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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

What Choirmasters Do.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 28, 2019

80928 yelling ROWING UP, I was part of a particular musical “culture.” It began with the Russian school: Anton Rubinstein (d. 1894); Felix Blumenfeld (d. 1931); Wiktor Labunski (d. 1974). I won’t go into the details right now, but let’s just say it was…rigorous. Every semester, we were required to perform demanding concert programs from memory: Chopin Etudes, Medtner, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy, and so forth. The “audience” consisted of incredible pianists—Robert König, Richard Angeletti, Alice Downs, Jack Winerock, etc.—listening critically to every single note, giving a lower grade for any mistakes or memory lapses.

Having graduated college with a professional music degree, I encountered the “real world” of church music: the shocking musical situation of the Catholic Church. I discovered that very little of our day-to-day vocation has anything to do with music. (Those of you who have directed choirs throughout the United States know what I’m speaking about.) Much of what we do is physical: moving chairs, constructing shelves, sorting endless choir binders, and so forth. We also have to deal with “politics” constantly. Then, too, there is ignorance of music—such as the bride who insists that you provide 12 professional singers for her wedding free of charge, whereas she never demands (for example) a free wedding cake, or a free wedding photographer, or a free reception hall, or a free wedding dress, or free wedding flowers, or free wedding catering. We also have to be “psychologists”—because many singers have personal problems, which they choose to bring to us. Playing scales and trills for hours in college did not prepare me for this!

In case you’re wondering: the photo on the upper right is me—taken on Saturday night. You see, on Saturday night we held a special choir party. I currently direct about 62 choir members, and most of them were in attendance. It was wonderful (games, food, costumes, and so on), but it required tons of work. Again, parties have very little to do with “music,” yet they’re quite important. They help the choir members become friends with one another, and this is essential when they sing together for hours week after week.

Here’s the bottom line: Sometimes dressing up in a costume helps the music program more than a rehearsal. (Needless to say, we have plenty of rehearsals, too!)

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

    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

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

“These liturgists protest that the choir must be encouraged, but in the same breath we are told its purpose is to lead the congregation in the singing of hymns and other unison music. These directions from non-musicians who have never created a musical sound—let alone direct a choir—are the cause of consternation among practicing musicians, both instrumentalists and singers.”

— Monsignor Richard J. Schuler (30 November 1967)

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