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Views from the Choir Loft

An Educational Experience

Andrew Leung · February 18, 2015

CTL Education APPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! I am so glad that I can start writing as a contributor on this very special day. Some of you may already know that I grew up in Hong Kong. Thanks to the British, Hong Kong is a special region of China and we are allowed to practice our faith freely. Like most of the Catholics in Hong Kong, I am familiar with traditional hymnodies (with Chinese texts) and organ playing because that is the kind of liturgical music we have at home. I grew up with the “4-hymns sandwich” and that’s all I knew about church music. Singing the four hymns was a routine I do every Sunday and most of the time, I didn’t even pay attention to the text.

I am very blessed and grateful that music is part of my life. I started my musical training in preschool at the age of two, and since then music has been part of my life. Music was just a hobby for me until my discovery of the “Fullness” of Sacred Music, Gregorian Chant and Polyphony. I came to the United States five years ago to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville where I studied the Church’s music.

In order to preserve Sacred Music, a treasure and an essential part of the Church, education is very important. Unlike any other kind of music, Sacred Music is so unique because of its holiness. It is set apart from other kinds of music. I always remind myself that singing the Mass or rehearsing with the choir is not just a routine, it is an opportunity to teach or learn about the Church’s music, both spiritually and musically. It is an educational experience and part of the process of preserving “the Treasure”.

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 Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Schola Director Posts ‘Live’ Recording
    As I explained in my article posted earlier today, Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland is actually a Catholic tune (in spite of what some have claimed). The volunteer choir I direct sang that beautiful ADVENT melody last Sunday, and I invite you to listen to the live recording. It will get better the more we sing it.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Message from the Vice-President!
    The Vice-President of the Church Music Association of America, Dr. Horst Buchholz (who also serves as Director of Sacred Music for the Archdiocese of Detroit) sent us an email yesterday regarding the harmonizations (PDF) I composed for the Gregorian Chant psalm tones. Dr. Buchholz says: “Those settings are absolutely exquisite, as I'm used to when it comes from you. Bravo! Well done! Now, as a sequel, if you could write something for accompanying psalms in English that would be awesome.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Requesting Our Advent Eucharistic Hymn
    A young lady named Agnes wrote to us: “Dear Mr. Ostrowski, do you have the PDF score for Ave Corpus Domini set to the ADVENT melody? Last year, we sang the hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland” quite a bit using your contrafactum technique. My choir appreciates the Latin hymns and practice videos, especially in the ADVENT and CHRISTMAS seasons. Your recent article on Gregorian Psalm Tones is a great help to my organist brother, and reminds us of attending VESPERS years ago when we lived in California. Thank you so much for all the effort put into providing these wonderful resources!”   Agnes, if you are listening! Yes, the PDF file you desire can be downloaded for free at the Brébeuf Portal via this URL link. Thanks for writing to us!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Unfortunately, on the one hand a deadly error in judgment placed the official leadership of this committee into the hands of a man who—though generous and brave—was not very knowledgeable: Cardinal Lercaro. He was utterly incapable of resisting the maneuvers of the mealy-mouthed scoundrel that the Neapolitan Vincentian, Bugnini, a man as bereft of culture as he was of basic honesty, soon revealed himself to be.”

— ‘Fr. Louis Bouyer, an important member of the Consilium’

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