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Views from the Choir Loft

Jimmy Stewart … and Church Music Regulations?

Jeff Ostrowski · October 21, 2013

321 Jimmy Stewart Jimmy Stewart awarded Croix De Guerre (1944) IVEN BELOW are Church Music Regulations from the Diocese of Pittsburgh (1931) and the Archdiocese of Chicago (1955). The documents are extremely interesting, and you will want to read both of them in their entirety.

      * *  Pittsburgh Regulations • (1931)

      * *  Chicago Regulations • (1955)

I have a feeling many people would consider these pronouncements too restrictive, and to a certain extent, I agree with that assessment. For example, it is jarring to hear Fr. Rossini (author of the Pittsburgh regulations) declare the organ accompaniments by Ludwig Bonvin, Nicola Montani, both Singenbergers, and others to be “forbidden,” since many of the condemned were so intimately associated with Caecilia Magazine. Furthermore, point-blank condemnations like the following seem shocking, even when we consider that they were written in the days of the famous “White List” for Church music:

The following English-Latin Hymnals and Collections are forbidden for church and school use; St. Basil’s Hymnal; The Gloria Hymnal; Catholic Youth’s Hymnal (Christian Brothers); Catholic Choir Manual (Wynne); Crown Hymnal; May Chimes; Hellebusch’s Hymnal; Psallite Hymnal; American Catholic Hymnal (Marist Brothers) ; Wreath of Mary; New Catholic Hymn Book; all of Berge’s, Giorza’s, Gaines’, Marzo’s, Peter’s Rosewig’s and Werner’s Collections.

On the other hand, these documents contain some really good recommendations, for example:

Church Choirs of fewer than Ten, Fifteen and Twenty volunteer members are forbidden to sing music for Two, Three and Four Voices respectively.   [original emphasis]

Wow … if only we’d adhere to such a rule today! One of the common pitfalls of choirs is to sing polyphony with too few singers. Remember, the minimum required before you have a “choir” is three (3) singers on each part. Perhaps I should say that again: unless you have at least three (3) singers on a part, you don’t have a choir, according to choral experts. *  Here’s another really good statement:

It is not the large number of singers nor the rendition of elaborate music that makes a “good choir”, but rather the good judgment of the organist in choosing music within the powers and ability of the choir, and the proper rendition of the same.

Again, how true … even today!  Pope Pius XII would later echo this sentiment in 1958 (§60a):

“In general, it is better to do something well, however modest, than to attempt something on a grander scale if proper means are lacking.”   [source]

One of the most horrifying admissions I ever read was printed in a book on 16th-century counterpoint. The author proudly exclaimed that he had “without exception” sung Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium every Christmas for thirty years. How ghastly! Obviously, it’s a wonderful piece … but every year? I’ve always believed one should constantly learn new repertoire. It turns out they knew this back in 1931:

You cannot expect volunteer choir members to be interested in their work with books falling apart or not sufficient in number. Nor can you expect volunteer singers to attend rehearsals if the same Mass and the same Hymns are to be sung all the year round.

BOTH DOCUMENTS (1931 and 1955) agree that Schubert’s Ave Maria and a song called “I love you truly” are forbidden for use at Church. I don’t know who wrote “I love you truly” — Google probably does — but it appears to have been quite popular in its day. I know it was performed in the 1946 Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life:

      * *  “I love you truly” • As sung in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Speaking of Jimmy Stewart, it turns out he actually served in the Armed Forces (in real life) and fought in World War II. My grandfather, who likewise flew bombing runs against the Nazis, met Stewart at this time. Even though I never met my grandfather (he died before I was born), I’ve been told that Stewart was “a really nice guy,” and the time during which my grandfather knew him was “prior to Stewart becoming super famous.” From what I can tell, Stewart continued to serve in the United States Air Force even after World War II had ended.


*  Sadly, this pitfall is sometimes encouraged by certain “early music” groups who claim using one singer per part is de facto more “authentic.” However, the choice often has nothing to do with “authenticity” (which these days is referred to as being “historically informed”). Rather, the choice is dictated by the fact that paying a large professional choir costs more than paying a small choir. While I certainly understand making the best possible effort with one’s funding, such performances can do Renaissance music a great disservice. Instead of a true choir sound, we hear … a group of soloists. The best conductors will only allow a “soloist group” sound at certain moments: for instance, at the “Benedictus” section during the Sanctus (when the number of voices is reduced).

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Secular vs Sacred Music at Mass 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

    PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
    EVIN ALLEN was commissioned by Sacred Music Symposium 2025 to compose a polyphonic ‘middle section’ for the GLORIA from Mass III, often denoted by its trope name: Missa Kyrie Deus sempiterne. This year, I’m traveling from Singapore to serve on the symposium faculty. I will be conducting Palestrina’s ‘Ave Maria’ as well as teaching plainsong to the men. A few days ago, I was asked to record rehearsal videos for this beautiful polyphonic extension. (See below.) This polyphonic composition fits ‘inside’ GLORIA III. That is, the congregation sings for the beginning and end, but the choir alone adds polyphony to the middle. The easiest way to understand how everything fits together is by examining this congregational insert. You may download the score, generously made available to the whole world—free of charge—by CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED:
    *  PDF Download • Gloria III ‘Middle Section’ (Kevin Allen)
    Free rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #24366. Related News • My colleague, Jeff Ostrowski, composed an organ accompaniment for this same GLORIA a few months ago. Obviously, the organist should drop out when the polyphony is being sung.
    —Corrinne May
    “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
    “Yahweh” in church songs?
    My pastor asked me to write a weekly column for our parish bulletin. The one scheduled to run on 22 June 2025 is called “Three Words in a Psalm” and speaks of translating the TETRAGRAMMATON. You can read the article at this column repository. All of them are quite brief because I was asked to keep within a certain word limit.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

Oh, what sighs I uttered, what tears I shed, to mingle with the waters of the torrent, while I chanted to Thee, O my God, the psalms of Holy Church in the Office of the Dead!

— ‘Isaac Jogues, upon finding Goupil’s corpse (1642)’

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
  • “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
  • PDF Download • “Text by Saint Francis of Assisi” (choral setting w/ organ: Soprano & Alto)
  • “Yahweh” in church songs?
  • “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday

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