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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

I’m not here to make you or me happy. | Music as a Virtue

Richard J. Clark · November 14, 2014

RIENDS OFTEN ASK me how I am able to write something here every week. I tell them that I am emotionally needy and that I seek affirmation on the Internet (just kidding of course.) Musicians want to be liked. We naturally want to make others happy so that in turn we are liked and praised. When people don’t like our music, it is incontrovertible that they lack good taste! (A friend refers to this attitude as the “tyranny of competence.”)

Truthfully, most people experience music through the lens of passive emotional stimulation. (This is not a judgment.) It is also possible, and perhaps preferable, to arrive at music through virtue. For example, it takes effort to listen to Bach’s B minor Mass, but an effort that is well worth it.

Furthermore, successful musicians are highly disciplined. It is not easy practicing the organ 4-5 hours a day in a 55-degree church in the winter or in a 95-degree church during the summer. It is not easy for a choir to not only learn their parts but to listen to each other and sing as one voice. It is not easy for a congregation to listen attentively week after week so that they may absorb, sing, and therefore pray the Word of God. Whether listening or performing, one is not passive, but fully engaged and fully active. Arrived at through virtue, music takes on even greater meaning.

NE MUST BE THICK SKINNED TO BE A MUSICIAN, especially in the Church. In an entitlement society, music is just another item in a long list of things that we “consume” even in corporate prayer. Therefore, musicians are inevitably on the receiving end of contradictory requests. “I want more of this (or that) because it speaks to me.” Such requests are probably not intended to be selfish. However, it must be charitably pointed out that what speaks to one individual may not speak at all to another. (An extremely poignant discussion on this topic by Jonathan Aigner on his blog Ponder Anew: Does the Church Idolize Music?)

Of course, this is not the point of music in worship – to make individuals or even the Music Director happy. In the Roman Rite, music is not merely important. Gregorian Chant and the propers grew up side by side with the Roman Rite. Therefore, music is at the very service of worship with Christ at the center—not us. Sacred music is intended to help us pray the words of the mass, and as such, pray the words of scripture. Sacred music is not simply an emotional stimulant designed for instant gratification, entertainment or sentiment. It is a means for prayer—for sanctification. It is also worth remembering, our prayers are not always answered immediately, but God is always listening to our prayer in song. Music practiced as such is a virtue.

ACRED MUSIC MUST BE BEAUTIFUL and done well. Certainly, we hope to please many who pray with it. But it is easy to get burnt out when dealing with pressures of competing “styles” of worship. Despite this, I find it important to retain a sense of gratitude. Fr. James Keenan, S. J. recently pointed out that we often arrive at gratitude through an emotional feeling. But he reminded us that gratitude is also a virtue. Even when mired in struggle, misunderstanding, and difficulty, we are fortunate to be part of this struggle. Much good will come of it, including a closer relationship with God. This alone will bring us true and lasting happiness.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Like all other liturgical functions, like offices and ranks in the Church, indeed like everything else in the world, the religious service that we call the Mass existed long before it had a special technical name.”

— ‘Rev. Adrian Fortescue (THE MASS, page 397)’

Recent Posts

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  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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