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Views from the Choir Loft

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

Gwyneth Holston · June 23, 2014

GWYN_oliver T WAS WITH A GREEDY HEART that I read Bishop Sample’s Pastoral Letter on Sacred Music in Divine Worship “Rejoice in the Lord Always.”

      * *  Archbishop Sample Letter (2013)

Rather than enjoy a moment’s contentment with the professional musical standards he put forth for the Diocese of Marquette, all I could do was eagerly dream of a similar document for sacred artists.

To save Bishop Sample the trouble, here are a few recommendations that I wouldn’t mind seeing promulgated to my own diocese:

• All tabernacles should be restored to a central position over the high altar immediately;

• Any statues or artworks that are theologically incorrect or obviously in poor taste should be removed immediately;

• Churches built prior to 1950 may not be sold, demolished or renovated without just cause;

• When renovation is necessary, stylistic continuity should be maintained with the intent of the original architect;

• Fresh flowers should be given “pride of place” on the altar over artificial flowers or dentist-office plants;

• The diocese should have a directory of recommended sacred artists;

• The diocese should have a dossier of the original historical architectural documents of each church to facilitate restoration projects;

• Classes on sacred art, music, and culture should be offered as part of the catechetical program to children and adults.


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.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Archbishop Alexander K Sample, Traditional Catholic Artwork, Traditional Catholic Paintings, Traditional Catholic Vestments Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Gwyneth Holston

Gwyneth Holston is a sacred artist who works to provide and promote good quality Catholic art. Her website is gwynethholston.com. Read more.

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Quick Thoughts

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“One must pray to God not only with theologically precise formulas, but also in a beautiful and dignified way. The Christian community must make an examination of conscience so that the beauty of music and song will return increasingly to the liturgy.”

— Pope Saint John Paul II (26 February 2003)

Recent Posts

  • Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Nuances of Nuances” (28 Sep 2023)
  • William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
  • Active Participation or Not?
  • (Not Kidding) • Does Singing for Mass Fulfill One’s Obligation to Attend Mass?
  • A Brief Addendum

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