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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

Choir Rehearsal Is Prayer

Richard J. Clark · February 13, 2015

O I JUST FINISHED directing one of the most enjoyable choir rehearsals in quite some time. That is saying a lot because I usually feel highly energized by choir rehearsals. No matter how early in the morning my five year old and/or eleven month old sons wake me up, by the end of a choir rehearsal, I’m flooded with endorphins and can’t sleep — like right now. Ironically, it is quite possible we won’t get to sing the music we rehearsed — a problem everyone in Boston is facing this Sunday.

Oh, it was not the best sounding rehearsal by far. Many, including some of my best singers were unable to attend in part because of the 72” (182.88cm) of snow on the ground in Boston. It seems we are due for another 10-18” on early Sunday morning—the fourth major storm in three weeks. This annoys me. Why does it have to hit Saturday evening into Sunday morning? Even late Sunday morning works for me. I’ll figure out how to get back later. Oh, I almost forgot, I learned the National Guard was in front of my house during tonight’s rehearsal removing snow. I already got work without them. In fact my choirs have been showing up in surprisingly wonderful numbers despite all the recent snow.

I digress.

HIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST REHEARSALS because my volunteers, including two new singers this week, accomplished a great deal in their own right. They beautifully learned the Introit, Esto mihi in Deum protectorem from the Graduale Romanum, choral anthems for Sunday and Ash Wednesday, a beautiful psalm setting by Jeff Ostrowski (one of his best, Psalm 32), a communion proper, etc., etc. Without some of my best singers and many others missing, they responded thoughtfully and sensitively to correction and direction. New singers weren’t completely freaked out by trying to sing Gregorian notation, despite a lack of experience. They tackled various styles, as always, imbuing reverence and nuance. As such, the more I respect a choir’s ability, the more critical I am in rehearsal. I was very critical, and I was very proud of them.

I think many of us are lucky to experience this in choir rehearsal. While we left knowing Sunday’s weather forecast looked dire, I told them I was grateful for this time together in prayer. Rehearsal is prayer. These great texts of the church are prayer. Hopefully, the music we add is sacred, beautiful, and therefore, universal.

Snow annoys me, because selfishly, I’d like to implement what we so lovingly prepared. It may end up being that the prayer of rehearsal will have to be good enough this week. One of the best rehearsals ever might be followed up by a fizzle.

But it won’t be. I am deeply grateful for the beautiful people around me who also want to serve the Church and each other. This will live on in our hearts with more music to pray.

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

    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
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

“Latin has been the language of the Latin liturgy for 1,600 years. It is a sign and source of unity as well as a defense of doctrine, not because of the language so much, but because it is a language no longer subject to changes. There are so many beautiful texts which can never have the same effectiveness in translation. Lastly, Latin is bound to an extremely precious heritage of melody, Gregorian chant and polyphony.”

— Cardinal Antonelli (Secretary of the Conciliar Commission on the Liturgy)

Recent Posts

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  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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