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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Volunteer Choirs • Rehearsal “Tricks”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 22, 2017

ERY WISE WORDS were spoken to me thirteen years ago by a priest: “Only two people in the whole school are forced to publicly demonstrate their work: the choirmaster and the coach. The other teachers can fool around all year without consequences.” When your choir sings at Mass (or when your school children perform a concert) everyone will see whether you have failed. The same is true of the coach—and mulligans aren’t allowed. Only our colleagues realize how difficult and stressful our vocation is. The singers certainly don’t know what the director goes through, and before becoming a director I was undoubtedly the world’s most annoying choir member. 1

I recently uploaded an SATB Eucharistic hymn whose melody by Heinrich Isaac (d. 1517) was harmonized by J.S. Bach. Did you notice the solfeggio markings? They appear on the PDF score, which I hope you downloaded. Here’s how that sounds:


Your singers will always resist solfeggio at first, but you must not give them the option. And believe me, when you get in front of a volunteer choir, solfège will save your life.

We hope to release a whole bunch of rehearsal techniques, repertoire lists, presentations, and scores from the 2017 Sacred Music Symposium. Keep an eye on the blog each week, because that’s where they will appear.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   I still shudder at some of the comments I made to Simon Carrington when I was still a freshman in college.

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

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The main place should be given, all things being equal, to gregorian chant, as being proper to the roman Liturgy. Other kinds of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful.”

— ‘2011 GIRM, §41 (Roman Missal, 3rd Edition)’

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