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Views from the Choir Loft

A Must Have Resource for Catholic Schools

Lucas Tappan · July 6, 2015

LMT 7 T IS TRUE that we have to keep the end goal of whatever it is we are trying to accomplish in mind. For example, most of us pray and work for the day when beautiful sung liturgies are de rigueur, not simply because we like it that way, but because the Church, in Her concern for us as Her children, teaches us that this is best for the good of the entire Family of God. However, it is going to take a lot of baby steps to accomplish such a goal, and in case you haven’t seen it, I want to blog about a resource for parishes with schools that are just starting out on the way to better liturgy and music during school Masses.

The American Federation of Pueri Cantores and the National Catholic Education Association have teamed up and put together a list (here) of appropriate Mass settings and hymns for use at Catholic school Masses. Small though it is, the list represents a solid foundation of hymns that a child in any Catholic school should know, without trying to throw in questionable material for the sake of political correctness. One large benefit I see coming from such a list is that pastors now have a selection of music from an “official source” to give to their school music teachers in order to open a conversation and plot a course for music at school Masses. Pastors and music directors, this is for you!

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 Lucas Tappan

Dr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
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

Random Quote

Giovanni Doni is known for having changed the name of note “Ut,” renaming it “Do.” He convinced his contemporaries to make the change by arguing that 1) “Do” is easier to pronounce than “Ut,” and 2) “Do” is an abbreviation for “Dominus,” the Latin word for the Lord, Who is the tonic and root of the world. There is much academic speculation that Giovanni Doni also wanted to imprint himself into musical canon in perpetuity because “Do” is also ulteriorly an abbreviation for his family name.

— Giovanni Battista Doni died in 1647AD

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