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Views from the Choir Loft

Choirmasters, Your Job Is Hard Beyond A Doubt

Jeff Ostrowski · March 3, 2017

332 Marcia Clark S A YOUNG BOY growing up in Kansas, I remember when all the channels switched over to a Los Angeles white Bronco chase. Helicopters followed in the air as 95 million Americans watched. At the time, I had no clue what the big deal was; but it turns out the entire case was complicated and interesting from various points of view. What can a choirmaster possibly learn from the 1994 Simpson murder trial? Quite a lot, believe it or not. But today, I’ll focus on two areas only.

First of all, those who have watched the actual trial taking place (on YouTube) will notice most of the attorneys—on both sides—were remarkably unprepared and obscenely incompetent. They spent hours bickering and being held in contempt. Indeed, the audio frequently went dead (and the camera just pointed at the ceiling) as the lawyers did battle with the judge at the sidebar, usually for no serious reason. They often showed up late, with slides and props that were ill-prepared. If those attorneys tried to run a choir rehearsal like that, they’d be out of a job almost immediately. When the choirmaster conducts a rehearsal, every minute is precious and must not be squandered. That’s why we spend hours preparing; routinely an entire week. If the attorneys had prepared properly, the trial would have ended much sooner.

Secondly, there are hundreds of theories vis-à-vis why the jury ruled the way it did. Some say they made the right decision. Others claim they made the wrong decision. Some say they were enamored with O. J. Simpson because he was a star and developed a rapport with him each day. Others say they were so traumatized by being sequestered for 256 days—watched by armed guards, not allowed to watch television, and scarcely allowed to telephone their families to say goodnight—they just wanted to go home. Some say they shouldn’t have been sequestered. Some say Marcia Clark messed up the case. Some say jury selection was improper. Some say Simpson struggling with the glove was convincing, while others feel the opposite. In the end, however, guess what? You have the jury you have.

This is like our choirs. Each member is unique. Each has strengths and weaknesses. We can obsess over this, asking why that is the case. But in the final analysis, we have the choirs we have. Our job is to make beautiful music, not excuses! As Roger Wagner repeated constantly: Never apologize for your choir, because they’re as good as you are!

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

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The following few hints on the selection of voices may be useful: (1) Reject all boys who speak roughly, or sing coarsely; (2) Choose bright, intelligent-looking boys, provided they have a good ear; they will much more readily respond to the choirmaster’s efforts than boys who possess a voice and nothing more; therefore, (3) Reject dull, sulky, or scatter-brained boys, since it is hard to say which of the three has the most demoralizing effect on his more willing companions.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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