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Views from the Choir Loft

Why We Do What We Do

Richard J. Clark · December 27, 2013

RJC_913_St_John_Apostle_Evangelist St. John the Evangelist, Francesco Furini HAVE PRECIOUS FEW ORIGINAL IDEAS. Today is no exception, drawing in part from a friend’s note and from Andrew Motyka’s post It’s What We Do.

As we wind down from Christmas Eve and Day (only to wind back up again for the glorious Christmas Season) church musicians might ask themselves, why in the world do we do this? What effect do we have on anyone, especially those who only go to mass two or three times per year?

I assure you, plenty. On this Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, it is good to reflect upon our calling as ministers of sacred music. As Andrew Motyka states, what we do is “an act of mercy, and as such, my duty as a Christian.”

Beyond making music that is pleasing to the ears, music ministers are called to serve our communities by fostering prayer. In service of the liturgy, sacred music is not simply for ephemeral pleasure (although one hopes it is pleasing!), but more importantly for transformative healing and growth that is enduring. This holds true individually and for the community. This is our hope. This is our call.

I often remind my choirs that they will affect people spiritually in ways that they will never know. While we are fulfilling our duty and our calling, we can assume very little about those around us, even those we think we know pretty well (or those we have judged.) Take time to listen to those around you, and you will be astounded to learn the crosses they may be carrying.

UST AS I HAD BEGUN WRITING this, I received in rather surreal fashion a note from my recording engineer, Evan, that stopped me in my tracks. The subject of his email read: “Why we do what we do.” (Was he reading my mind?) Regarding a collaboration with The Copley Singers and the St. Cecilia Choir in the wake of the tragic Boston Marathon bombing, Evan wrote:

“…my best friend Michael is a seminarian in the Archdiocese of Hartford, and was just ordained a deacon this month. He was assigned to a parish in Litchfield county over the summer, and became close friends with a priest there, who was suffering from leukemia. Michael told me last night that he played for this priest his copy of the Darkness to Light recording we made this spring. The priest would listen to this heavenly music over and over, crying while listening to it. He was brought great comfort through the ministry of this music. He passed away earlier this fall…

“… beyond the funds that were raised for the Boston bombing victims…It brings me great joy to know that a project I took part in has affected the life of another person, especially that of a dying man…”

This is one story we learned about many months after the fact. How about the countless stories we never hear? Sometimes we learn of one story only to remind us this is why we do what we do.

O WHEN WE ENTER THE DOORS of our churches, one never knows what pain, suffering, grief or burdens those among us carry. This is the beauty and the gift of community. When we are unable to pray—when we are distracted, or burdened, or overcome with grief—the community carries us along; the community buoys our spirit and sustains us; the community prays on our behalf. Our voices raised in prayer each week can provide comfort and solace to our brothers and sisters in need. Our very presence at liturgy, along with our spoken and sung prayer, have untold effects on others and can act as a lifeline in ways which we will never know.

“A cry from deep within our being, music is a way for God to lead us to the realm of higher things.” — St. Augustine, Epistoia 166, De origine animae hominis

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 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

    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —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

“The chapter secretary is authorized to write a letter beseeching a royal pardon for Caspar de Cuevas, cathedral sackbut player, who is imprisoned on a murder charge.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (23 March 1566)

Recent Posts

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  • Now Available! • “Hymns of Cardinal Newman: Kevin Allen’s Legendary Choral Settings”
  • Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)

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