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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

Feeding Our Children Liturgical “Garbage”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 16, 2016

567 Avocado EARS AGO, I TAUGHT at a Catholic High School, and I remember a drama performance by a visiting group. It was perhaps the worst performance I ever saw. They used a cassette player—remember cassette tapes?—and danced along trying to “lip sync” at various points. The libretto was ghastly. Even the teacher seemed to sense how offensive it was and uttered a comment I’ll never forget: “This is being performed at our local middle schools, so the script doesn’t have to be stellar.” Translation: They’re just children, so it’s okay to feed them garbage.

Frequently, I hear the same justifications made about “progressive” liturgical compositions. Many a disgusting composition has been dissected and exposed on the internet, only to have the composer himself enter the conversation claiming he “had children in mind” when he wrote it. Such recriminations fill me with rage.

AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, Vladimir Horowitz was correct. Horowitz maintained that children should be exposed to the highest quality music and must be “saturated with” such compositions at the earliest possible age. A student of Rosina Lhévinne, Garrick Ohlsson, put forth a similar notion during an interview. (I’m sorry I can’t provide the exact quote; many of my books were lost when we moved from Texas to Los Angeles.) Ohlsson basically said:

If you desire to improve your octaves, don’t learn the Czerny octave etude; learn the one by Chopin. If you want to study fugal technique, start with the Bach fugues, not those of Telemann. Life is short; too short to save the best music until one is “ready” for it.

That’s what is so wonderful about plainsong. Consider, for example, the “Hosanna Filio David” sung on Palm Sunday. This marvelous song is as appropriate for a 5-year-old as it would be for an octogenarian. The same goes for the “Tantum Ergo” sung on Holy Thursday. When we first encounter such pieces, we want to learn more; we want to sing them over and over again. (Our daughter, at age 5, can’t stop singing CREDO IV.) Decades later, these melodies are still revealing their secrets to us. Professor László Dobszay wrote in 2003:

As we read in St. Augustine’s Confessions: Cibus sum grandium; cresce, et manducabis me. Nec tu me mutabis in te, sicut cibum carnis tuae; sed tu mutaberis in me. “I am the food of adults; grow up and eat me; it is not you who will change me into yourself—as is true of bodily food—but you will be changed into me.” This is valid for liturgy and church music, as well as for teachings of faith and morals. When we say: “The people like this” we regard them as unable to develop, as animals rather than human beings, and we simply neglect our duties in helping them towards a true human existence—indeed, in this case, to truly Christian existence.

Let us therefore give our children—and everyone in the congregation—the most sublime, artistic, profound, heavenly, sophisticated (yet often quite simple) music: Gregorian chant. And let us add solemnity—when it is possible to do so properly—with other worthy choral works such as “classic polyphony of the Roman school,” which is closely related to plainsong and was exalted by the Second Vatican Council. 1

SOME OF YOU KNOW I HAVE BEEN afflicted by a serious & painful disease for more than two years. I’m happy to report that—at last!—I am beginning to recover…and you’ll never guess what has greatly improved my health: tons and tons of vegetables and fruits! Carrots, kale, avocados, oranges, apples, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and so forth have accomplished wonders. Because of this, I’ve been paying special attention to the astonishing beauties of God’s creation. Have you ever cut open an avocado and carefully examined the contents? The bright colors, the perfect shape, the ingenious way the seed is protected—breathtaking! It strikes me that these vegetables have the same qualities discussed above. They have “secrets” which are revealed upon contemplation year after year. I’ve known what an orange is since I was a toddler—just as I’ve known the “Vexilla Regis” plainsong for decades. Yet, my appreciation for an orange grows deeper with each passing year—just as my appreciation for the “Vexilla Regis” grows deeper every time I sing it.

Let us cease to tolerate the “lowest common denominator” attitude so prevalent in today’s discourse on liturgical music. Let us replace cheap, uninspired, ephemeral church music with the authentic music of the Catholic Church. Let us choose music which has great depth, especially when children are present.


A discussion about this post is underway.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The first document to be approved by Vatican II (on 4 December 1963) was Sacrosanctum Concilium, which said in paragraph 116:

“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services. But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action…”

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 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

    Latin Liturgy Association
    We note with pleasure that Mrs. Regina Morris, president of the Latin Liturgy Association, has featured—on page 4 of Volume CXXIX of their official newsletter—the three (3) terrific versions of the Stations of the Cross found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. One of the main authors for the blog of the Church Music Association of America said (6/10/2019) about this pew book: “It is such a fantastic hymnal that it deserves to be in the pews of every Catholic church.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th 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 dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on which source text is chosen and what each translator wants to emphasize. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Both of these appointments—of Cardinal Lercaro and Father Bugnini—to key positions on the Consilium made it possible for voices to be heard that could not be heard during the proceedings of the Council, and likewise silenced others.”

— Alfons Cardinal Stickler, Vatican II ‘peritus’

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