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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Are You a Servant Leader?

Richard J. Clark · December 13, 2013

URING THIS BUSY LITURGICAL SEASON, when music directors are often overwhelmed, there is little time to think, no less listen to others. However, it still might make sense to take stock of what kind of leaders we are. It is not enough to just be a good musician. We must be smart about our leadership.

A colleague recently sent me this article: How to Become a Servant Leader, by Emma Johnson. Although written for those in the business world, the wisdom here fits beautifully in the world of sacred music. Putting moral, ethical or even altruistic reasons aside, there is a simple pragmatism here of getting the very most productivity out of not only employees but also volunteers, especially if one is a director.

The opening line alone is intriguing: “Bossing around employees is so passé.” The very essence of what a conductor must do is tell people what to do. This doesn’t change, but giving people the tools and emotional environment to accomplish what a director asks is key.

Emma Johnson writes:

“Bossing around employees is so passé. Developing people, treating them with respect, encouraging their talents and input—these are trends that research has proven build strong companies and give them the competitive edge. Servant leadership—the philosophy of focusing first on the needs of employees and customers—has gained popularity in recent years, with numerous Fortune 500 firms like TDIndustries, Aflac and Synovus subscribing to its principles.

“If you really listen to your colleagues and figure out how to get them what they need, they will perform at a higher level, which improves the customer experience, which affects business results,” says Kent Keith, CEO of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership…The essence of servant leadership—serve the employees first, and success with clients will follow—might appear to be the antithesis of modern business.”

She breaks down the basic areas of “Servant Leadership” into five areas:
• Listen
• Appreciate
• Respect
• Develop
• Unleash (Let the gifts of your musicians shine!)

This model is perfectly applicable to music ministry. Furthermore, leadership and authority are two very different things. Some with authority do not command respect. Many without authority have more influence than those in charge. Servant leadership in no way compromises authority or clarity of direction. It does not necessarily mean making everyone happy. In fact, a Servant Leader will usually earn the respect and trust of others. Do so, and you can change the world.

Finally, I offer a FREE DOWNLOAD (PDF) of a setting of Psalm 96 for the Christmas Mass at Midnight based on chant Puer natus for SATB, Schola, Organ, and 2 Trumpets. Were I a better servant leader, I would have made this tool available sooner! (One may discern much from negative example.)

The multipage PDF includes:
• Full score
• Trumpet parts
• Choir/Cantor part
• Congregation insert.

To find Responsorial Psalms for the entire liturgical year by several extraordinary composers, look to the Chabanel Responsorial Psalms. These are made available for FREE by a true servant leader, Jeff Ostrowski.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Servant Leader Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025, which is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down.” The COMMUNION ANTIPHON—both text and melody—are particularly beautiful and exceedingly ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Errors in Latin: “17th Sund. Ordinary”
    The COMMUNION for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) contains several typos in the Jogues Illuminated Missal with regard to the Latin text. That particular COMMUNION ANTIPHON is extremely ancient, and the English Adaptation is utterly gorgeous. For the record, it’s normal for books to contain typos; even books by Father Fortescue and Monsignor Knox have errors. Books by Solesmes Abbey—surely among the finest ever produced—contain many printing errors. Click here to see a few examples of typos.
    —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

“Finally, let us not forget that listening especially is active participation. When we listen to the performances of Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion, we can fully participate actively in the Passion of Christ. And so, if we listen attentively to the singing and organ music during the celebration of the divine services, our participation is not less complete. The real significance of this objective and very important aspect is insufficiently understood.”

— Flor Peeters

Recent Posts

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  • Errors in Latin: “17th Sund. Ordinary”
  • “Tell Me Lies; Tell Me Sweet Little Lies.” • Re: Post-Conciliar Lectionary Problems
  • PDF Download • “Catholic Texts Transcend”

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