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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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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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Quick Thoughts

14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski
Sound Familiar?

1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.”

26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying counterpoint and polyphony as well. Father Francisco Guerrero postpones his departure for Rome and instead spends the entire year in Seville making ready for the trip. In the meantime he neglects his choirboys. On 16 November, after considerable complaint against their unruliness and ignorance, he engages an assistant, Bartolomé Farfán.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It is difficult to imagine a more unjust situation than abortion, and it is very difficult to speak of obsession in a matter such as this, where we are dealing with a fundamental imperative of every good conscience—the defense of the right to life of an innocent and defenseless human being.”

— Pope St. John Paul II

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