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Views from the Choir Loft

Colloquium 2016 • Day 2

Fr. David Friel · June 22, 2016

OLLOQUIUM participants had a wonderful day on Tuesday. For those who have never attended a Colloquium, the general format involves morning chant rehearsals and afternoon polyphony rehearsals. Mixed in are usually a keynote address and a variety of breakout sessions. In the late afternoon, the chant and polyphony choirs sing the music they have been rehearsing for the day’s Mass.

The chant choir I chose this year is the one led by Wilko Brouwers. I have sung with him before, and my strongest recollection is that he is a man of many images. In our first rehearsal, he came through with several new images to help express certain points he was making. I’ll share with you just two of them.

First, Maestro Wilko was speaking to us about the natural pace of the chant. He encouraged us to think of every chant as a reaching out to what lies beyond, as if, he said, the most important note is just ahead, just around the next corner. In that way, the chanting stays lively throughout and maintains good pace.

The second image he gave concerns how to handle incipits. We were singing an introit, and when it came to the psalm verse, he paused our group of cantors at the incipit. Sometimes, he warned us, there is a tendency to give too much attention to these initial clusters of notes. When singing a psalm tone, though, Brouwers encouraged us to begin with a certain buoyancy that longs to reach the reciting tone. He compared singing the incipit to holding a ball under water and releasing it. Just as the ball moves in a clear and eager direction toward the surface, so should the chanter have a destination beyond the incipit in mind.

In the breakouts, I attended the new music session, moderated by David Hughes. There were no ladies in attendance, but a few talented male singers enabled us to sing through some SATB pieces. One piece I especially enjoyed was a setting of the Reproaches by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski. Once the piece is polished to his satisfaction, I hope someday he will publish this new work.

Mass was celebrated beautifully by Fr. Jason Schumer, who has served as a professor of liturgy at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. In his homily, he reminded us of deeply significant words from the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. He referenced this statement of the council fathers:

Every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree. (Sacrosanctum Concilium #7)

It is important for us to remember that nothing we do in life is greater than the worship we offer to God. It is the constant worship of God, after all, that is the life of heaven.

Much more lies in store during our days in Saint Louis. I look forward to sharing my highlights soon!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Church Music Association of America CMAA, Gregorian Chant, Sacred Music Colloquium Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Hymn by Cardinal Newman
    During the season of Septuagesima, we will be using this hymn by Cardinal Newman, which employs both Latin and English. (Readers probably know that Cardinal Newman was one of the world's experts when it comes to Lingua Latina.) The final verse contains a beautiful soprano descant. Father Louis Bouyer—famous theologian, close friend of Pope Paul VI, and architect of post-conciliar reforms—wrote thus vis-à-vis the elimination of Septuagesima: “I prefer to say nothing, or very little, about the new calendar, the handiwork of a trio of maniacs who suppressed (with no good reason) Septuagesima and the Octave of Pentecost and who scattered three quarters of the Saints higgledy-piddledy, all based on notions of their own devising!”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3). I'm not a fan of chant in octaves, but we had such limited time to rehearse, it seemed the best choice. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to learn “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium,” which summarizes Candlemas.
    —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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  • Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
  • Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”

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