Views from the Choir Loft

Children’s Choir in a Typical Suburban Parish? Endless Possibilities!

Richard J. Clark · April 29, 2016

N AN ORDINARY suburban parish without exceptional resources, what can be accomplished in teaching children traditional sacred music? “The possibilities are endless,” according to Ryan Lynch, Director of Music and Organist at St. Raphael’s Parish in Medford, Massachusetts.

Lynch, who is also a regular organist and cantor for Catholic TV, revived a dying parish music program, making children’s voices a centerpiece of the liturgical life along with the adult choir. Starting a children’s choir from scratch, Lynch took a simple, but wise approach: form young voices (hearts and minds) through simple traditional hymnody and chant, making their well-formed, singable melodies and rich theology a staple. You can learn more about the music program at St. Raphael’s here.

(He was also a consultant on this hymn project for the Archdiocese of Boston: Music for First Communion and Confirmation—A Catechetical Guide for Liturgical Celebrations)

Teaching Kindergarten through fifth grade in the parish school, he must also shape the musical sound of the children with a sprit of full inclusiveness—another typical aspect of parish life. This isn’t easy, but Ryan Lynch makes it appear that way. He allows especially beautiful voices to shine while creating a unified voice.

Lynch acknowledges that this is a work in progress, one to build upon. Mindful that the children who sing today will be the foundation of our Church in the future. Therefore, enthusiasm and optimism reigns: “The Possibilities are endless.” You can listen to samples and his budding choir here and here.

YAN WAS RECENTLY interviewed on “Sounds from the Spires” on on SIRIUS XM 129 Radio, The Catholic Channel. The show is hosted by Dr. Jennifer Pascual, Director of Music at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. This interview discusses life in a parish, churches of Rome, and Cardinal DiNardo’s restaurant recommendations in Houston! (for those of you attending AGO or NPM this summer).

• PODCAST • “Sounds form the Spires” broadcast on 4.24.2016:

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

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).

Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent (15 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has sublime propers. It is most often referred to as “Lætare Sunday” owing to its INTROIT. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)

The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Good Friday Flowers

Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)

Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation

It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”

For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.

—Jeff Ostrowski