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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3). I'm not a fan of chant in octaves, but we had such limited time to rehearse, it seemed the best choice. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to learn “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium,” which summarizes Candlemas.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

Random Quote

“You should try to eat their food in the way they prepare it, although it may be dirty, half-cooked, and very tasteless. As to the other numerous things which may be unpleasant, they must be endured for the love of God, without saying anything or appearing to notice them.”

— Fr. Paul Le Jeune (1637)

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  • Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
  • Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
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  • Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦

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