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Views from the Choir Loft

Five Ways To Make Dogma “Live Loudly Within You”

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · September 18, 2017

4417 Y NOW, most everyone is aware of the uproar following the statements of Sen. Diane Feinstein during the judicial confirmation hearings of Prof. Amy Barrett of the University of Notre Dame. “The dogma lives loudly within you” stated Feinstein. Much has already been written about the obvious anti-Catholic invective in this proclamation, and many have come to the defense of Prof. Barrett and her personal and judicial integrity. That Feinstein’s sentiments were doubled down by Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, a Catholic himself, is probably more reprehensible. The fact that he claimed to be unaware of the term “orthodox Catholic” is sad and laughable at the same time. * So the villains in this controversy have been named. But let’s not forget that there is a hero, and that is Professor Barrett.

Making your Catholic bona fides known and not wavering from them is not always a stance that lends itself to personal popularity or job security, especially in the academic ivory tower. But, you say, that shouldn’t be a problem in a Catholic university, right? Well, let’s remember from whence came the Land O’Lakes Statement. And just try Googling “Catholic professor denied tenure” and see how many hits you get.

So now that Prof. Barrett has been ‘accused’ of being a faithful and public Catholic and has taken a hit for the rest of us, the question for me, and perhaps for you, is this—is the dogma living loudly in you? For me, I think the answer is no, not yet. Because sometimes, as we have seen, it results in criticism, ridicule, unfairness, and unpopularity. Because it takes courage. And it takes courage to be a Catholic church musician. So the next question is this – can we live the dogma in our work as church musicians? Here are a few ways that I think we can:

First : Select hymns with faithful Catholic texts. This might open you up to criticism.

Second : Jettison the hymns or ‘songs’ that talk about ‘us’ or ‘me.’ This will not make you popular.

Third : Make school Masses reverent and focused on the worship of God. If this means following #1 and #2, this will also not make you popular.

Fourth : Teach, especially the children. I’ve sacrificed some rehearsal time to show videos on the Mass and to discuss it with them. Maybe that’s not the best use of time, but it lets the children know where my priorities lie and what their role in the Mass is really about.

Fifth : Talk about the Church to your choirs. Incorporate bits of theology into your teaching of new music, explain deeply the texts that come from the pens of the saints, and give your own personal statement about why this music is important to you as a Catholic. This takes courage.

These are just a few ways that we can show the dogma living loudly within us. As reprehensible as her statements were, perhaps we need to thank Sen. Feinstein for unwittingly reminding us what we are called to do, as unpopular as it may be.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

Editor’s note : Views from the Choir Loft has never been—and will never be—a political blog. If we were in the business of pointing out dishonesty from politicians, we’d have no time left for music. That being said, it’s worth noting that Senator Durbin claims not to know what “Orthodox Catholic” means and brags about having 19 years of Roman Catholic education. However, seventy seconds later, he accidentally reveals (by subsequent statements) he knew perfectly well the meaning. It would have been better if he had not pretended to be ignorant of that term.

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 Dr. Alfred Calabrese

Dr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. He and his wife have two children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —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

“A theologian who does not love art, poetry, music and nature can be dangerous since blindness and deafness toward the beautiful are not incidental: they are necessarily reflected in his theology.”

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (Interview, 1985)

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