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Act of Contrition
March 21, 2025 - 2:26pm — Don9of11
I have been looking for the sheet music to a sacred song for a long time. It's called "Act of Contrition." It was recorded by Perry Como on RCA Victor records in the 1950s. It appeared on 45 rpm and 33rpm. As far as I know Perry Como was the only one to record it.
I've done some research and the music was composed by Joseph J. Leahy (1916-1974), and published by Spinian Music Corp., New York, April 21, 1954. It was available in several different arrangments including medium voice for organ or piano; also in SATB, SSA, TTBB, and a two part chorus. The latter voice arrangements being arranged by William Stickles.
On the 45 rmp, the flip side was "Goodnight Sweet Jesus"
Anyway, I'm looking for the medium voice in particular.
I've done some research and the music was composed by Joseph J. Leahy (1916-1974), and published by Spinian Music Corp., New York, April 21, 1954. It was available in several different arrangments including medium voice for organ or piano; also in SATB, SSA, TTBB, and a two part chorus. The latter voice arrangements being arranged by William Stickles.
On the 45 rmp, the flip side was "Goodnight Sweet Jesus"
Anyway, I'm looking for the medium voice in particular.
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Act of Contrition - New Arrangement
I have to say that this is a very nice arrangement. I have listened to the mp3 you sent and I have listened to the original recording, excellent job transcribing the music. At measure 30, I think I would put some emphasis on "firm," perhaps a accent mark or fermata, just my opinion.
I think in measure 35, "sin" should be "sins." It is hard to say if Perry Como says one or the other in the original recording, but the old Act Contrition was "sins."
Having a version in C for high voice is a good idea.
Again, you did a great job!
www.howefamily.com
Act of Contrition in keys of A, C and D
Download ZIP file
I'll create voice demos soon, but for now you have complete scores as well as nicely performed piano tracks by André van Haren.
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Act of Contrition in keys of A, C and D
www.howefamily.com
Act of Contrition as sung by Perry Como
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Act of Contrition by Bing Crosby?
The other day I got an email from Top Catholic Songs from you stating:
"I forgot to mention that Bing Crosby sang Act of Contrition in the key of C."
https://www.topcatholicsongs.com/node/1978#comment-10797
Did you later correct this?
Don
www.howefamily.com
Bing vs. Perry
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Act of Contrition in keys of A, C and D
I had a chance to listen to all the different arrangments. I like the key of C the most, but my 66 year old voice, just can't hit the high notes anymore. I didn't know that Perry Como sang in the hymn in the Key of C, very interesting. Give your friend Andre my thanks. I sang a christmas song back in the 80s, called The Christ Child in the key of C, which reaches the high note F. Look under Midnight Christmas Eve 1985, #4
https://www.motherofmercycatholichymns.com/st-marys-choir/
My friend Tom McNeill could easily sing the key of D arrangement, but sadly he is gone now. I remember him singing a high A, in the Christmas anthem, The Birthday of a King. Unfortunately, I don't have a recording. He was good Irish tenor and a good friend. I did a special tribute to him on my website.
https://www.motherofmercycatholichymns.com/the-new-born-king/
They don't make music like this anymore.
www.howefamily.com
Act of Contrition in key of A should be good for you.
The key of A arrangement should be good for you. I would be happy to sing the A and C versions for you. Would my vocal demos be useful to you? I just have to finish my dreadful income tax return first.
I listened to this: "The Christ Child sung by Don Howe". You had a marvelous voice in 1985!
I also listened to Tom McNeill sing "The New Born King". Fantastic upper range. God rest his beautiful vocal cords.
I am blessed to be conversing and collaborating with both you and my longtime colleague André van Haren.
P.S. After seeing the MP3 player on your website, I decided to try the Sonaar MP3 Player plugin for WordPress on one of my websites. It works very well. schlettysound.com/demos
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Sonaar
The only thing I don't like about Sonaar so far is that the album title is displayed at the top of the widget player (to the left of the waveform). I would rather have the song title at the top. I have to go into my Media Gallery and change all the MP3s to have the album title the same as the song title.
Other than that, it is proving to be better than WavePlayer <waveplayer.info> which has abandoned me as a perpetual license-holder since the software was pulled from CodeCanyon/Envato. My repeated efforts to get updates and to get a bug resolved have met with silence. I use WavePlayer here: schlettysound.com/cantos-de-navidad/
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Vocal demos
I like the Sonaar Plugin, it's easy to congfigure and add mp3's, my website developer suggested it to me and it has worked out very well.
Don
www.howefamily.com
Act of Contrition and other prayerful hymns by André
You are welcome, Don. André has also done original compositions for piano and orchestra for Ave Maria, Our Father and Prayer to St. Michael.
In fact, André's Ave Maria was performed this past weekend (April 5-6, 2025) by the Octava Chamber Orchestra in Lynnwood, Washington.
https://www.topcatholicsongs.com/sites/default/files/Van_Haren_Ave_Maria_Octava_Chamber-Orchestra_4.5.2025.mp3
http://www.octavachamberorchestra.com/
https://www.topcatholicsongs.com/sites/default/files/Octava_Program_April_2025.pdf
Here is the piano version of André's Ave Maria (with me singing baritone):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEPMgN9yBVw
https://www.topcatholicsongs.com/sites/default/files/Ave-Maria-Andre-van-Haren-voice-and-piano-F-major-2025-01-18.pdf
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Act of Contrition in keys of A and C
By the way, André is very good with with piano arrangements but has not had training specifically in organ arrangements. Hopefully, a skilled organist can play from the piano scores we will provide.
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
The sheet music
Copyright Info
How much would your friend charge to make a piano/organ arrangement?
Don
www.howefamily.com
New arrangement of "Act of Contrition"
André van Haren and I have created an arrangement of "Act of Contrition" in the key of A for medium voice, based on the Joe Leahy composition. See if you like it. If so, feel free to make suggestions for improving it. We also have a version in C for high voice, if interested.
https://www.topcatholicsongs.com/sites/default/files/mp3/Act-of-Contrition-key-A-rcs-3.29.2025.mp3
https://www.topcatholicsongs.com/sites/default/files/Act-of-Contrition-key-A-rcs-3.29.2025.pdf
We are offering this at no cost to you, in appreciation of your good work preserving and showcasing classical and popular sacred hymns.
Richard Schletty and André van Haren (andrevanharen.com)
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
New arrangement
www.howefamily.com
Recreate the sheet music
Great to see the copyright information!
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Act of Contrition
Apparently, you have the composer's name correctly as Joseph J. Leahy. The info provided in the YouTube description has his last name spelled incorrectly.
Act Of Contrition · Perry Como
Greatest Gospel Songs
Provided to YouTube by RCA Records Label
℗ 2000 BMG Music
Composer: Joseph J. Lacey
Producer: Hugo Winterhalter
Re- Mastering Supervisor: Paul Williams
Re- Mastering Engineer: Bill Lacey
Conductor: Ray Charles
Re- Mastering Engineer: Mike Hartry
This Wikipedia article has his last name as Leahy:
Joe Leahy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Leahy
Greatest Gospel Songs is a fine album: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_na2cTYHmku9wKlvzcKs9BM_yCTd-GgsaI
If you can't find the original sheet music, would you like my friend André to recreate a medium voice piano/organ sheet music arrangement based on the RCA Victor recording?
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
The sheet music
https://avaluer.net/explore/30898871-act_of_contrition_vintage_sheet_music_performed_by_perry_como_1951___1954
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com