ODAY I WILL explain what it means to be a choirmaster in the Catholic Church. Let’s begin with an important injunction from the Second Vatican Council: “The treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with very great care.” When people like Monsignor Francis P. Schmitt refer to the thesaurus, they’re not talking about a book of synonyms—they’re making specific reference to the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE. Take careful note of those words: “preserved and fostered with very great care.” Is there anyone on the planet willing to pretend those words are difficult to understand or decipher? And yet, in the post-conciliar years, many have pretended that ‘preserve’ means annihilate and ‘foster’ means suppress.
(1 of 10) ‘Broadway’ Need Not Apply • What is contained in the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE? This refers to the universally-admired musical masterpieces composed for the Catholic Church going back to the 7th century. It’s the type of music taught at all conservatories—even secular ones. Gregorian Chant, organum, Guillaume de Machaut, John Dunstaple, Josquin des Prez, Costanzo Festa, Cristóbal de Morales, Tomás Luis de Victoria, William Byrd, Giovanni Palestrina, Francisco Guerrero, Orlando Gibbons, Orlando de Lassus, Giovanni Gabrieli, Luca Marenzio, Gregorio Allegri, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Duruflé, Claudio Monteverdi, Anton Bruckner, César Franck, Louis Vierne, Alexandre Guilmant, Flor Peeters … that list doesn’t even scratch the surface. I could easily name 200 more. (Incidentally, the vast majority were Catholic priests.) This is the type of music taught at any serious institution.1
(2 of 10) What We Must Do • Clearly then, the conscientious choirmaster must spend his time ‘spreading’ or ‘teaching’ or ‘propagating’ the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE. I have argued that we should recruit people from the pews and teach them sacred music. Contrariwise, I have suggested that hiring non-Catholics to provide the music for the Holy Mass can lead to problems.
Here’s a live recording of our parish choir—which consists entirely of volunteers—singing the INTROIT at Mass last Sunday:
(3 of 10) Interlace • Notice what’s taking place here. Catholics recruited from the pews are singing the prescribed texts of the Mass. They’re doing so in a prayerful, beautiful, and noble way. Using song—a song which is memorable and delightful—we as Catholics ‘weave’ or ‘interlace’ the sacred texts into our minds, hearts, memories, and everyday life. The INTROIT, like almost every other part of the Proprium Missae, mainly consists of verses from the psalms. But plainsong isn’t the only way our volunteer choir ‘embraces’ or ‘gets to know’ or ‘performs’ the PSALTER. As part of the Communion Antiphon, we often sing an entire psalm in fauxbourdon. Here’s a sample from 12 July 2026.
(4 of 10) My ‘Foolish’ Goal • Vatican II solemnly declared that the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE was “of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art.” How many people realize that? How many people have taken time to think about that? The council fathers said sacred music is even greater than the paintings of Sandro Botticelli, the sculptures of Michelangelo, and the architecture of the Gothic cathedrals! And yet, if you walk into most Catholic churches, we hear what can only be described as sacro-slop: secular styles (like Broadway); pseudo rock ‘n’ roll; cheap imitations of folk songs; and so forth. But at our parish, we’re slowly introducing the authentic THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE. For example, after the congregation joins in singing the GOSPEL ACCLAMATION, our volunteer parish choir sings Renaissance polyphony:
Do you agree our volunteer singers—recruited from the pews—already sound better than many professional choirs? Perhaps I’m a fool who’s destined to fail. Nevertheless, what I’m trying to prove is that an ‘average’ or ‘normal’ parish community can have music each Sunday done according to the mind of the Church.
(5 of 10) Imitate The Saints • In the time of Pope Saint Pius X, the sacred liturgy was highly regulated. After Vatican II “the floodgates opened”—in other words, the pendulum swung 180° the opposite way. When it comes to what’s on the books, great freedom was given to those who prepare the sacred liturgy. There are many loopholes (often self-contradictory) which can be stretched and bent. Strictly speaking, the rule of ‘alius cantus congruus’ would allow the music director to program “O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL” every Sunday as the Introit, Offertory, Communion, and Recessional. The legislation does not prevent that—strictly speaking. But the saints never asked: “What can I get away with? How far to the extremes can I go without technically violating the letter of the law?” No saint ever asked that.
At our parish, we try to imitate the saints. We don’t look for “loopholes.” We focus on genuinely excellent specimens from the THESAURUS. In other words, we seek quality and avoid garbage! Here is a beautiful hymn which singers love, recorded last Sunday during Mass:
That hymn’s beauty should make an ‘impression’ on those in the congregation who hear it. In other words, it should make them curious to learn about that ancient prayer (O Esca Viatorum). More specifically, it should lead them to learn about the theology behind that ancient prayer. As Saint Paul says: “Fides ex audítu.” If Catholics in the pew never hear excerpts from the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE, should we be shocked that it has no place in their heart?
(6 of 10) A Place For All • There is even a place in the sacred liturgy for more ‘specialized’ pieces. For instance, last Sunday, a small group of singers sang contemporary polyphony during the Communion Meditation. Specifically, they sang “Tantum Ergo” (SATB) from Kevin Allen’s CANTIONES SACRAE II … and here is how that came out. I’m so proud of those singers, because we only had time to run that piece once before the Mass. (The church was packed, and it’s pretty scary to sing in front of so many people.)
It’s important to remember that Vatican II said the THESAURUS must be “preserved and fostered with very great care.” Notice what Vatican II did not say. The council did not say the treasury of choral music was to be added in a “barely noticeable” way. Nor did the council say the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE could be employed provided it was inserted in an inconsequential and imperceptible way. Of course, the documents of Vatican II have many other quotations supporting authentic choral music at Mass—but today I’m focusing on just one. Otherwise, my article would risk becoming dissertation length!
(7 of 10) Communal Vs. Tridentine • After Vatican II, there was a ‘push’ or ‘movement’ to make the Mass more communal. However, we lost something in the process. In the Extraordinary Form, there’s a sense that Mass is something that must be done. In other words, regardless of how many people are in the pews, this is the Great Sacrifice that must be offered. In the Ordinary Form, the priest in some parishes acts more like a ‘school teacher’ standing in front of a class, instructing them when to sit, when to stand, what to recite, and so forth.
Is it ipso facto ‘evil’ or ‘modernist’ to give congregations a more communal experience? Certainly not. For instance, helping congregations know when to say—all together—certain prayers like the NICENE CREED isn’t wrong or damaging. (Hopefully such things aren’t done in a disruptive way). In the TLM, there are certain days where each individual priest can choose a Mass formulary from the Missal. Believe it or not, he can even choose a Mass formulary no longer included in the Missal (such as the various Masses for the different Wounds of our Lord). But those in the pews will have no idea which Mass formulary is being chosen. Therefore, some TLM priests make an announcement at the beginning, telling the people where to look in their hand-missals. Doing so makes it possible for the congregation to follow. But certain “ultra-traditionalist” priests condemn making such an announcement—or even giving the congregation a clue which formulary was chosen—claiming it’s too “Novus Ordo.” To my way of thinking, such an attitude is absurd.
As a church musician, my goal is to take a “middle ground.” There are moments in each Mass during which the entire congregation sings. But at other times, only the priest sings; or only the deacons; or only the cantrix sings; only the choir sings. Indeed, MUSICAM SACRAM (5 March 1967) says clearly:
“The faithful should also be taught
to unite themselves interiorly to
what the ministers or choir sing,
so that by listening to them they
may raise their minds to God.”
It is deeply wrong to force congregations to sing the entire Mass. First of all, that would exclude 75% of the congregation.2 But more importantly, the Holy Mass is not a vocal concert. The congregation should sing some parts—not everything. Indeed, SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM made this clear beyond a doubt.
I’d be willing to put our parish’s congregational singing up against anyone! Here is an excerpt from last Sunday at our parish:
It was incredibly moving to hear the church resound with that hymn!
(8 of 10) Responsorial Psalm • For the Responsorial Psalm, we have a cantrix sing the verses while the congregation listens. Again, there’s nothing wrong with this: Fides ex audítu. One way of becoming familiar with Sacred Scripture is listening to it or (better yet) hearing it sung. Here is an excerpt from last Sunday sung by two wonderful female cantrices. Of course, there will always be those who object, saying:
“Unless the congregation sings
absolutely everything they
aren’t actively participating.”
But using that logic, the entire congregation would have to recite each homily (!) along with the priest. 😊
(9 of 10) Shining Brilliantly • On this blog, I have often said variety is important. We do all kinds of sacred music: hymns, plainsong, contemporary polyphony, Renaissance polyphony, fauxbourdon, settings from the Baroque, and so forth. Sacred music should be a delight. It should not be burdensome, tedious, and obnoxious. It should make an impression not only on the listeners, but on the singers! In other words, the melodies should become a part of their daily life. Sacred music is virtuous, and its melodies should echo in the singers’ heads all week long.
We’ve been singing a beautiful hymn from the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal in a way that highlights variety. The men sing a verse, then just the females, then the pipe organ improvises, and finally the TENORS take the melody (raised up a whole step). The following was recorded last Sunday during Mass:
The thrilling moment when the organ drops out at the end (when the choir switches to harmony) is not to be missed.
(10 of 10) Dom Gregory Murray • A famous pupil of Dom André Mocquereau was DOM GREGORY MURRAY, OSB. I consider Murray to be a first-rate composer, and he was a virtuoso organist. But Dom Murray was like Mr. Toad from The Wind in the Willows. He constantly changed his mind about Gregorian Chant, hopping from one “fervently held belief” to the next. Towards the end of his life, this former promoter of plainsong wrote a book attacking Gregorian Chant (as well as the entire THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE) and even admitted his secret desire to “shoot with an arrow in the throat” those who sing plainsong at Mass. At one point, he says: “It would manifestly be as absurd to expect the monks of Solesmes to sing a ‘folk Mass’ as to compel a group of pop-loving teenagers to limit their repertoire to a Mocquereau rendering of the chant.”
In essence, Dom Gregory Murray is saying: “If the congregation is full of young people, give them rock music. If the congregation is full of monks, give them Gregorian Chant.” And he undoubtedly feels he’s made a strong argument—but he hasn’t. For one thing, he assumes every congregation is either filled completely of monks or completely of young people. He never says what should be done (for instance) when the congregation is filled with both monks and young people! But on a more fundamental level, Dom Gregory Murray’s argument is irredeemably flawed because Vatican II didn’t say the THESAURUS was only supposed to be “preserved and fostered with very great care” depending on who happened to be in the congregation on a given day!
(1 of 2) Conclusion • It was both unfair and inappropriate for me to share the recordings I have shared above, because no microphone can reproduce the luscious and complex sound of voices singing in harmony; it must be experienced in real life. Microphones make the choirs sound flat and harsh—but I was there, so I know how it actually sounded in real life. Moreover, the church was particularly full on the day these excerpts were recorded, meaning the singers were (naturally) very nervous. Nonetheless, I thought it was important to share examples of what our volunteer parish choir actually sounds like. Father Brébeuf’s spiritual director wrote as follows:
“To the continual sufferings—which are inseparable from the duties he had wherever he was—and to those which charity caused him to embrace (often above his strength, although below his courage), Brébeuf added many voluntary mortifications… And after all these, his heart could not be satiated with sufferings, and he believed that he had never endured aught.”
On the one hand, I’m conscious of my failings as a Christian. How little I suffer each day for God. If one added up all the sufferings of my entire life, they would not equal 15 minutes in a life of Father Brébeuf or his companions.3
On the other hand, I believe the vocation of a church musician can be pleasing to God if every day is offered to the Lord: both its joys and its sorrows. It’s very important to offer each day to JESUS CHRIST, and this should be done as soon as one wakes up. It is deadly to start scrolling on one’s phone before one has made the daily offering.
(2 of 2) Conclusion • In today’s essay, I have attempted to explain how I view the vocation of a church musician. Perhaps I’m a fool for saying all this; perhaps none of it holds together at all. Either way, I would be glad to hear from you—write to me, whether to correct me or to tell me I got something right.
1 No serious choral program would consider including compositions by folks like Marty Haugen; Carey Landry; Dan Schutte; Roc O’Connor; Tom Kendzia; Rory Cooney; Ray Repp; and so forth.
2 Some people are tone-deaf; some people nonverbal or have a speech disability; some have problems breathing; many lack training; and so forth. There are all kinds of reasons not everybody can sing well (although mentioning this reality offends certain people).
3 The eight patron saints of North America are: Saint René Goupil (✠1642); Father Isaac Jogues (✠1646); Saint John Lalande of Dieppe (✠1646); Father Antoine Daniel (✠1648); Father John Brébeuf (✠1649); Father Gabriel Lalemant (✠1649); Father Charles Garnier (✠1649); Father Noël Chabanel (✠1649). The six priests were all members of the Company of Jesus (a.k.a. “Jesuits”). Goupil was a Jesuit—although not a priest—and Lalande was a donné of the Jesuit missions. They are often referred to as: “The Eight Jesuit Martyrs of North America.”
