Composer Andrew Dittman Releases New Collection of Sacred Music
Noble and Accessible, Ever Ancient, Ever New - Listen to His Work Now
I am delighted to announce the release of new music by American composer Andrew Dittman called Kyrial. It is all sacred music. The settings are generally familiar melodies from Latin chants of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Agnus Dei, Pater noster etc), adapted to the English language and given an Anglican flavour through four-part harmonies that are evocative of traditional Anglican chant.
Andrew is choirmaster at The Chapel of the Cross Reformed Episcopal Church since 2013, Dittman composes sacred music for weekly liturgical performances. His work is rooted in traditional forms and sung in English and Latin. He draws on a range of influences, including plainchant, Renaissance and Baroque counterpoint, creating compositions that are both timeless and approachable. Like Paul Jernberg (who composes for the Roman Rite) and Roman Hurko (who composes for the Byzantine Rite), Dittman represents a new generation restoring sacred music to its proper place.
Historically, high culture and popular culture were not divided—composers like Mozart and Beethoven drew from a shared cultural font rooted in the sacred, resonating with both aristocracy and ordinary people. To restore this unity, we need fresh creativity in traditional forms of music that is both timeless and speaks to the current age, with sacred music within the liturgy reclaiming its role as the pinnacle of artistic expression. Andrew exemplifies a return to this ideal.
The collection is called Kyrial and is available on Spotify, Amazon or Pandora. You can also listen to his work on YouTube at youtube.com/@aldittman
This is beautiful. I wish this translation/version of the Gloria was available in the Novus Ordo. The music for the Gloria is always so clunky and awkward in the NO when in English. Thankfully our church does the Missa De Angelis Gloria once a month, but it still doesn't feel like much. Unfortunately, I'm usually relieved not to hear the Gloria when Lent comes around because the music we use really doesn’t sound like sacred music at all, and it is even one of the better ones. The only good English ones I've heard have been in the Ordinariate. I assume this is because of how the Anglicans actually translated it to be put to music. Also, it helps that the music was not composed in the 70s lol
My husband and I started singing hymns and chanting the Litugy of the Hours as a family because we wanted our children to be exposed to the good stuff. It has been very fruitful for our family. We were inspired too by your book with Leila Lawler and have recently started incorporating the St Dunstan Psalter after listening to your conversation with Andrew. I'm very excited for the book you have coming out with Word on Fire.
Thank you for introducing me to this music by Andrew Dittman, as well as to Paul Jernberg and Roman Hurko. It is so encouraging and inspiring to know there are still composers creating new but traditional and reverent settings for these ageless liturgical prayers and Masses.