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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Getting the most from your choir: Passion

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · September 24, 2015

259 Gloria In Excelsis N LITURGICAL MUSIC, based as it is on biblical faith, there is, therefore, a clear dominance of the Word; this music is a higher form of proclamation.” (The Spirit of the Liturgy, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, p.149)

This statement really gets my juices flowing! It makes me passionate about what we do each week in choir rehearsals and Sunday Masses. The texts that we are privileged to sing are truly the focus of our work. How we prepare and present those texts, couched so often within masterfully crafted music, is a crucial element in the success of a liturgical choir or schola. Here are just a few of the things I try to keep in mind when preparing to conduct music for the liturgy:

Look deeply into the text. Often in singing Renaissance polyphony, too many people think of the music as ‘old’ or ‘ancient,’ and end up producing a perfect but antiseptic rendering of the piece. But early music was new once! Remember, Renaissance composers are people too. They had feelings. How does Victoria’s priestly vocation affect how he sets a text? Can Byrd’s status as a persecuted Catholic in reformed England be heard in his music? Study the life of composers. Do they have a special devotion? How does their age at the time of composition affect the piece?

Fall in love with what the choir is singing. Why did you choose this piece? What do you love about it? It could be the texture, the beautiful chord structure, the overall affekt, or just one special phrase. Whatever it is, find it, teach it, and communicate it with heartfelt passion.

Be passionate about diction. Take great care to teach and insist on round, classical vowels, devoid of regional accents and colloquial pronunciations. The most formal approach to diction lends beauty and importance to the text, which is, after all, what we are presenting. If we value beautiful vestments and vessels, expect precise and practiced gestures from liturgical ministers, and insist on art and architecture that speaks to a New Heaven and New Earth, then only our very best efforts at a pronunciation that is elevated from the mundane will suffice for the Holy Mass.

Passion for words and for the work of preparing and presenting liturgical and sacred music is a tremendous engine for achieving the very best results. Again, from The Spirit of the Liturgy, (p.209):

“…the Church as a whole must, for the sake of God, strive for the best, for from the very nature of the liturgy—by an inner necessity—comes a culture that becomes a standard for all secular culture.”

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 Dr. Alfred Calabrese

Dr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. He and his wife have two children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The Mass, said in Latin, is the same all over the world. Go where you will, the language is the same; and such unity is in itself a great good, far greater than would be the mere understanding of the words.”

— John Henry Newman (1859)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Downloads • Four (4) Simple Pieces in Harmony for Men’s Choirs
  • Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
  • “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
  • Little Encouragement?

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