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Views from the Choir Loft

David J. Hughes

David J. Hughes · January 8, 2013

AVID J. HUGHES is Organist & Choirmaster at St. Mary Church in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he directs a professional choir for a weekly Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Missal of 1962), a volunteer choir for the Latin Mass according to the Roman Missal of 2002, and several children’s choirs. He led the St. Mary’s Student Schola to sing chant and Renaissance polyphony for the primary English-speaking Masses in August 2011 at World Youth Day in Madrid; the students also sang for pontifical Masses at the Cathedral of Toledo, Extraordinary Form Missae cantatae at the Carmelite monasteries in Avila and Madrid, and for the Latin Masses sponsored by Juventutem.

Active as a composer, and fascinated by the role that plainchant can play in the inspiration of new compositions, Mr. Hughes has written extensively for choir and organ. Recent premieres include Pascha jucundissimum and the Missa de Beata Maria. Film scoring credits include Navis Pictures’ St. Bernadette of Lourdes and several documentaries.

Mr. Hughes is a member of the board of the Church Music Association of America, and serves as a chant instructor and the director of new music at the CMAA’s annual Summer Music Colloquium. He is director of music for the annual Roman Forum Summer Symposium at Lake Garda in the north of Italy.

Mr. Hughes’ composition teachers have included Ruth Schonthal and John Halle, and he has studied organ with Paul Jacobs and Daniel Sullivan. A native of Stamford, Connecticut, Mr. Hughes is a graduate of Yale College.


Photo courtesy: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny

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

Filed Under: Articles, Biographies Last Updated: January 9, 2020

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About David J. Hughes

David J. Hughes is Organist & Choirmaster at St. Mary Church in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he directs a both professional and childrens' choirs. A native of Stamford, Connecticut, Mr. Hughes is a graduate of Yale College.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Seven (7) Hymn Verses for November!
    In the month of November, we remember in a special way the souls in purgatory. The BRÉBEUF HYMNAL often includes text alone versions for its hymns; why is that? The short answer is: flexibility. The “text only” version allows each choirmaster to employ a myriad of melodies. For example, I recently set the English translation of “De Profúndis” with the DAVOST MELODY (PDF). We are singing this before November ends. Indeed, you can hear our volunteer singing this (in real life) if you click here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Worst Hymn Pairing Of All Time?
    For hymns in the Brébeuf Portal not yet recorded by human voices, I’ve been attempting to create recordings on the pipe organ. My latest attempt (Mp3) is a hymn called “DAVOST.” It’s a nice tune, but it must be paired with just the right lyrics. Do sickening examples of hymn pairings exist? Oh, most certainly! To download the most ghastly pairing I know, try this one—if your stomach is strong enough. If such things interest you, check out: “Six Pernicious Hymn Pairings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Attempt at Pipe Organ “Stops”
    I've been attempting to record some Brébeuf hymns on the pipe organ, but I know very little about registration (“stops”). You can listen to this morning's attempt, a recording of a tune called TRINITY COLLEGE. Do you know this tune? It's quite nice. Feel free to email me vis-à-vis the registration I chose. To quickly locate all instances of the TRINITY COLLEGE melody in the Brébeuf Hymnal, search the magic portal for “Trinity College.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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“Except the psalms or canonical Scriptures of the new and old Testaments, nothing composed poetically shall be sung in church, as the holy canons command.”

— ‘Council of Braga, 563AD’

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