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Views from the Choir Loft

Entering The Danger Zone: Congregational Singing

Jeff Ostrowski · June 10, 2013

HOPE everyone will consider reading one of my recent blog entries, called What Is Currently Happening? — I feel it was one of my better articles, and it’s fairly succinct. During that blog post, I linked to an article called “Modernizing Sacred Music” which I wrote in 2007.

In the footnotes for “Modernizing Sacred Music,” you’ll notice I made a very dangerous statement. I called into question the notion that the “entire congregation” can sing anything.

Warning: Talking about this subject tends to enrage people!   It isn’t my intent to enrage anyone. At the same time, we ought to be able to conduct a conversation about this issue in a civilized way.

A FEW QUESTIONS: Are we being honest when we claim that the “entire congregation” can sing a hymn at Mass? What about tone-deaf people unable to sing in tune? Is it better to pretend such people don’t exist, in an effort to be “polite” to them? Why is it frowned upon to be honest? Shouldn’t we stop pretending everyone can sing in tune since this notion is demonstrably false? Several people whom I love dearly cannot sing in tune. Does admitting this fact make me a bad person?

I had to search pretty hard, but finally found someone willing to admit the truth. Here’s what Msgr. Francis P. Schmitt wrote in a 1961 article:

Before venturing a solution to the problem, it should be remarked that the new rash of so-called “people’s masses”, most of them maudlin, is no answer at all. [Ready? Here it comes.] For they too can serve but a select group of people (likely less than 50%) who can carry a given tune in a given key.

And here’s what I wrote in my 2007 article (mentioned earlier):

These same composers continue to propagate the lie that the only acceptable post-Vatican II pieces are those that can be sung “by the entire congregation.” This notion, however, is madness, because “the entire congregation” cannot sing anything. There are some people who simply cannot sing, and nothing can change this. To speak of the “entire congregation” singing is like speaking of the “entire congregation” becoming pregnant. I fear that when most people use this phrase, they envision a type of congregational participation akin to chants that happen in football stadiums. True: everyone present participates in those chants. But this is the “lowest common denominator” of music, not the Church’s heritage of sacred music. Nor is it “true art” as Pius X said sacred music should be. Alas, how often is the church musician, having composed a Responsorial Psalm refrain which cannot be instantly learned by every member of the congregation, admonished by his priest not to write music “that is so difficult for the people.”

In case you don’t know what I meant by “football chants,” I remember one that went: “We will, we will rock you.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: congregational singing 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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

An Indult of the “Commission for Russia” (25 November 1929) authorizes Bishops and Administrators Apostolic in Russia to permit the celebration of Mass and the reception of Holy Communion in the afternoon or evening, on condition that a Eucharistic fast of four hours from noon be observed.

— Sacred Congregation of Rites, 25 nov 1929

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