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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

The Church Must Be Countercultural

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · October 15, 2015

321DraperTallLaren3 NE DAY A YEAR OR SO AGO a priest was consulting with a bride on her upcoming wedding. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowing a popular song to be sung during her nuptial Mass. The title sounded sort of sacred, something about ‘raising you up.’ And it was a nice melody, everybody knew it, and it meant a lot to her, and…The young priest finally asked her, “Would you like to have the Ave Maria sung at your reception?” Then she understood that there’s a time and a place for everything. And despite what the popular culture tells us, all things are not equal.

Letting the popular culture into the Mass is dangerous. The Church has been and needs to be countercultural. Consider the generation of Catholics who came of age in the heyday immediately following the implementation of Vatican II. I find it both interesting and ironic that many from that period thought of themselves as countercultural. They were cutting edge, agents of change, new and exciting. The future lay before them and they were shaping it. No innovation was too great for the seismic shift they envisioned for the Catholic Church.

All around this swirl of activity the secular culture was changing as well. In the Church, a vacuum of available music was filled with pop and folk inspired songs. I remember walking into church one summer Sunday and seeing kids from my high school standing up in front with guitars. They were singing music that sounded like it was from the radio. (I never listened much to the pop songs of the day, so I really hated what was happening). Of course, since all of this music was “new” and I didn’t really know any of it, I couldn’t participate in the Mass. At that point I had no idea about “actuoso participatio.” It all just felt weird. But at least the kids doing the music seemed like they were having a good time.

Now some (not all, some) of those same countercultural people, those who embraced radical change, those who were so progressive, hip, open-minded and open-armed, are the very same who, when confronted with a resurgence, or gradual re-discovery of chant, Latin, sung dialogues, solemn liturgical practices and gestures, and solid Catholic hymnody, are now rigid and unwilling to accept change. They don’t want the Church to be countercultural.

Thanks to websites like this and many others, the Church is once again becoming countercultural. Except now, the culture it’s turning away from is the one created by some dubious choices in music, architecture, and sacred language.

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

    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 21st in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir returns on Sunday, 24 August 2025. Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for it, which is the 21st 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 spectacular feasts website. When it comes to the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2025), I have uploaded the music list for that Mass—but not the “bi-lingual” Mass in the evening (Spanish, Latin, and English) which has completely different music.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Entrance Chant” • 21st Sunday Ordin. Time
    You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) which is coming up on 24 August 2025. Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. It’s set in a melancholy mode, but if you heard my choir’s female voices singing it your soul would be uplifted beyond belief. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I tried to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Leave the Mass alone. Our churches are full—the Protestants, in spite of their vernacular, far otherwise.”

— Cardinal Godfrey (one of the Vatican II fathers)

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