Update March 16, 2024

ChantHacks is now up to 10 episodes!

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Update October 14, 2023

ChantHacks, Podcast 6 is up today!

Please consider supporting us through LifeFunder, so I can keep my assistant (and daughter) Allanna employed in our mission of producing and promoting Music for God and for Souls. Your financial support will help keep these podcasts going and give me time to compose. 

Project Still on the Docket.

Missa Sicut Cervus. Please watch the video!

Record an album of the original SATB version of my Missa Sicut Cervus.

WATCH - From Motet to Mass: Missa Sicut Cervus by Mark Emerson Donnelly. This is a great mass setting for cathedrals & advanced church choirs.

If you'd like to commission a musical composition for a special mass or occasion, or a would like to have me come and work with your choir for a weekend, please contact us at either mark@vocalart.org or allanna@vocalart.org.

If you like my work, please consider assisting me financially with a regular or one time contribution at LifeFunder so I may continue.

If you'd like to chat, drop me an email: mark@vocalart.org

God bless! Mark

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Update December 24, 2022

Following my 2021 collaboration with the Benedictines of Mary at Ephesus on their CD, Christ the King at Ephesus, Mother Cecilia asked if I would rewrite the ENTIRE Missa Sicut Cervus for the nuns at Gower. They recorded it on their new CD The Holy Trinity at Ephesus. It would makes a great Xmas (or anytime) gift!

Also this past year, the Monks at Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma produced a beautiful Advent CD, Rorate Coeli. I've been working with the brothers for many years. For this CD, they recorded a couple of my pieces (written especially for them): Alma Redemptoris Mater, and an organum (Organum Novi Mundi) of Rorate Coeli (which concludes the CD). Also makes a great gift!

These two albums, The Holy Trinity at Ephesus and Rorate Coeli, along with our family Christmas CD (2009), Carol of the Bells, are available to listen to on Spotify right now! Just sign up for a free account. (Though you can still purchase the CDs to help support us all.)

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THREE 2023 projects (details will follow in my January 2023 newsletter):

ChantHacks.org: A regular podcast (and series of micro-books) highlighting the various musical "hacks" I've picked up over the years. Also, time to time, I'll share my thoughts on the theory, philosophy and morality of music.

Record an album of the original SATB version of my Missa Sicut Cervus.

WATCH - From Motet to Mass: Missa Sicut Cervus by Mark Emerson Donnelly. This is a great mass setting for cathedrals & advanced church choirs.

Hire an assistant: My daughter, Allanna, has been helping me out this past year, mostly proofreading and engraving my print music. She is a great assistant and knows what I do as well as anyone. I would like to hire her full time to bring the first two project to fruition this year.

If you like my work, please consider assisting me financially through LifeFunder so I may continue.

If you'd like to chat, drop me an email: mark@vocalart.org

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To stay up to date on my latest projects, sign up for my newsletter at https://markemersondonnelly.com/get-involved/

If you wish to commission a composition for a specific occasion, or have me give a workshop or talk at your parish, please email me at mark@vocalart.org.

BTW, the short video, The Making of Memento has been delayed; release in early 2023?

As usual, thank you all for your generosity; not only to you who have donated here on LifeFunder, but also those who have given privately and through other platforms. A special thanks to the Saint Gregory the Great Foundation of Nebraska, our major supporter for this year!

Please go to my Youtube channel VocalArt.ca | VocalArt.org to hear some of my music you helped get filmed and recorded. Also, watch the documentary CANTUS FIRMUS: The Music of Mark Emerson Donnelly by motetfilms.ca.

Have a Merry Christmas & blessed 2023!

Mark

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Who am I? (vis-a-vis this fundraiser)

I'm Mark Emerson Donnelly. I've been a professional musician for 40 years. I've done lots of stuff: opera, recital, musical theatre, conducting; whatever it takes to support my wife, Catherine, and our nine children.

One thing that has been a constant in my musical life is Traditional Catholic Church music; specifically, Gregorian Chant and Classical Roman polyphony. For the past ten years, I’ve been composing in that style* fairly consistently.    "Mark's work is of the highest quality. More people need to hear his music. It will change and move them in a very positive way.  Beautiful music, extremely well-crafted."

      - Peter Allen, international film & television composer

Though I have written and arranged non-church music, I believe writing sacred polyphony is the primary mission on which God has called me to embark.

   “I have experienced Mark’s sacred music for many years. In both spirit and quality, he is truly keeping the great Catholic musical tradition alive. His composing is certainly worthy of any and all patronage and support.”

    - Most Rev. J. Michael Miller, CSB

       Archbishop of Vancouver, BC Canada

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2020/2021

Any new business takes two to three years to get going. That being said, we have had great success! We have been able to produce several excellent videos of my music.

The First Project: Four Professional Videos

Production Budget: $12,500 

First video project Complete!

   Video 1: Pater Noster/Ave Maria (double-motet) – my original polyphonic version based on the traditional Gregorian chants. 

[Now two videos. “Pater Noster” released Father’s Day 2020. Watch the YouTube video here and read the accompanying newsletter here. “Ave Maria” released Mother’s Day 2020. YouTube video and newsletter.
  Video 2: Missa “Sicut cervus” Kyrie & Gloria – my imitation mass based on Palestrina’s timeless double-motet Sicut cervus/Sitivit anima mea. [“Gloria” released Easter 2020. Watch the YouTube video here and read the accompanying newsletter here.
  Video 3: Memento verbi tui (motet) – my polyphonic setting of the Gregorian chant Communion verse, 20th Sunday after Pentecost (26th Sunday in Ordinary Time). Released August 2020 in memoriam my mother Marie. Watch the YouTube video here and read the accompanying newsletter here
  Video 4: Cantus Firmus: The Music of Mark Emerson Donnelly set to released January 2021.

The Next Project: Record my Missa “Sicut Cervus”

Still in the planning stages, this is meant to be a high quality album recording with members of OFFERTORIUM (see previous videos) in a sacred space like St. Giles Cathedral in England.

Covid-19 has set this project back considerably. Please help me make this project a reality by making a one-time or ongoing contribution!

And this is only the beginning! 

Help me share my music with the world and, ultimately, do my part in leading souls to God. 

Please consider providing ongoing support for my work as a composer.

God bless! Mark

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Old News :) December 2020

In a nutshell: By standing up for freedom, for voices that are being marginalized, I was terminated by my most visible client/employer. This has affected my ability to support my family and keep up my composing.

As many of you may know by now, the Vancouver Canucks, a professional hockey team I have followed for 50 years, twenty of which I was identified as their anthem singer, has severed ties with me because I chose to sing at the “BC Christmas Freedom Rally” at the Vancouver Art Gallery, December 5th, 2020. This decision to terminate our relationship was made publicly on Twitter by the owner, even before I sang at the event. I do not use Twitter, so I was informed of this by the press. What was simply a request by my fellow Canadians to sing our national anthem, turned into an issue of whether we are, in fact, free in Canada to legitimately express an opinion which does not support the government and media narrative.

A significant amount of my income is made through performing, both as a conductor and singer; be it corporate and sporting events, private functions, weddings & funerals. No doubt, because of the perception that I was supporting an unpopular position, certain potential clients would have, on their own, chosen not to hire me. However, there are likely many others, who, given the amplifications of the significance of my performance at the Rally, would simply rather not hire a singer with whom the Canucks chose to disassociate, not because of any lack of ability; Don Cherry is quoted saying, “He puts on a pretty good show. He has that theatrical magic behind him. People love him out there.” (Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun, Dec 7/2020). No; rather that my termination was due to a kind of civic irresponsibility. Not a good perception for a national anthem singer!

Oh well, that's life. Please pray for me & my family. My prayers are with all of you, especially those whose lives and livelihoods have been most deeply affected by covid-19 and the imposed protocols.

Per JMJ! Mark