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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Decapitation of an Innocent Meadowlark

Jeff Ostrowski · February 10, 2016

777 Meadowlark HEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY, my father took me into the country to hunt doves. I aimed my shotgun at what I thought was a dove, but—having shot it out of the sky—I discovered it was a beautiful meadowlark. When I picked it up, it was still alive, so I called out: “Dad, dad—the bird is still alive.” My father ran over and immediately twisted off its head, to my great horror. 1 All the way home, I quietly sobbed for this meadowlark—and for several days afterward.

Now that I’m in my 30s, I doubt that decapitating a meadowlark would cause me to sob for days. 2 But my question to you is: “Does that make it any less real?”

Consider the realm of music. Do you remember the first time you heard a piece you really loved? I certainly remember how moved I was when I first heard Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium. I remember, too, how excited I was to discover the counterpoint in a 2-Part Invention by Bach. I remember how moved I was when I first heard Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli. Indeed, I could probably list more than 300 works—including a whole lot of Bach and Chopin—that gave me hours of delight. This concept will be familiar to you!

Sometimes, if you perform a piece of music hundreds of times—or hear it too much—it can “lose its luster.” It will not move you in the same way. Do we remember that people in the pews often lack our musical background? Do we fully understand that these are not people who have spent hours practicing a 3-Part Sinfonia by Bach? Do we recall that many Catholics have never sung “Row Row Row Your Boat” as a round, much less studied the Goldberg Variations of Bach?

Getting sick of music is nothing to be ashamed of. If you doubt this, read about Ferruccio Busoni’s final years, or learn what famous pianists said about judging competitions where the same piece of music is played 40-50 times by the various competitors.

MAKE SURE TO CONSTANTLY EXPAND your horizons as a music director, and don’t sing the same pieces over and over. If music becomes “stale” to you, your singers will be able to sense that! On the other hand, let’s remember never to dismiss the feelings of someone who has just experienced a famous piece of music—even if you’ve heard it so many times you want to scream. One solution that seems to work is to keep some repertoire the same year after year. For example, we always sing Credo IV at FSSP.la.

I call this issue—which I have pondered for many years—the “Meadowlark Phenomenon.” How do you solve it? Please leave your comments on the CCW Facebook.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   It’s standard practice for hunters to end the suffering of a wounded animal.

2   And I have no intention to find out.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Meadowlark Phenomenon Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief 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 most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Corn” From Heaven?
    The Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures was produced by Roman Catholics in England and bears a 15 March 1958 IMPRIMATUR from the Archbishop of Westminster. Its IMPRIMI POTEST was given by the director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Sometimes words chosen by translators sound funny to American ears. For instance, one of our Responsorial Psalms has as its refrain: “The Lord gave them bread from heaven.” But the British version has “The Lord gave them corn from heaven.” Feel free to examine this with your own eyes. (It comes from Psalm 77.)
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“A penalty is decreed against clerics, who, being in sacred Orders, or holding benefices, do not wear a dress befitting their Order. […] In these days, the contempt of religion has grown to such a pitch that—making but little account of their own dignity, and of the clerical honor—some even wear in public the dress of laymen…”

— ‘Council of Trent (Session 14, Chapter 6)’

Recent Posts

  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • “Corn” From Heaven?
  • Gospel Acclamation Verses … Nowhere Assigned?

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