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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

Following the Leader

Andrew R. Motyka · April 24, 2013

NE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT things a director can do to promote good singing in the choir is to be a good singer and model for the group to follow. If the director cannot demonstrate competence with every aspect of a piece of music, he or she will not be able to inspire confidence on the part of the choir. How do you achieve this?

1) Use your choir warm-up as a springboard for the rest of your rehearsal.

Demonstrating good vocal technique begins with your warm-up. If your choir is improperly or insufficiently prepared to sing, the entire rest of the rehearsal will suffer. Don’t be afraid to spend a considerable amount of time getting your choir to transition from their speaking voices to their singing voices. It will save you rehearsal time in the long run, as it will affect pitch, breathing, and intonation. You can use a thousand words to explain to your choir how good breath support works, but showing them is much more effective.

2) Be able to sing every part of the music your choir is singing.

When you are teaching your choir a new piece of music, take the time to familiarize yourself ahead of time with each line of music. Not only will this save time when your choir asks for a reminder about notes or rhythms, but it will also offer proof of “singability” to your choir. If you’re a tenor and can sing the soprano line (even in falsetto), it will help your sopranos realize that they can do it, too. Even more importantly, intimacy with each voice’s part will help you to identify potential problems before you even begin the rehearsal.

3) If singing is not your strength, practice.

Most of us have a strength as a musician. It could be conducting, playing the organ or piano, composing, or singing. Last week, I wrote about the importance of practicing your composition skills. Singing is no different. You may be a great liturgist, a great organist, and a really nice guy or gal, but if you don’t view being a good singer as just important of a priority, you’re going to have a hard time inspiring your choir to make it their priority as well.

4) Demand responsibility from your choir.

In my experience, competence in 1-3 is very effective in leading a rehearsal. I would like to caution against a pitfall, though, and that is taking responsibility for good sound upon yourself. The choir needs to know that it is responsible for every sound that is coming out of it, and they cannot be lazy about their responsibility just because they have a good model. The trick is to use your demonstration to pass on good technique and musicianship.

We’ve all heard the statement, “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” Yet we all know that this makes no sense. Any teacher needs to be primarily an example for their students. When it comes to singing, if you want them to follow you, you need to be a leader.

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 Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“The argument moves from the existence of the thing to the correctness of the thing: what is, ought to be. Or, a popular variant: if a thing is, it doesn’t make any difference whether it ought to be—the correct response is to adjust, to learn to live with the thing.”

— ‘L. Brent Bozell, Jr.’

Recent Posts

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  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
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