Views from the Choir Loft

Collaboration Between Artists

Andrew Leung · May 28, 2015

HIS PAST WEEKEND was a busy and musical one for me. I performed at two concerts, one with my choirs at my parish and the second one at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Charleston, SC, with the Atlanta Schola Cantorum. On the way back from Charleston, I had a chance to stop by the newly-dedicated St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church in Aiken, South Carolina. Here is a thought from my trip: Catholic artists (musicians, architects, visual artists, acoustic engineers etc.) need to work together more often.

I really like the new St. Mary Help of Christians Church. The exterior of the church is in the Spanish style and the interior looks like a Roman basilica. The project is not completed yet, they are waiting to put in the stain glass windows and more statues, but the church is definitely functional. It can hold up to one thousand people and the acoustic of the church is great! There was a graduation rehearsal going on during my visit and a teacher was giving some instructions to her students. I was able to hear her instructions from the back of this huge church and she didn’t use a microphone. I also realize there was some empty space in the choir loft and my guess is that they are leaving some room for a pipe organ in the future.

Another wonderful experience I had during the trip was the concert at St. John the Baptist Cathedral. I joint the Atlanta Schola Cantorum recently and we were invited to perform at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. I really enjoyed singing in the big gothic cathedral! As a musician, I am always “trapped” in the crowed choir loft and I never get to listen to myself or my choir from the pews or the sanctuary. This time, we performed in the sanctuary and I got to hear myself! The sound is totally different from what I used to hear and I felt like I was in heaven!

In order for all these good things to happen, artists must collaborate with each other. Musicians should plan with church architects on things like the acoustic, choir loft and space for the instruments. Other than the architectural area, it’s also important that musicians get involved in the additional sound system and the exterior design of an pipe organ. Through collaborations, we can all live out our vocation in service of beauty.

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

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)

With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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