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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

Have We Lost The Church Music Battle?

Jeff Ostrowski · September 8, 2014

897 Keep Calm ERNADETTE FARRELL once argued that Church musicians like James MacMillan should choose the “selfless path” and stop insisting upon our Church’s traditional music, but her argument was erroneous. Those of us who work in parishes know that nothing is easier than giving people “the music they want”—and I suspect many of us are guilty of playing inappropriate music to avoid conflict (especially at weddings).

On the other hand, standing up for music corresponding to the Church’s criteria requires bravery and strength. I’ve received hundreds of emails from our readers, and many have shared their heroic stories. They are trying to implement the music they feel called by God to implement, but often encounter fierce opposition. Many have burning questions:

“Why isn’t there a Schola Cantorum in each church? Why aren’t the Propers sung everywhere? Why do so many parishes allow such horrible music? Why am I persecuted for trying to follow Church teachings in this area? How did we lose the battle over good church music?”

My answer may shock you. I feel our movement HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS. Now, let me explain why I say this.

WHILE IT’S TRUE THAT TOO MANY Catholic churches employ inappropriate music, the good news is that—against all odds—the traditional music still triumphs in one important area: parishes run by “no-nonsense” priests. Whenever I encounter serious parishes, I notice they choose authentic Sacred music without exception. 1 Moreover, new resources are added constantly. I recently mentioned eleven collections of Mass Propers, and we’ll soon be posting a review of the new English Gradual by Belmont Abbey.

Why don’t more churches choose authentic Sacred music? For one thing, it’s difficult; and we tend to avoid difficult things due to human nature. However, there are deeper reasons, and it’s crucial that we become aware of them. It’s imperative that we know “what we’re up against.”

Listen to this brief excerpt from Disney’s Lion King :

      * *  Mp3 Audio File: Lion King (Disney, 1994) — “Stampede”   2

The soundtrack here is absolutely superb. Perfectly composed, flawlessly performed, skillfully mastered—it fits this film like a glove. The director knew what music was suitable (to borrow Bugnini’s favorite word) and no one disputes this. Yet, when it comes to Church music, it has been forbidden over the past four decades to discuss what type of music is suitable for Mass. A drafter of the USCCB document on Church music even said publicly that Church music “need not sound Catholic.”

Now, consider an example from Barney & Friends :

      * *  Mp3 Audio File: Disgusting Sprechstimme (Barney & Friends)   3

Did you notice how the soloists spoke their lines, instead of singing true pitches? Such a technique can be acceptable on occasion—like when Rex Harrison does it—but it’s become a plague. In fact, this technique is abused so often, it has contributed to the erosion of our culture. Children no longer understand what it means to sing. By the way, the banal lyrics to that Barney song remind me of much contemporary Church music. 4

The next example dates back to 1999, when I was in 12th grade. At that time, I was rehearsing a Mozart concerto in a practice room:

      * *  Mp3 Audio File: Mozart Concerto No. 23 — Practice Session Excerpt (1999)

      (Please excuse any errors. At that time, I lacked experience playing concerti.)

Mozart wrote that beautiful concerto for just one reason: the delight of the listener. I am so grateful that I had parents and teachers who taught me to value such music. I had disavowed by that time all the music I used to love—Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Green Day, Foo Fighters, and so forth—because I had found something better. In fact, I smashed all my rock’n’roll tapes with a hammer.

Pop music has done much to erode our culture. So many pop songs are obscenely simplistic and excessively repetitive. For instance, consider Viva la Vida (a wildly popular song by Coldplay). The entire piece is set over a four-bar phrase that repeats for the entire song. Should we really be shocked that good Catholic people have difficulty appreciating more sophisticated art forms like Gregorian chant & polyphony?



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   For the record, the same thing applies to the Catholic Church’s “hard” teachings. For instance, down the road from us, a young “traditional” priest was recently assigned as Pastor. He has refused to “water down” the Gospel. For example, they have glossy pamphlets at each door explaining Catholic teaching on artificial contraception. Yet, this doesn’t drive anyone away. The pews are packed each Sunday, tithing has more than quadrupled, and the free Bible study courses are packed. It seems people are hungry for the truth!

2   I’d prefer that you listen, but if you absolutely must watch, click this link.

3   You can see the video by clicking this link. For the record, this isn’t the best song for Barney, since his facial expression remains the same no matter what.

4   If you think I’m exaggerating, Google the lyrics to “Bread Of Friendship, Bread Of Love,” written by Owen Alstott (husband of Bernadette Farrell).

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Owen Alstott Bernadette Farrell, 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

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

— Pope Benedict XVI, Letter accompanying “Summorum Pontificum” (7/7/07)

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  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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