Published by John Gaffney
Born in South Milwaukee, WI, John began studying piano at the age of seven while growing up in the Chicago Suburbs. At age twelve he transitioned to organ study. His first job ever was in high school as Assistant Director of Music at a large Roman Catholic parish. He moved to California after high school where he studied music theory and composition, choral conducting and theology on the medium-sized, private (Roman Catholic) campus of the University of San Diego. John continued with five years of graduate studies in liturgy and sacred music at the also private (Roman Catholic) Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley in Northern California. John has worked in parish liturgy and music for over twenty years with his last parish position being Director of Liturgy and Music at the largest, most culturally diverse parish in the Diocese of San Diego. John has lead workshops in various dioceses on many different liturgical and musical topics, especially focused on reimplementing the Church's tradition of sung liturgy (including singing the propers rather than replacing them with another hymn or song [which is done at most parishes] and is not the liturgical tradition of the Church nor what the Roman Missal and all current abiding Church documents on music call for as the ideal). Sung liturgy in itself unfortunately is a rarity in parishes that celebrate the Roman Rite. John has designed workshops to help revitalize this important tradition of the Church that help and instruct dioceses and parishes on how to easily get their priests and laity to learn and implement singing the liturgy. John also continues to compose and publish with the goal of composing choral music accessible to the average, volunteer parish choir as well as liturgical music (particularly simple settings of liturgical texts like the Propers) and his soon to be released (GIA published) simple, a capella setting of the "Song of Farewell" (official OCF text) which is something much needed! This sung rich-theological text is often replaced with another song at funeral Masses while the body is being incensed. In addition to liturgy and music, John's other passion is aviation with hundreds of flight hours under his belt. He flies out of Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) with Windy City Aviation.
John has many popular workshops and is also available to customize a workshop on any music or liturgical topic for your parish or diocese. For more information see the Workshops page.
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Set Me Like a Seal
“Set Me Like a Seal” is dedicated to my mother, Debbie Gaffney, who died in 2015 at the age of 56 from cancer. The text very much spoke to me during that difficult time. The piece is somewhat polyphonic and while it should sound warm and gentle, the entrances of each part should be confident and slightly accented. Rubato may be used throughout. I was influenced by Ralph Vaughn Williams’ “O Taste and See” when composing this piece. Specifically it’s form and the beauty that can arise from a short, well composed anthem.
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Seek The Lord
Seek the Lord
“Seek the Lord” was composed for an annual meeting of the “North American Academy of Liturgy” in the early 2000’s (I don’t remember the exact year). The piece uses “Twentieth-Century” type harmonies that contain a lot of dissonance. The choir should sing with a tall, round sound making the dissonances lush rather than harsh. Rubato should be used throughout, especially at the end of phrases allowing the dissonant chords to ring out and sorround the listener. The dynamics should be carefully observed. The Isaiah-based text can be found in the Lectionary appointed readings for The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Year B), and the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A).
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Our God Has Gone Up
“Our God Has Gone Up” is based on Psalm 47 and was composed for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. At the time I was Director of Music and Liturgy at a large parish. It was the day of the last rehearsal before Ascension Sunday. The choir had been working on an early music motet but I knew they would not have it prepared with just one more rehearsal. I looked through the choral library and couldn’t find anything else extremely appropriate for the Solemnity. So I composed, “Our God Has Gone Up” in my office in an hour or two. It turned out to be a fun, one-rehearsal anthem. Ironically it is my best selling published piece.
The piece ended up sounding very Classical, even Baroque to me. So it should be sung with a “tall”, light Baroque type sound. The last A section will naturally grow louder and intense as the last chord is reached, however the sound should stay light.
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Prayer to Mary
I discovered the text for “Prayer to Mary” while visiting a friend and colleague, Ron Gollatz (an ordained priest in the Chicago Archdiocese) when he was in the hospital. It was a prayer he used often during his year of illness and other times in his life when in distress. Ron was truly a minister to God’s people. When I saw the text, I immediately knew it had to be turned into a choral anthem. This was the easiest and one of the fastest pieces I have ever composed. The Spirit was definately at work helping me to compose this piece. Ron got to hear it before he died and it was sung at his funeral.
“Prayer to Mary” should sound lush and “heavy” (which can be achieved with a strong bass section). Each of the three soprano solos should be gentle yet sound urgent and cut through the choirs “Oohs”. Tall vowels is a must in this piece.
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Salve Regina
“Salve Regina” is a SATB setting of the text from the glorious Salve Regina Chant. I kept hearing a melody line and harmony for the first phrase of that text and couldn’t get it out of my head so I wrote it down. I continued to set the rest of the text and what emerged was a somewhat Classical sounding Anthem with pretty straight forward harmonies (there are some dissonances and cluster chords here and there). The piece will be interesting for the conductor to interpret. Most of the piece needs to stay at a strict tempo, However, a few of the phrases can use some rubato. While the chant is glorious this anthem provides a choral alternative.
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Ave Maria
St. Raphael Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, IA has begun a tradition of Christmas Lessons and Carols each year, sometime after Christmas Day, during Christmastide (not before Christmas Day during Advent!). The program is a combination of scripture readings, assembly-sung carols and choral selections. Each year, Music Director James Mendralla selects a choral setting of “Ave Maria”. In 2019 I was commissioned to compose a choral setting of the “Ave Maria” text to be used for Lessons and Carols. The premiere was a glorious and successful occasion!
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