• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

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.”

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
    • Jeff’s Mom Joins Fundraiser
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Feasts Website
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Christmas • When Jackie Gleason Broke Character (Updated)

Jeff Ostrowski · December 24, 2016

ATERSHED OWES so much to supporters like you. Below is a small Christmas gift I hope you’ll enjoy. It’s the conclusion of a HONEYMOONERS episode; the only one in which Gleason steps out of character:


Gleason had something to teach choirmasters. He avoided over-rehearsing his cast. He believed things turned out better that way. A good choirmaster knows when to “hammer” something hard during rehearsal—but avoids rehearsing a piece so much the choir begins to hate it.

LEASON AND HIS CAST made live performance seem so easy & natural. Few realize how diligently Gleason had to work to produce such phenomenal results. The same is true of the choirmaster. We do so many things and make so many decisions we’ll never get credit for—our jobs are incredibly demanding.

I know we can become discouraged, but I have some good news.

In order to understand the good news, you must first learn about Jerry Seinfeld, who was a master of “situational comedy.” To be clear, I have nothing against Seinfeld; and he’s quite good at situational comedy. But there’s more to his story. Seinfeld was incredibly successful and soon reached the highest echelon of his profession. He was rich and powerful. He did whatever he wanted. 1 But in a recent interview, Jerry Seinfeld said that—after attaining those heights—his life lost all meaning. He ended his show and “basically played pool” (his words) for about two years. But his life still had no meaning. So Seinfeld began working again—and said something terrifying about this! He said that, in his opinion, the meaning of life is a “hard day’s work,” when you come home totally exhausted from working so hard.

We Roman Catholics know better. We know the meaning of life is absolutely not throwing ourselves into “work” (whatever “work” might be).

I know we can sometimes feel discouraged as choirmasters. We often suffer tremendously and deal with major frustrations. But “say not the struggle naught availeth.” Let Jerry Seinfeld be our reminder that nothing can replace our longing for God: not money, not fame, not power, not work. As St. Augustine said, “Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord; and they are restless until they rest in Thee.” When you’re near the end of your rope, rejoice that you have something worth fighting for—namely JESUS CHRIST, His Church, and your eternal salvation!

UPDATE :   (24 December 2016)

I forgot something important. When we’re “too close” to the choir, we can become convinced things sound bad. However, that’s not always true. I recently found an old recording by my high school girls (circa 2009), which—at the time—I thought was severely flawed. When I listen after all these years, I must admit it doesn’t sound horrible:

    * *  Mp3 • High School Girls’ Choir (“Tantum Ergo”)

My little son likes to bring me pine cones, which he carefully collects. It may not seem like much, but it means everything to me. In the end, our offerings to God are like his pine cones. God doesn’t need them, and doesn’t need us. At the same time, they are priceless in His eyes!



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   When Seinfeld was 39 years old, he dated a 17-year-old girl (still in high school) named Shoshanna Lonstein. Sadly, our celebrity-obsessed culture tolerates such inappropriate things. It was not always so, but that’s another story.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“A striking detail: at Solesmes, we remember hearing Justine Ward criticize accompaniment sometimes or seeing her cover her ears, especially when the organ accompanied a soloist, which is something she could not accept.”

— Dom Pierre Combe

Recent Posts

  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.