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Views from the Choir Loft

Ten Reflections on “Pride of Place”

Andrew Leung · September 8, 2016

CTL Pride of Place AM SURE MANY OF US have heard or read that “Gregorian Chant should be given a pride of place (or main place) among different style of church music”. If not, here is the exact quote from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no.116:

The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

This phrase is not invented by myself or some “liturgists”, it comes directly from the Second Vatican Council. Are we doing what the Council asked us to do? Some of us are, but most of us probably don’t hear Gregorian chant in Catholic churches these days. How exactly, then, can we give Gregorian chant a pride of place?

There are many articles with very practical advice on our blog about how to chant or introduce chant to a parish. So instead of listing out advice and methods, I would like to write a reflection in the style of an “examination of conscience”. I believe that spirit behind the term, “pride of place”, is greater than just singing at Mass or chanting the Propers. We can find out whether we have given Gregorian chant its pride of place in our parish by reflecting on the following questions:

1. Are we singing the Gregorian Propers and Ordinaries, which is specially suited to the Roman Liturgy, at our parish Masses?

2. Do we understand the texts of the chant and fully express them through our voices?

3. Gregorian chant and prayer are inseparable, are we praying when we chant?

4. Do we sing the Gregorian Ordinaries proper to each liturgical season? Or are we doing the minimum by chanting Missa de Angelis or Missa Jubilate Deo every week?

5. Do we spend enough time to practice Gregorian chant so that we can improve our techniques? Do we take advantage of conferences and workshops to further study the art of chant?

6. Other than chanting the Propers and Ordinaries, do we make use of the Gregorian hymns for different liturgical seasons and devotions?

7. Do we study the symbols, voicing and other traditions of the chant repertoire?

8. When we are given the opportunities to improvise on the organ, how often do we improvise on Gregorian melodies?

9. Are we familiar enough with the repertoire to be able to point out the hidden chant melodies in polyphonies and other works?

10. Are we doing our best in rehearsals and the liturgies so that we can touch people’s heart with the beauty of Gregorian chant?

These are some questions I asked myself to see if I truly grasp the true spirit of Gregorian chant, the true meaning of “pride of place”. If we put chant in a pride of place, we will realize that Gregorian chant is a very rich repertoire and you can never get bored with it.

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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

“The Church has always kept, and wishes still to maintain everywhere, the language of her Liturgy; and, before the sad and violent changes of the 16th century, this eloquent and effective symbol of unity of faith and communion of the faithful was, as you know, cherished in England not less than elsewhere. But this has never been regarded by the Holy See as incompatible with the use of popular hymns in the language of each country.”

— Pope Leo XIII (1898)

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