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Views from the Choir Loft

60 Minutes • “The Pope’s Choir” (Sistine Chapel)

Jeff Ostrowski · December 21, 2016

WONDERFUL CHORAL CONDUCTOR in Los Angeles, Mr. Pete Avendaño, recently posted about a segment on 60 MINUTES featuring the Pope’s Choir. At the bottom of this article, I provide a link to the complete video (12 minutes in duration).

The video is really spectacular, even riveting.

However, I do feel a few defects are present.


The video sharply condemns the choir’s previous directors:


Condemnation like this is a dangerous game. 1 For example, several clips they showed (from the current choir) are not immaculate. Furthermore, I suspect many professional conductors would condemn the current conductor’s wild motions and posture wherein his face appears “glued” to the score. It might have been better to simply focus on the positive. On the other hand, the producers of 60 MINUTES most likely insisted upon drama…


I really hope this sweet little boy doesn’t get in trouble for what he says about Pope Francis:


I know Pope Francis used to attend the opera, growing up. At the same time, I think he’s mentioned somewhere his singing is terrible.


The Pope’s Choir is quite selective:


I think it’s wonderful to have a selective choir—I truly do. At the same time, I believe the only way authentic sacred music will survive is if we take it “to the layman.” My choir in Los Angeles has very few members who read music, but they do a phenomenal job. I admit it’s much easier to conduct a group of professionally trained singers. I admit that teaching Catholics with scant liturgical music training has unique frustrations. But it’s so rewarding! And I truly believe that consigning authentic sacred music to “specialists” is the wrong way to go.

You can watch the full video at this link, but be careful—there are some inappropriate commercials not suited for young children.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Perhaps the producers felt safe because the choir did have such a poor reputation. A friend of mine was very highly placed in Rome, and I’ll never forget his words to me in 2004: “The Sistine choir is the scandal of Christendom. The group consists entirely of ringers from the opera!”

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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    PDF • “For the Season of Pentecost”
    During the season of Pentecost, you might consider using this 2-page Piece “for the season of Pentecost.” Rehearsal videos are available at #40691, but the lyrics are different. Therefore, make sure your choir members understand that one can rehearse songs that have different lyrics (“CONTRAFACT”).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • (This Coming Sunday)
    Our volunteer choir appreciates training videos, so here's my attempt at recording “Exáudi Dómine Vocem Meam,” which is the INTROIT for this coming Sunday. This coming Sunday is Dominica Post Ascensionem (“Sunday after the feast of the Ascension”). It is sung according to the official rhythm of the Catholic Church.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Volunteer Choir Attempts “Kýrie Eléison”
    My volunteer choir attempted the polyphonic KYRIE that will be sung at this year's Sacred Music Symposium. If you're interested, you can listen to the live recording from last Sunday. The piece is based on the ancient plainchant hymn melody: Ave Maris Stella. Polyphony like this is truly intricate and wonderful. It reminds me of the quote by Artur Schnabel: “music that's greater than it can be performed.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“There are no hymns, in this sense, till the fourth century; they were not admitted to the Roman office till the twelfth. No Eastern rite to this day knows this kind of hymn. Indeed, in our Roman rite we still have the archaic offices of the last days of Holy Week and of the Easter octave, which—just because they are archaic—have no hymns.”

— Adrian Fortescue (25 March 1916)

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