Views from the Choir Loft

Choirs give hope

Veronica Brandt · September 27, 2014 ·

OST SUNDAYS I DON’T SING THE propers. I just turn up at Mass, pick three or four hymns and hope someone will join in. It’s not ideal and I am hopeful that it will not be this way forever.

Everyone is too busy to put in the time to make a choir right now.

I am too busy to make it happen.

So, when I hear about all the work other choirs are putting in, I am all the more in awe at how much work goes in to bringing people together and having them work in harmony.

Have a read of 9 reasons to keep the church choir alive by a church musician from a United Methodist church in Texas. Even without the authority of Church documents to recommend traditional music, he makes a good case for maintaining a strong church choir.

Sure one person can pick hymns, but it’s the singing together part that needs work.

It reminds me of this psalm:

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.

Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, Which ran down to the skirt of his garment:

as the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount Sion. For there the Lord hath commandeth blessing, and life for evermore. – Psalm 132/133

Hopefully our choirs, no matter how humble, can be a sign of that unity which is so important to our identity as Christians.

About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. As editor, she has produced fine publications (as well as valuable reprints) dealing with Gregorian chant, hymnody, Latin, and other subjects. These publications are distinguished on account of their tastefulness. She lives in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her husband Peter and six children.

Anger at mistakes?

I have a bad habit of getting frustrated when choir members take a long time to learn a particular interval or entrance. But this can be “cured.” It was cured a few weeks ago, when I made a mistake. I was supposed to go down a minor third, but instead I went down a perfect fifth. It reminded me that errors do happen—and we must be patient with our singers! Because of this, I will never again lose patience with singers.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“The old man carried the Child, but the Child led the old man.”

The Antiphon for First Vespers of the Feast of the Purification (February 2nd) is beautiful: “The old man carried the Child, but it was the Child who was guiding the old man. The Virgin bore the Child, and after child-bearing was virgin still: whom she bore, him she adored.” —Senex púerum portábat, puer autem senem regébat: quem Virgo péperit, et post partum Virgo permánsit: ipsum quem génuit, adorávit.

—Jeff Ostrowski

A quote from Fr. Valentine Young

I had one brother who was out of the church for quite a few years. When my mother was asked, “Did she worry about him?” I remember her answer: “I don’t worry about him; I just pray for him.” She left that in God’s hands. My mother did not live to see her son return to the Church; but he did, and I was able to celebrate his funeral Mass.

—Jeff Ostrowski