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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.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

I forgot to tell them it’s supposed to be hard.

Richard J. Clark · June 9, 2017

DULTS AND children sometimes learn very differently. The brains of children are still developing, and adults often assume many things are too difficult for them to learn, absorb, or even attempt. How wrong we are!

My son has been playing baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. My daughter is left-handed. So one day, while I was throwing batting practice to them, my son wanted to try batting left-handed just like his older sister. It never occurred to him that this would be hard, or that he wouldn’t do well. He just thought it would be fun.

What happened surprised me. Instead of struggling, he hit he ball quite consistently (if not for as much power…) He continued to bat left-handed for the rest of our practice. He had no inhibition to try something potentially uncomfortable, and he had a positive, fun, experience. He’ll probably try it again. I guess I forgot to tell him how hard it is to become a successful switch-hitter.

Furthermore, those who teach languages or music to young school children know better. Certain young ages are ideal times to teach children because they absorb certain things much faster and quite naturally. Start teaching children a new language when they are in high school, and it will be difficult. Start when they are younger, and they will have a far greater chance of mastering the language as they grow.

I live in a town in which the public elementary schools have a French Immersion program. It has become so popular and effective, that they have had to hire more teachers and potentially cap the program.

ERHAPS MY FAVORITE words of wisdom come from my friend, colleague, and sage, Maestro Michael Olbash. A few years ago, he began a children’s choir who sang a great deal of Gregorian Chant. They sang beautifully; his choir blossomed in size. He said, “They don’t know it’s supposed to be hard.”

He must have forgotten to tell the children that Latin and chant are supposed to be too hard for them; they made singing in Latin look easy.

My colleague and friend, Ryan Lynch gave the first-graders in the school where he teaches the choice to sing the Sanctus XVIII in English (ICEL Chant) or in Latin. The seven-year-olds insisted on singing in Latin. Maestro Lynch must have forgotten to tell them Latin and Chant are supposed to be hard, and that children shouldn’t be taught such music in the first place.

My own children recently sang Regina Caeli at Mass both in Latin and then in English. It’s a great “starter piece” for chant. It’s not very ambitious compared to the work of my other colleagues. They learned the meaning of the Latin text quite easily. In fact, we had to spend more time rehearsing it in English. I forgot to tell them, it’s supposed to be hard.

ERE’S A MODEST musical and liturgical resource from the Archdiocese of Boston for First Communion and Confirmation. If you forget to tell the children this is too hard for them, they just might pick it up easily—just as God created them to do!

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 Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —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

Indeed I might add that although unfamiliar with it myself, the Extraordinary Form expressly reminds us that Mass in either form is not merely a communion meal but a ritual of love, a sacrifice at Calvary, by which, for you and for me, yes, here and now, Jesus Christ lays down his life.

— ‘Most Rev. Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth’

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