About
How did this project get started?
Quite simply I wanted to listen to Lutheran Latin materials on my iPod while I commuted. I decided to make recordings for myself, but then realized that I might as well put them on the web for anyone else who might be interested. I don’t expect that too many people share this passion, but maybe there are a few.
What texts will be recorded?
Currently I will try to record all of the Meditationes Sacrae, following which I will move on to the Augsburg Confession (and possible someday its Apology), various collects and lectionary readings from a Lutheran Latin Bible, and also various liturgical materials and chants.
What pronunciation is used in these recordings?
Mostly a “restored classical” pronunciation is used (info here), though there may be some recordings which use an Austro-German ecclesiastical pronunciation, which is our heritage from our Lutheran forebears. Caveat auditor: these are amateur recordings!
Why do you use a “restored classical” pronunciation?
There are several reasons: (1) that’s what I learned first; (2) that’s what I think most people learn nowadays; (3) there is no truly “ecclesiastical” way to pronounce Latin; e.g., Cyprian, Tertullian, and many other Latin fathers would recognize a more classical utterance than anything else; and (4) I think that it’s pedagogically the best because it encourages the student to learn the correct vowel quantities necessary for truly enjoying Latin poetry (including early Christian Latin hymnody). (5) Lutheranism and humanism have always been friends, and I see no reason why they cannot be on this issue. Yet I am not dogmatic about pronouncing Latin this way, and even among those who use the “classical” pronunciation there is often variance.