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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

Reading Honestly

Andrew R. Motyka · August 7, 2013

VERY NOW AND THEN, we have to go back and read the documents. Like all good music directors, I was formed with the primary writings regarding music, those leading up to and following the Second Vatican Council. We must remember, however, not to “proof text” any of these documents any more than we do the Bible.

Last week, at the NPM convention, I attended a presentation on implementation of the propers. As I mentioned last week, I was (and still am) optimistic about the number of people in attendance. The presenter has not put his talk online, and was likely not speaking with the intention of it being a public talk, so I will not share his name. I do want to comment on part of the material, though.

The first thing that struck me was, although this was a talk about propers, how apologetic he was about their use. It seemed to me that he was almost reluctant to give the people more information than they already had, that the propers were a weakness and not a strength of the Roman liturgy. This was reinforced by his emphasis on both Musicam Sacram’s statement (and John Paul II’s reference to it): that Gregorian Chant should have pride of place in the liturgy when it is celebrated in Latin.

This formulation shocked me. I couldn’t remember ever reading that stipulation regarding Gregorian Chant’s primacy. I had to go back to read it for myself, and sure enough, it is there; Gregorian Chant has pride of place in Masses celebrated in Latin. Now, Musicam Sacram doesn’t have the only word on the matter. Both the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the General Instruction on the Roman Missal do not contain the temperance that Gregorian Chant is primary only in Latin.

And then it hit me: was that what Musicam Sacram was saying? That Gregorian Chant should be so highly regarded only in Masses celebrated in Latin?

The reality is that that sentence, divorced from the rest of the document, and indeed from the other documents and contexts about the Liturgy, can say something different than even what the author intended. Indeed, in the same chirograph of John Paul II’s, he praised the worthiness of new compositions based on their comparison with Gregorian Chant as the norm.

This analysis could go around and around, and I suspect that the disposition of the reader (and in this case, the presenter) affects the manner in which these passages are understood. We must be cautious not to put our own interpretation on the text, but to understand it, to the best of our ability, as the writer intended it to be understood.

The Church cautions against literalistic interpretation of Scripture, so why would she insist on that lens for her liturgical documents? Note that I am not encouraging a departure from said documents, or nor a wanton interpretation, but of a solid understanding.

I find life easier when I am given a strict guideline that I can stick to rigidly. Perhaps this is why Biblical fundamentalism is so attractive. The Church isn’t like that. She demands balance, and rarely speaks in absolutes except in moral issues.

Have no fear. Chant. Do it well, and know that you are singing the texts and the music of the Church. Let’s not try to twist words into saying what we think they should say, but what they actually say. I know I had that temptation even when writing this article; I wanted to come down hard on the NPM presenter, hammering him for misquoting the documents so. Indeed, he was quoting them correctly.

But was he correct in his understanding? I think we all, even (mostly!) I, must be in constant evaluation of our actions and the mind of the Church.

So here goes. Let’s try out this fancy “comments” system that the kids are all raving about. What do you think the Church is saying in Musicam Sacram? Is Gregorian Chant only primary in Latin Masses? Does that primacy extend to vernacular celebrations that are overwhelmingly ubiquitous?

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

“Church officials frequently asked Tomás Luis de Victoria for his opinion on cathedral appointments because of his fame and knowledge. He was faithful to his position as convent organist even after his professional debut as an organist, and never accepted any extra pay for being a chapelmaster. Held in great esteem, his contract allowed him frequent travel away from the convent, and he attended Palestrina’s funeral (in Rome) in 1594.”

— ‘Dr. Robert Stevenson, 1961 (mod.)’

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