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Views from the Choir Loft

Commercial Pop Culture + Church Music?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 29, 2017

FORMER STUDENT of mine recently attended a liturgical conference at the University of Notre Dame. One of the speakers was a well known “progressive” liturgist, Rev. Anthony Ruff, who has referred to plainsong as a “weapon.” She was troubled by the following public statement by Fr. Ruff (22 June 2016):

“I would hope there is a place for the avant-garde in the same way I think there has to be a place—and we have to be careful with this—a place for Jazz and place for Evangelical and all of that. […] On theological grounds, I do think we need interaction with the culture at the level of high art or at the level of more commercial pop culture.”

I told my student she should have asked: “Why stop at Jazz? Why not Heavy Metal? Why not Rap? Why not Grunge?” Indeed, many churches have already tried mixing pop culture with sacred music—as if we Americans have been deprived of that. The following was filmed at an Episcopalian church in 2013. Sadly, I’ve seen similar videos filmed in Catholic churches. Observe how they applaud the musicians:


It would be difficult for me to imagine anything more antithetical to what I consider authentic, reverent, and holy Catholic worship. At FSSP.la, our musicians hope never to be seen—and we would feel humiliated if anyone clapped for us. We sing at the back of the church (up in the choir loft) and our parishioners are taught the same thing I was: face forward in your pew! Growing up, we would have been severely reprimanded if we turned around in our pew. We were taught to kept the eyes forward, focused on the Tabernacle and Eucharistic Sacrifice, where Christ is made present on the Altar. I realize some no longer believe the SANCTISSIMUM to be the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Savior—but we do. And we try to act accordingly, with St. John Vianney as our model.

All of us, myself included, should watch the organist at 1:50, asking ourselves if we are guilty of acting inappropriately in the house of God.

Having watched that video, let’s renew our good resolution never to be disrespectful in church.

GETTING BACK TO THE ISSUE of mixing in commercial pop culture, as Fr. Ruff advocates, we must exercise caution. Those who lack musical training might get confused when the issue of (for example) Renaissance adoption of secular tunes is broached. But this was covered in my article, Palestrina uses the Dragnet Theme, specifically in the context of Missa My Little Pony. In essence, using a secular tune in diminution, augmentation, or as a CANTUS FIRMUS—“elevating it,” as Dr. Mahrt says—is quite different from what’s shown in that Episcopalian video.

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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Quick Thoughts

    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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Nothing should be allowed that is unworthy of divine worship, nothing that is obviously profane or unfit to express the inner, sacred power of prayer. Nothing odd or unusual is allowable, since such things, far from fostering devotion in the praying community, rather shock and upset it—and impede the proper and rightful cultivation of a devotion faithful to tradition.

— Pope Paul VI • 10/13/1966

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