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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

Choirmasters, Your Job Is Hard Beyond A Doubt

Jeff Ostrowski · March 3, 2017

332 Marcia Clark S A YOUNG BOY growing up in Kansas, I remember when all the channels switched over to a Los Angeles white Bronco chase. Helicopters followed in the air as 95 million Americans watched. At the time, I had no clue what the big deal was; but it turns out the entire case was complicated and interesting from various points of view. What can a choirmaster possibly learn from the 1994 Simpson murder trial? Quite a lot, believe it or not. But today, I’ll focus on two areas only.

First of all, those who have watched the actual trial taking place (on YouTube) will notice most of the attorneys—on both sides—were remarkably unprepared and obscenely incompetent. They spent hours bickering and being held in contempt. Indeed, the audio frequently went dead (and the camera just pointed at the ceiling) as the lawyers did battle with the judge at the sidebar, usually for no serious reason. They often showed up late, with slides and props that were ill-prepared. If those attorneys tried to run a choir rehearsal like that, they’d be out of a job almost immediately. When the choirmaster conducts a rehearsal, every minute is precious and must not be squandered. That’s why we spend hours preparing; routinely an entire week. If the attorneys had prepared properly, the trial would have ended much sooner.

Secondly, there are hundreds of theories vis-à-vis why the jury ruled the way it did. Some say they made the right decision. Others claim they made the wrong decision. Some say they were enamored with O. J. Simpson because he was a star and developed a rapport with him each day. Others say they were so traumatized by being sequestered for 256 days—watched by armed guards, not allowed to watch television, and scarcely allowed to telephone their families to say goodnight—they just wanted to go home. Some say they shouldn’t have been sequestered. Some say Marcia Clark messed up the case. Some say jury selection was improper. Some say Simpson struggling with the glove was convincing, while others feel the opposite. In the end, however, guess what? You have the jury you have.

This is like our choirs. Each member is unique. Each has strengths and weaknesses. We can obsess over this, asking why that is the case. But in the final analysis, we have the choirs we have. Our job is to make beautiful music, not excuses! As Roger Wagner repeated constantly: Never apologize for your choir, because they’re as good as you are!

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 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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

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

“I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant.”

— SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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