Ad te clamamus

18: Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis

19: spoken: Puer natus in Bethlehem

20: Puer natus in Bethlehem

21: spoken: Assumpsit carnem Filius

22: Assumpsit carnem Filius

23: spoken: Per Gabrielem nuntium

24: spoken: Puer natus in Bethlehem (verses 1-5)

25: Puer natus in Bethlehem (verses 1-5)

26: spoken: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

27: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

28: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

29: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

30: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

31: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

32: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi

33: spoken: In psalterio decachordo psallam tibi

34: In psalterio decachordo psallam tibi

35: In psalterio decachordo psallam tibi

36: In psalterio decachordo psallam tibi

37: In psalterio decachordo psallam tibi

38: Deus, canticum novum cantabo tibi: in psalterio decachordo psallam tibi

39: “nu”: re-mi-re

40: “nu”: re-mi-re

41: “nu”: re-do-re

42: “nu”: re-do-re

43: “nu”: re-mi

44: “nu”: re-fa

45: “nu”: re-fa-mi-do

46: alleluia

47: alleluia

48: “nu”: do, do, re-mi-re, do

49: “nu”: do, ti, do-re-do, la

50: “nu”: do, ti, la-ti-la, sol

51: spoken: Haec dies quam fecit Dominus

52: Haec dies quam fecit Dominus

53: Alleluia, haec dies quam fecit Dominus

54: spoken: Lapis revolutus est ab ostio monumenti

55: Lapis revolutus est ab ostio monumenti

56: Alleluia, lapis revolutus est ab ostio monumenti

57: spoken: Tulerunt Dominum meum et nescio ubi posuerunt eum

58: Tulerunt Dominum meum et nescio ubi posuerunt eum

59: Alleluia, tulerunt Dominum meum, alleluia, et nescio ubi posuerunt eum

60: Fiat voluntas tua

61: Alleluia

62: Alleluia

63: Alleluia, alleluia

64: spoken: Quem quaeris, mulier, viventem cum mortuis?

65: Alleluia, quem quaeris, mulier, viventem cum mortuis?

66: spoken: Noli flere, Maria: resurrexit Dominus

67: Alleluia, noli flere, Maria, alleluia: resurrexit Dominus, alleluia, alleluia

68: spoken: Dic nobis, Maria, quid vidisti in via

69: Alleluia, dic nobis, Maria, alleluia, quid vidisti in via, alleluia, alleluia

70: “nu”: do-do-re-mi-re

71: “nu”: do-ti-do-re-do

72: “nu”: do-ti-la

73: Fiat voluntas tua

74: spoken: Angelicos testes, sudarium et vestes

75: Angelicos testes, sudarium et vestes

76: Alleluia, angelicos testes, alleluia, sudarium et vestes, alleluia, alleluia

77: spoken: Surrexit Christus spes mea; praecedit suos in Galilaeam

78: Surrexit Christus spes mea; praecedit suos in Galilaeam

79: Alleluia, surrexit Christus spes mea, alleluia; praecedit suos in Galilaeam, alleluia, alleluia

80: spoken: Surrexit de sepulcro qui pro nobis pependit in ligno

81: Surrexit de sepulcro qui pro nobis pependit in ligno

82: Alleluia, surrexit de sepulcro, alleluia, qui pro nobis pependit in ligno, alleluia, alleluia

83: Alleluia (do, ti, la, sol)

84: Alleluia (la, ti, do, re)

85: Alleluia

86: Regina caeli, laetare

87: Spoken and sung: Veni sancte spiritus

88: Reple tuorum corda fidelium

89: Et tui amoris

90: In eis ignem accende

91: Veni sancte Spiritus

92: Qui per diversitatem linguarum cunctarum

93: Gentes in unitate fidei congregasti

94: Veni sancte spiritus