Views from the Choir Loft

Cardinal Burke, Maestro Charles Cole, A Great Blog

Corpus Christi Watershed · March 27, 2013

UR READERS NEED to be aware of the personal Blog of conductor Charles Cole: charlescole.com. One of the leading choral conductors alive today (if not the most prominent), Mæstro Cole is also a gifted scholar, photographer, and renowned organist. He’s giving a concert 13 April 2013 at Notre Dame, Paris, and we are so pleased to see the Bach Eb Fugue (“St. Anne”) on the program. The picture you see on the right was taken in a private audience [url] his choir boys had with Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Mæstro Cole’s choir was mentioned by name in one of Pope Benedict XVI’s final public appearances. Bravo!

Those who have followed Corpus Christi Watershed will know the special connection we have with Blessed Cardinal Newman and the oratories:

* * Cardinal Newman Link #1 [url]

* * Cardinal Newman Link #2 [url]

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

“Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)

I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”

Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Baptism” • A Unique Hymn

Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Had the Church never spoken on this matter, it would still be repugnant to our Catholic people’s sense of what is fit and proper in the holiest of places, that a priest should have to struggle through the prayers of the Holy Mass, because of such tunes as “Alice, where art thou?” the “Vacant Chair,” and others of more vulgar title, which, through the carelessness or bad judgment of organists, sometimes find their way into our choirs.

— Preface to a Roman Catholic Hymnal (1896)