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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Yes or No? • Accompanying Chant with the Organ

Andrew Leung · March 10, 2016

CTL Chant Accompaniment HIS IS ONE OF THE hottest topics in the field of sacred music: should chant be accompanied by the organ? While I am not on either side, I know people on the both sides of this discussion and I have heard their reasons. I am very blessed to have worked with many choral ensembles: professional and amateur choirs, monastic scholae and parish choirs, congregations that favor the traditional music and people who know nothing about the Church’s music. After working with Church music in so many contexts and with such diverse people, I have come to the conclusion that chant can be done effectively both ways.

Every choir (singers who sing and practice as a group) ought to be able to chant without organ accompaniment. The Church has always taught that the human voice is the primary instrument in the liturgy. No other instruments can sing like our voices which are created by God “in His image”. Nor can musical instruments express the text the way human voice can. That is why every choir, ideally, should be able to chant a capella without the accompaniment of any secondary instruments. I understand some choirs may be in the process of developing the skill of chant and they need the assistance of the organ. However, they should still make chanting a capella their goal and work on their skills in rehearsals.

While this advice applies to choirs chanting the propers and hymns alone, without congregational participation, I think the same goal can be set for congregational singing of the ordinaries, psalms and hymns. In a parish setting, the organ can help the faithful to learn the melodies of the chants and stay in tune. Some organists also like to accompany chants so that they can maintain the pace. That is a valid reason; however, it leads to competition between the organist and the singers, because the organ’s strong and loud registrations tend to lead by anticipating the sung melodies. The most effective way to maintain good pace of the chants is to have a confident choir leading the singing.

I really enjoy the simplicity and purity of plainsong without accompaniment. On the other hand, I do think good organ accompaniment adds color and solemnity to chant. Organ accompaniment is appropriate on special feast days, and during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Whether it is the glorious accompaniment of the French tradition or the expressive registrations of the English tradition, the pipe organ can help us express the text in a very special way. But of course, chant should remain unaccompanied during the penitential seasons. Here are two examples of good chant accompaniment by a former Cistercian monk. The first video is the Cistercian Salve Regina and the second one is Psalm 2 in English accompanied by the organ.






If you are interested in chant accompaniment, this former monk organist uploaded a series of tutorial videos on Youtube.

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 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).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

For the most part, a “good pope” is defined as someone who does what the critic would do if he were pope.

— William F. Buckley Jr. (6 September 1978)

Recent Posts

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  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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