A. Background:
The Voice of the Trumpet is a magnificently weaved biography of one of the Catholic Church’s most controversial figures: The English-born Bishop Richard Nelson Williamson[1](born March 8, 1940).  

Written by long-time friend and confidant, Dr. David Allen White[2](retired Professor of Literature at the US Naval Academy), the biography is the end product of nearly seven years of research, personal conversation, correspondence, and collaboration with the bishop himself.  Precisely because of this intimate connection and communication between biographer and subject, it must be considered authoritative, and will likely remain the definitive resource on the person and subject of Bishop Richard Williamson.

The professional experience and qualifications of the biographer also enhance the authoritative nature of the product:

Having previously published works on Bishop de Castro Mayer of Brazil[3]and Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre,[4]Dr. White is an experienced biographer, who demonstrates facile command of primary and secondary source materials, and a seemingly natural ability to order the data into a coherent and cohesive portrait of his subject, placing said subject within the broader historical context of his times to produce a more comprehensive understanding of the subject in the reader.  

The Voice of the Trumpet is no exception, and even the most informed readers on the subject will consciously perceive their knowledge of Bishop Williamson growing as they work their way through the biography.

But more important than Dr. White’s professional qualifications and experience as biographer are his abilities as teacher (derived from those qualifications) to construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct literature in order to understand and exposit upon “author’s intent,” and it is of this which something must now be said, because he has used this ability to create and construct a new and unique literary form which has not previously existed in the domain of biographies:

He has formatted and composed a biography in symphonic form, and in doing so, Dr. White has broken new ground in the biographical realm.[5]


B. Format and “Author’s Intent”
Before I explain how Dr. White has constructed his “symphony,” I must first relate a little tale, lest after reading my description, the reader should question whether this was truly Dr. White’s intent, or rather, some powerful rationalization and imagination on the part of the reviewer:

In March/2002, I had the good fortune, as a seminarian of the SSPX, to attend a conference by Dr. White on Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.”[6]  During the presentation, Dr. White explained that Shakespeare was an exceptional craftsman.  His plays were consciously diagramed and charted.  He had a plan and brought it to fruition before sitting down to write.  From the sublime interweaving of the “three bond plots,” to the Catholic exposition of “justice tempered by mercy,” to the contrast between Judaic and Christian spirit: It was all deliberate down to the slightest detail.[7]

Dr. White called this engineering “author’s intent,” and for the sake of the present review, it is an important idea to keep in mind, because it manifests itself again in the construction of The Voice of the Trumpet, where, by a masterstroke, Dr. White has taken the method of Shakespeare, and by means of a double-entendre, paid simultaneous homage to Bishop Williamson and the bishop’s great love of both Shakespeare and Beethoven by “composing” the bishop’s biography according to this symphonic form according to the Shakespearean method.

Let us now take a look at how Dr. White “composed” his “symphony.”


C. The Symphony
To get a full appreciation of the Voice of the Trumpet, one must first understand what a symphony is.  Quite simply, a symphony is an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements, at least one of which is traditionally in sonata form
Obviously, the most crucial components of a symphony are the instrumental or orchestral sections: Brass, string, woodwind, and percussion.  But these must be brought into harmony with each other by a conductor, lest they produce a cacophony.
Dr. White, as author, is the analogous conductor, choosing when and how the various orchestral sections make their emergence to produce a beautiful sound (portrait).

These various orchestral sections also have their analogous counterparts which are interspersed throughout the biography, manifesting themselves as recurring themes:

Instead of thinking Brass, percussion, string, and woodwind, the reader is tempted to think: The Beatles, English martyrs, trumpet solos, and verbal music interludes, which all come together to make an engaging medley:

1. The Beatles: Commentary or information by or about the Beatles (representing revolution and all that is wrong with modernity, according to the Bishops’ well-known references to same), or quotations showing the deplorable state of the world in which Bishop Williamson was nevertheless making his march toward the Church and Econe;  

2. English Martyrs: Melancholic and inspirational accounts of the lives of the English martyrs (and the reader cannot miss the suggestion that Bishop Williamson is thus far continuing in this English tradition in the form of “white martyrdom.”[8]): The banishment from Argentina after the “h0Ɩ0cαųst interview;” the sequestration in Wimbledon; the expulsion from the SSPX for holding to the position of Archbishop Lefebvre regarding no practical accord with modernist Rome until it converts to Tradition;


3. Trumpet Solos: Excerpts from Bishop Williamson’s “Letters from the Rector” or “Eleison Comments” which elicited passionate responses or engendered controversy (911, The “h0Ɩ0cαųst,” the Sound of Music, or women in pants.).  These to some degree defined the world’s perceptions of Bishop Williamson, and these well-placed “trumpet solos” (Bishop Williamson being the trumpet, or as the title implies, the voice of the trumpet) often pop up at calmer moments of the biography, just as they did in real life: Controversy out of nowhere!

4. Verbal music interludes: Apropos selections of poetry regarding the various themes under discussion throughout the biography.

But these are just the tools which are used to create the “symphony.”  What about the symphony itself?  How is it ordered, and how does it progress?  At this point, the analogy becomes explicit, and the book even takes on the ordering and terminology of the symphony:

1. Allegro moderato: (“to play at a moderately quick tempo”) This first “movement” is titled “Portrait of the Bishop as a Young Man.”  It covers the period from his childhood (and interesting family history), into adulthood and his teaching career, until the time of his decision to become Catholic in December/1970 (formally received January/1971).  This section is “allegro moderato,” because it covers a lot of ground, but without being cursory.  Much of this section contains personal details which had been thus far private and unknown.

2. Andante: (“to be played at a moderately slow tempo”): This second “movement” is titled “From Seminary to Seminary.”  This section recounts the Richard Williamson’s route to priesthood: Rejected by the diocesan seminary, and again by the London Oratory, and finally pushed by Providence into the SSPX, through his priestly ordination and episcopal consecration, until his abrupt departure from the Argentinian seminary in the wake of the “h0Ɩ0cαųst” interview.  The reader will find many previously unreported details in this movement regarding the early rivalry between Bishop Williamson and Bishop Fellay from 1994 on (for example, Bishop Fellay’s desire to have Bishop Williamson transferred from Winona as early as 1999), etc. which are very illuminating as regards the ultimate expulsion of Bishop Williamson and the ralliement of the SSPX.

3. Scherzo: (“a vigorous, light, or playful composition, typically comprising a movement in a symphony or sonata”):  This third movement is titled “Explosive Missives,” and is largely composed of the nuclear detonations of His Excellency which account for his controversial reputation.  “In times of revolution, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” (Orwell).  That nothing His Excellency said should, in the normative sense,[9]be controversial didn’t matter.  The world will only tolerate bishops who put cushions under sins, and those who will not bend their teachings to match with modern sensibilities will be hated by it.  Women in pants, 911, “h0Ɩ0cαųst” and the Sound of Music and other famous bones of contention are all contained herein.

4. Rondo: (“A musical form with a recurring leading theme, often found in the final movement of a sonata or concerto.)  This fourth and final movement of the symphony is titled Veritas Variations, and reviews Bishop Williamson’s worldview, as well as the bases for that worldview.  The first theme of this movement considers reality as known by scholastic philosophy, and how the bishop became the great advocate of St. Thomas Aquinas.  The second theme within this movement pertains to history, and discusses the bishop’s understanding of Church history according to the vision of the Ven. Holzhauser (or what has come to be known as “The Seven Ages of the Church”).  The third theme within this movement discusses cօռspιʀαcιҽs, such as the “h0Ɩ0cαųst” and 911, etc.

Finally, the book/symphony concludes with a Coda: (“The concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure; a concluding event, remark, or section.”  This brief section opens with a chilling quote from the prophet Jeremias 6:17:


That more or less encapsulates the bishop’s life.  His own Society turned its back on him (and then stabbed him in it).  They didn’t want his traditionalism, but modern “normalcy.”  In this, Bishop Williamson follows his great mentor, Archbishop Lefebvre, likewise cast out by a “conciliar church” which had made friends with modernity 40 years before the SSPX did.

In the Coda, Dr. White asks the million-dollar question: “What then composed this English bishop?”

The answer is simple and straightforward: “First and foremost he believed the doctrines of the Catholic faith and knew in his bones and to the depth of his soul that doctrines must be restored and honored.”

D. Conclusion:

Dr. White has accomplished what needed doing most: He has left the world and posterity a comprehensive account of one of the post-conciliar Church’s most interesting and controversial men.  “No servant is greater than his master; if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” And indeed, they have: From Jesus Christ to Marcel Lefebvre to Richard Williamson.  

Yet for all that, he is still loved by some of us (even if we are his “problem children!”).

The Voice of the Trumpet will necessarily interject itself into any future discussion of the question: “Who is/was Bishop Williamson.”  

Note finally that Dr. White observes the “symphony” is as yet unfinished (i.e., the Bishop is still with us).  The ending is as yet uncertain.  

---

[1]Bishop Williamson’s weekly Eleison Comments (as well as many of his recorded sermons, conferences, and collected letters) can be found here: https://stmarcelinitiative.com/
[2]About Dr. White, in his own words: https://www.olrl.org/stories/drwhite.shtml
[3][4][5]Those who are not only familiar with Dr. White’s previous works, but have also read The Voice of the Trumpet, will easily note the advancement and progression of Dr. White’s transcendence: From the excellent but traditional biography of Bishop de Castro Mayer in The Mouth of the Lion, to the more intricate and expansive mosaic presentation of Archbishop Lefebvre in The Horn of the Unicorn, to the present work, which is organized and presented as a musical composition.
[6]A 4-part recording of these conferences can be purchased here: http://stmarcelinitiative.com/bookstore/products/The-Christian-Comedy-of-Shakespeare%27s-The-Merchant-of-Venice-%252d-Part-I.html
[7]I was once explaining Dr. White’s presentation of several such Shakespearean themes to a fellow traditionalist Catholic, and when I was done, the lady paused and said, “Sometimes you have to wonder if Shakespeare really meant all that, or whether it is just the ingenuity of Dr. White attributing to Shakespeare that which was really not in the mind of the playwright.”  Had I not had the good fortune of attending Dr. White’s conference, I might myself have wondered something similar.  There are two causes of such incredulity: The greatness and superior intelligence of Shakespeare, and the rudeness of the common man.  The greatness of Shakespeare’s intellect causes us to doubt such profundity is really possible, and on the other hand, most of us miss so much of what Shakespeare intended, we think he was really no big deal anyway.  But one like Dr. White is able to catch and expound upon those sublime truths which made Shakespeare Shakespeare, and in doing so, he makes the Bard accessible to us.  Dr. White is, after all, a career professor.
[8]One who is profoundly persecuted for his Catholic beliefs, but who has not died through the shedding of blood.
[9]If the subjective considers reality as we perceive it, and the objectives considers reality as it actually is, the normative question considers reality as it ought to be.
[10]This quotation might not apply only to the conciliar church, or to the modernizing clergy and faithful of theand  SSPX, but even to certain parties within the SSPX Resistance (Just as the SSPX later turned its back on Archbishop Lefebvre after his death).