Views from the Choir Loft

Sing Like the Angels

Andrew Leung · December 21, 2015

ERRY CHRISTMAS! Christmas is upon us and I would like to wish all our readers a blessed Christmas. About two thousand years ago, the angles appeared to shepherds, announcing to them the good news and sang “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”. (Lk 2:8-14, from the Mid-night Mass Gospel) What can we learn from the Holy Angels? There are two things we can learn from the best and most perfect choir.

(1) Deliver the Message – We know from Luke’s Gospel that the angels delivered the good news to the shepherd outside of Bethlehem and the shepherd understood them clearly. Although our choirs on earth might not be perfect, we can all do our best to deliver the message. One way to make sure that messages are delivered is to sing with good diction. Imagine that the angels who spoke and sang to the shepherds mumbled the whole time, the shepherds probably wouldn’t have gone to adore our Lord. Also, when the chant or choral pieces are not in the vernacular, it would be nice if we can help the congregation to understand the text. Do everything you can to get the message across, especially to those who are visiting your parish during Christmas.

(2) Constantly Praying and Praising – Christmas can be a stressful time for church musicians. But it really should be a prayerful time. So, learn from the Holy Angels this Christmas and make every pieces of music a prayer to God. There will probably be quite a few “CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Catholics” in church who will be “singing at Mass”. But we have to make sure that we sing the Mass. We are not just performing or caroling, but we are singing the Mass itself! Try to understand and even meditate on the texts that you will be singing. This will allow you to pray the texts as you sing and this will also help deliver the message.

Asking for the intercession of the Holy Angels is also a good idea. Through their intercession, may the Lord help us to grow closer to Him, sing joyfully and prayerfully to the world the good news. And as the conclusion of every Preface in the Mass says, may we “join in one voice with all the Angels and Heavenly Hosts” and proclaim the Glory of God.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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).

Dr. Mahrt explains the ‘Spoken’ Propers

In 1970, the Church promulgated a new version of the Roman Missal. It goes by various names: Ordinary Form, Novus Ordo, MISSALE RECENS, and so on. If you examine the very first page, you’ll notice that Pope Saint Paul VI explains the meaning of the ‘Spoken Propers’ (which are for Masses without singing). A quote by Dr. William P. Mahrt is also included in that file. The SPOKEN PROPERS—used at Masses without music—are sometimes called The Adalbert Propers, because they were created in 1969 by Father Adalbert Franquesa Garrós, one of Hannibal Bugnini’s closest friends (according to Yves Chiron).

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (1st Sunday of Advent)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 30 November 2025, which is the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is quite memorable, and the fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • Christ the King Sunday

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 23 November 2025, which is the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. In the 1970 Missal, this Sunday is known as: Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Universorum Regis (“Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe”). As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the magnificent feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“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