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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

Prepared to Receive: the Importance of Disposition

Andrew R. Motyka · November 5, 2014

COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, we had a bad choir rehearsal. It was one of those rehearsals where even the literature that the choir knows inside and out sounds off. Anything we tried a cappella for more than a dozen bars started sagging in pitch, and the energy was just way down in the room. It was one of those rehearsals where even the singers were looking at one another, knowing that they didn’t sound as good as they usually do. What was happening? I realized that it was “one of those days” and spent the rest of the rehearsal helping them learn notes on upcoming pieces. I knew we could spend lots of time correcting intonation, breathing, and getting into shape on the pieces we were already working on, but it would be a grind. Some days are like that. And this one was entirely my fault.

What is the cause for a rehearsal like this? Sometimes it’s attendance issues. If all your first sopranos are out, it’s going to be a tough night. Sometimes it’s the weather, or the heat isn’t working, or you’re tired and cannot give the energy you need to give as a director. These can all contribute to a less-than-productive rehearsal. In my experience, however, most of the time these things can be corrected with a good, thorough warm-up.

I used to hate doing warm-ups with my choirs. Rehearsal time is a precious commodity, and any time spent warming them up is time that we’re not working on literature. What I’ve come to learn instead is that time spent warming up well is time that you won’t have to spend correcting vocal problems in every single piece you sing in the rest of rehearsal. Everyone (including the director) comes into the rehearsal with physical and mental baggage. Bad posture, improper breathing, and poor vocalization habits need to be broken down and intentionally reformed. Ten or fifteen minutes of warm-ups at the beginning of rehearsal will have a profound effect on the rest of the evening. The week after our train-wreck of a rehearsal mentioned above, I made it a point to have a thorough warm-up the following week. It was one of our best rehearsals, with almost entirely the same literature.

As I’ve mentioned before, disposition is important when receiving the sacraments. When you receive Holy Communion, as long as the Mass is valid, you are receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. This is true for the traddiest of EF Masses as well as the elusive Clown Mass. You don’t add to or subtract from the grace provided grace based on the quality of celebration. However, our receptivity to that same grace poured out through the Eucharist is affected by our interior disposition, which is absolutely impacted by the quality and reverence of our celebration. Just as the recipient of God’s grace in the sacraments is edified much more by their interior disposition, including the way in which they celebrate the Mass, so is the choir is much better at singing the exact same literature for having warmed up.

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 Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(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

“This chapter hereby extends the prohibition of 13 June 1561 against loaning singers or instrumentalists on any account whatsoever to include even the humblest choirboy.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (10 June 1562)

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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