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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Colloquium 2013

Fr. David Friel · June 23, 2013

ALT LAKE CITY is a beautiful place. I have spent the last week here, along with some of you, participating in the annual Sacred Music Colloquium, sponsored by the CMAA. So many of the graces of my first Colloquium two years ago have been renewed throughout this week.

Again this year, I learned an incredible amount. With the help of a talented faculty, I cracked the code on the basics of chironomy, learned the fundamentals of modern conducting, and gained the confidence to approach the bass part of Guerrero’s phenomenally colorful Requiem Mass. We were blessed to hear an engaging personal witness from Msgr. Wadsworth of ICEL, and Archbishop Sample of Portland offered the most extraordinary statement on sacred music and the cosmic liturgy I have heard from any bishop other than our beloved Pope Emeritus. We participated in liturgies brimming with beauty, and the Gloria from the Mass of the English Martyrs (available from Corpus Christi Watershed!) was even featured at Sunday’s closing Mass.

Perhaps more than any of these things, what I have enjoyed most about my Colloquium experiences has been the opportunity to meet other musicians committed to making music consonant with the mind of the Church. When we think we are alone—that no one else longs for authentically sacred music—we should remind ourselves that it isn’t so. There are good people throughout our country (and beyond) who share the vision and the burden.

The folks I have met in Pittsburgh and in Salt Lake City are not merely kindred spirits, but true friends. For this reason, Colloquium is a wonderful experience. If you have never been to one, consider attending next year, perhaps bringing along another choir member or priest. It’s a time for those of us who know each other mostly via the Internet to spend time in one another’s presence; it’s a time to challenge one another, to learn from one another, and to encourage one another.

May the Lord continue to prosper the work of our hands, our hearts, and our voices!

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 Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“If the right is given to African tribes to include their pagan traditions in the liturgy, I think the same should also be given to the rite of a thousand year-old Christian Church, based on a much older Roman tradition.”

— Professor László Dobszay

Recent Posts

  • Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
  • PDF Download • Belgian Book of Gregorian Accompaniments (Official Edition)
  • Don’t You Agree About These?
  • Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
  • Crucial Tip For Choir Directors

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