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Views from the Choir Loft

Archbishop Sample’s Letter On Sacred Music (6 of 8)

Veronica Brandt · June 21, 2014

Bodfari welsh choir ‘Noson Lawen’ concert at Lleweni Uchaf, Bodfari, Wales, 1953 EADING THROUGH ARCHBISHOP Sample’s letter is refreshing. There is so much good sense here. Watch how he moves from the principle with a quote from Pope Benedict XVI “Nothing can be too beautiful for God” to the practical application of aiming high, making sure musicians are trained and prepared.

      * *  Archbishop Sample • 2013 Letter (PDF)

Not one for vague exhortations, the Archbishop gives concrete guidance in the form of a minimum practice time. Under Practice and liturgical discipline Archbishop Sample writes:

“Every hour of worship should represent at least two hours of structured preparation at a time and place apart from the congregation.” (page 11)

This may seem excessive for a four hymn sandwich. But the aim here is not to sing at Mass, but to sing the Mass – including the propers!

Reading further along is the wonderfully catchy heading: Preparation not planning. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The Church already has a wealth of music come down to us.

Much of our artistic culture today suffers from a perceived need for originality. But God does not require novelty in our worship. All the music is there, and if we’re not quite up to it yet, then it’s time to get to work!


This is part of an 8-part series on Archbishop Sample’s historic letter:

FIRST REFLECTION • Jeff Ostrowski

SECOND REFLECTION • Aurelio Porfiri

THIRD REFLECTION • Andrew Motyka

FOURTH REFLECTION • Peter Kwasniewski

FIFTH REFLECTION • Richard Clark

SIXTH REFLECTION • Veronica Brandt

SEVENTH REFLECTION • Fr. David Friel

EIGHTH REFLECTION • Gwyneth Holston

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 Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“I have, on the other hand, retained several more or less traditional tunes, absolutely valueless and without merit from a musical point of view, but which seem to have become a necessity if a book is to appeal—as I hope this one will—to the varied needs of various churches.”

— A. Edmonds Tozer (1905)

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