[Magdalen] Salve Regina.

[Grace Cangialosi]

My dad was stationed in Germany when I was in high school, and we lived outside a small village that had two cathedrals—one in Gothic style. It sat just off the square, and I used to wander in, always hoping the organist would be practicing!
I went in one summer day, and the statue of Mary was almost , when obscured by a bank of flowers. I couldn’t figure it out, and only years later, when I learned more about the liturgical, did I realize it mustn’t have been the Feast of the Assumption.

Btw, is that event mentioned in Scripture, or is it one of those customs the church added later? Like the names of Mary’s parents...

> On Aug 16, 2019, at 12:01 AM, cantor03--- via Magdalen <magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Today is the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin/Assumption
> I watched the Pontifical Solemn High Mass from the RC National Basilicain Washington, DC USA..  The Liturgy was perfectly splendid with theexcellent Basilica Choir leading the way.(EWTN).
> The final hymn was the familiar (to Roman Catholics) Salve Regina.
> My companion, plus the cleaning lady and her young daughter, all sang andhummed this hymn, and I realized this was because they rememberedthe use of this hymn in the movie, "Sister Act."
> However, the most splendid use of this hymn for me was on the occasion
> of the local Procathedral having a Solemn Evensong on the Feast ofthe Annunciation.  The Wuinderkind O/C jazzed the hymn up with
> multiple key changes, and harmonies, and the choir led thecongregation through it all.  The four manual 80+ stop pipe organat the Procathedral helped us through these paces.  RC;s inattendance were quick to admit they had never heard the Salve Reginasung so splendidly. I suspect the BVM was pleased as well.  And allthis in an Episcopal church.
> 
> David Strang.
>