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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

The Positive Impact Of Parish Events

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · June 30, 2016

384 bell tower S CATHOLIC MUSICIANS we are fortunate that there are an increasing number of wonderful symposiums, workshops, colloquia, and festivals in this country and abroad that provide us the opportunity to learn about the availability and performance of music appropriate for the sacred liturgy. Most of these gatherings are sponsored by national or international organizations whose reach and impact is vast. We are blessed that such organizations exist and are run so well. But can something on a smaller scale happen at the parish level?

Work and family issues have kept me from posting here for the last couple of months. But I now want to share with you two back-to-back events that I was fortunate enough to be involved with that took place in May. Both were parish-driven events that had a profound impact on the people that attended and on the life of the parishes in which they were held.

The first was the conference that my colleagues and I at St. Rita in Dallas convened, “High Above the Stars: Sainthood, Beauty, and Catholic Artistic Expression.” I had written previously about this conference and world premiere here on this site. The second was the Sacred Music Symposium held by the FSSP parish in West Hollywood, where I was honored to have been asked by Jeffrey Ostrowski to serve as one of the clinicians and conductors. Both of these events were initiated at the parish level and fed the musical and spiritual needs of, together, well over 1,000 souls.

I bring this up not to advertise or to self-congratulate, but to encourage. David Clayton, one of the distinguished speakers at our Dallas conference, was, as he said, “blown away” that such a major event could take place at the parish level. He told me that this was the way things could and should be done, that this was a model for others to try. I felt the same way about the Sacred Music Symposium in LA. It was a wonderful experience for everyone. Not every parish needs to produce a major conference, create a website, advertise nationally, and take two years to do it. But here are some things that can be done at the parish level: commission a new three-minute motet or a new piece of art; organize a reading session of seasonal choral music; invite a chant expert to come in for a Saturday morning workshop for choir directors; hold a three to five day summer camp for children; bring in a lecturer from a local university to talk to the parish about your patron saint; dig through the church archives and organize a talk or small conference about the history and architecture of your church. These are only some ideas, and many of them would pay for themselves.

Is this a lot of work? Yes. Will you lose some sleep before it’s finished? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. I am convinced, after my experiences in May with these two events, that David Clayton is right. Things like this can and should happen at the parish level. This is where we can really feel God’s presence and blessing on our efforts.

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 Dr. Alfred Calabrese

Dr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. He and his wife have two children.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    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

Random Quote

A hymn verse need not be a complete sentence, but it must have completed sense as a recognisable part of the complete sentence, and at each major pause there would be at least a “sense-pause.” Saint Ambrose and the early writers and centonists always kept to this rule. This indicates one of the differences between a poem and a hymn, and by this standard most of the modern hymns and the revisions of old hymns in the Breviary stand condemned.

— Fr. Joseph Connelly

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