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Views from the Choir Loft

Sacred Music Colloquium XXV — Update IV

Andrew Leung · July 2, 2015

CTL Colloquium 7 HE FOURTH DAY of the Sacred Music Colloquium was just a day full of beauty! We were blessed to be able to have our Liturgies at St. Paul Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic cathedral with a huge pipe organ, in Pittsburgh today. It is definitely one of the best space for Mass and to sing in.

Mass was celebrated in Latin in the Novus Ordo by Fr. Eric Anderson today. The Mass was chanted for the most part and Palestrina’s Missa Lauda Sion was sung. After dinner, we had a Solemn Vespers in the Vetus Ordo for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The organist for the Liturgies today was Dr. Paul Weber and everyone were impressed by his improvisation on the antiphons and the Magnificat. I also had a chance to sing Dufay’s Ave Maris Stella under Charles Cole’s direction.

WENT TO the “Choir school panel discussion” for the breakout session today. On the panel were Charles Cole from the London Oratory, John Robinson from St. Paul’s Choir School and Michael Olbash from Pueri Cantores. I am no expert in the area of “Children’s Choir” and I am sure that Dr. Lucas Tappan can tell you more about that. But here is what I learned from the session.

The panelists point out that it is very important the children’s singing be tided to their spiritual life and the Liturgy of the Church. It is important that they understand what they are singing and their special roles in the Liturgy. The panelists suggested that children’s choir should sing at Mass or other liturgies as often as possible, or at least regularly. Michael Olbash also suggested that the choristers be vested during the Liturgy because their important role and function.

Regarding how to build a good choral culture, Cole and Robinson both agreed that the results are the key. Once the regular “performance” is established, we need to pick some beautiful repertoire, that are suitable for the Liturgy, and have the choristers to perform them to the highest artistic level. Children can always appreciate true beauty and we should never underestimate them. Choristers, their parents and other potential chorister are attracted and encouraged when they see the beauty in the results (performances). When other children are interested in joining and are being auditioned, directors need to focus more on the potential of the child instead of his or her current skill level, because children can learn quickly. That is how we can build a good and healthy choral culture.

Finally, here is a video from yesterday taken by Ben Yanke.

O Passio Magna by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

O great Passion!
O profound wounds!
O immeasurable sorrow!
O most copious shedding of blood!
O most abundant outpouring of tears!
O surpasing sweetness!
O death suffered in every bitterness!
Give me eternal life.
Amen.

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

    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
    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
    Seven (7) Hymn Verses for November!
    In the month of November, we remember in a special way the souls in purgatory. The BRÉBEUF HYMNAL often includes text alone versions for its hymns; why is that? The short answer is: flexibility. The “text only” version allows each choirmaster to employ a myriad of melodies. For example, I recently set the English translation of “De Profúndis” with the DAVOST MELODY (PDF). We are singing this before November ends. Indeed, you can hear our volunteer singing this (in real life) if you click here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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“The Lord’s Prayer, among the Greeks, is said by all the people; among us, by the priest alone.”

— Pope Saint Gregory the Great

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