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Corpus Christi Watershed

“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

Brave Schola Director Posts “Live” Recording • Part 2

Jeff Ostrowski · April 27, 2015

871 Altar Cards Traditional Latin Mass ITHOUT QUESTION, the hardest thing about singing in a choir is also the most beneficial thing. Sooner or later, you must place a recording device near the Altar and find out how your choir actually sounds.

Most people think singing is easy. On paper, it seems easy. In fact, it’s incredibly difficult. Moreover, the first time you record a “live” Mass, you will probably be very discouraged. It’s like having a bucket of cold water thrown in your face. Yet, as I said, there’s nothing more beneficial.

I’ve mentioned in the past that many on the internet love to criticize and pontificate; but these same people are too afraid to post “live” recordings of their choirs (if they even direct a choir). They realize that if they do, people will rip them to shreds. As I said, singing is very difficult. It’s much easier to hide on the internet, disparaging the efforts of others.

Below is a “live” recording of our choir singing at yesterday’s Mass. Coming from immediately after the Consecration, it begins with chant and then launches into Palestrina: 1

    * *  Mp3 Download • “Live” Recording From Last Night

It was recorded by a tiny microphone near the Altar, behind a marble pillar. As you can hear, there are some balance issues, but these can be corrected as time goes on. Our 100% volunteer choir began singing in Advent. Since that time, we’ve never had the same exact group of singers show up two Sundays in a row. This makes it more challenging to correct balance issues, but I’m sure we’ll get there eventually. Our Masses currently happen Sunday evening, and not everyone can attend; but this will change whenever we obtain a Church of our own—we are the newest parish in Los Angeles.

I need to hurry up and continue making progress, because my time as director is limited; eventually the choir will notice I don’t know what I’m doing!



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The score can be downloaded as a PDF by going to this website; look for the SANCTUS.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: FSSP Los Angeles New Parish Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —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

“Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion, but that one creed is as good as another… It teaches that all are to be tolerated, for all are matters of opinion. Revealed religion is not a truth, but a sentiment and a taste; not an objective fact, not miraculous; and it is the right of each individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy. […] Men may go to Protestant Churches and to Catholic, may get good from both and belong to neither.”

— Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman (May of 1879)

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