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Views from the Choir Loft

Serious about Sacred Music

Fr. David Friel · September 15, 2013

AVE YOU EVER TRIED to figure out if a person is serious about sacred music? When attempting to discern what type of musician the visiting organist or cantor is, I find myself often using that word, “serious,” or even sometimes the phrase, “the work of sacred music.” Those ways of speaking seem to mean something to me. I would consider someone who reads Sacred Music, for instance, to be serious. The octogenarian organist who doesn’t use the pedals—not so much. It’s the difference between a music director interested in the Propers and a music director content to maintain the four-hymn sandwich.

Perhaps I use this type of terminology to discriminate those who are invested in the reform of liturgical music from those who are simply going along with the status quo. “Serious” and “not so serious” seem to be labels I use to categorize the liturgical musicians I know.

There is probably a degree of legitimacy to this type of language. Yet, at the same time, God is not always so staid or categorical. Indeed, there are times when God, Himself, appears not to be all that “serious.” Take this passage from the Book of Proverbs:

Thus says the wisdom of God . . . then was I beside Him as His craftsman, and I was His delight day by day, playing before Him all the while, playing on the surface of His earth; and I found delight in the human race.

Here we see the Lord portrayed as playful. I like that image. We can recognize His playfulness in creation, in Sacred Scripture, and in our prayerful banter.

It makes me wonder if the Lord might challenge my seriousness about the liturgy at times. I’m not suggesting that He wants us all to be unserious about the work of liturgy or of sacred music, but might our seriousness not be well-tempered by healthy appreciation of the playfulness of God?

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.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“During Lent…the use of musical instruments is allowed only so as to support the singing. Nevertheless, Laetare Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities and Feasts are exceptions to this rule.”

— ‘Roman Missal, 3rd Edition (2011)’

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